Early Theatre

1. Early Theatre

2. Historians believe began through religious ritual. • Rituals celebrated religion and commemorated great events. • Stories passed down through these rituals helped preserve a communities heritage.

3. Storytellers preserved a cultures history. • The rituals of these early cultures often involved ceremonial clothing, which later developed into costumes. • The religious leaders in these early ceremonies were the first actors.

4. Designated areas for ceremonial performances were the first stages.

5. Greek Theatre • Greeks invented theatre as modern civilization knows it. • Large facilities were built to house festivals & plays • Greeks transitioned theatre from ritual to performance art. • Those that worshiped Dionysus celebrated the god with a “choral hymn”. This performance was accompanied by movement, music, and stories about the god’s life.

6. B 600 BCE theatre evolve and become more formalized. • Drama competition began around 534 BCE • Government agencies were formed to find competitors and find wealthy patrons (choregos) to fund performances. • Supposedly choregos were able to avoid by taxes by funding drama festivals

7. Much of todays theatre terminology is owed to the Greeks. • Amphitheaters were built on hillsides to house performances. • Orchestra pits (okestra) were the areas betweenthe staged and the audience. • Theatron (“Seeing place”) was the designated area where the audience sat • Proskenionwas the large frame around the stage • Skene was the scenery or backdrop

8. Poet Aron is thought to have turned the dithyrambs into well-meaning songs performed by a chours. • Actor/poet Thespis became the first actor to step out from the chorus and recite lines. • This is why another name for actors is Thespians

9. Playwright Aeschylus later created a second character to step out from the chorus. • Sophocles created a third

10. Three types of plays were performed at these Dionysian festivals: tragedies, comidies and satyr plays.

11. Satyr plays were low-brow comedies. • Comedies were funny and entertaining. These plays often lampooned (made fun of) ideas and people.Tragedies sad plays in which a noble character has a fall from grace with disastrous consequences

12. The Greek Tragedy • Protagonist is a noble or one that has much to loose. • Bad choices made by protagonist lead to mounting fear and tension in the audience. • Audience must be able to identify with the character(fear, compassion, sadness) • At climax the hero must realize his mistake • Hero has no chance at redemtption

13. The Greek Tragedy • At the end, the audience should experience a catharsis (emotional release). They feel sorry for the character but are glad it this didn’t happen to them.

14. Greek Comedy • Derived from the word “komos” which mean parade of rejoicers • Satyr, another type of comedy, has derived into what we know today as satire.

15. Comedy • Greek comedy did not use makeup, instead actors would wear masks. • The masks had an added bonus of amplifying the actor’s voice • Comstumes were made up of long drapping robes.

16. It is believed that during the 490s BCE that the Greeks began using special effects to represent the gods and goddesses. This use of props was known as deus ex machina (god from the machine)

17. 4 Big Greek Playwrights • Aeschylus: The Oresteia, Agamemnon • Sophocles: Oedipus Rex, Antigone • Euripides: Medea, The Trojan Women • Aristophanes: Lysistrata, The Birds

18. Roman Theatre • Copycat of Greek theatre • Less idealistic (remember the Greeks were big on humanism and idealism) • Actors were known as histriones, not thespians

19. Roman theatre introduced lewd comedy, wild dancing, juggling and farce. • The introductions are noted by some as a decline in theatre quality.

20. The Differences • Roman theatre was more interested in spectacle and lower forms of entertainment (juggling, dancing, lewd humor). • Greek theatre was concerned with philosophy, politics, and art.

21. Due to geographic conditions, Romans built large theatre buildings that were several stories tall, Greeks built amphitheaters on hillsides

22. Japanese Theatre • Kabuki is ancient Japanese theatre that began in the early 1600s. • Kabuki was originally performed by an all female cast, however due to the attention of male followers and fans, the Japanese government banned women from performing

23. Men took over the female Kabuki roles and the art flourished. • Kabuki performers are required to act, sing, dance, and play musical instruments • The makeup used by Kabuki performed is used to convey character and mood

24. Noh Theatre • Predates Kabuki, formed around the late 14th century. • Unlike Kabuki, Noh actors wore masks made from cedar. • Noh theatre does not contain a plot, it is usually made up of slow dancing or poetic movements.