Chapter 1

A Historical Reason to Attend Theatre Theatre is the foundation of all drama

▪ Ancient Greeks established the categories of tragedy and comedy

▪ Roman domestic comedies were the prototype of situation comedy

Seeing a performance means taking part in theatre history

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Theatre incorporates profound, provocative, timeless observations about the human condition

Theatre is an art form with its own characteristics: Quality Coherence Integrity

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What Is Art? Characteristics of Art

▪ A mirror or reflection of life▪ An extension or a projection of how we live, think,

and feel▪ It reveals to us what we treasure and admire and

what we fear most deeply▪ It may be an absolute necessity for human survival

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What Is Art? continued Three Categories of Art

▪ Literary▪ Novels, short stories, poetry

▪ Visual▪ Painting, sculpture, architecture, photography

▪ Performing▪ Theatre, dance, opera, music

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What Is Art? continued Another characteristic of Art is its relationship

to time (temporal) and space (spatial).▪ Visual

▪ Exists in space, but not in time

▪ Music▪ Exists in time, but not in space

▪ Theater, Dance and Opera▪ Exists in both space and time

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What Is Art? continued Three Characteristics of the Performing Arts

▪ Have movement through time▪ Require interpreters as well as creators▪ Require an audience

▪ Relationship between audience and performers is key

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The Art of Theatre Elements of Theatre

▪ Audience▪ Performers▪ Script or Text▪ Director▪ Theatre Space▪ Design Elements

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The Art of Theatre continued Theatre as a Collaborative Art

▪ The various elements of theatre must be brought together and coordinated by a host of people—collaboration!

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Nations and cultures influence one another’s theatrical traditions Global connections were rare prior to the

1800s Theatre can no longer be easily classified by

specific national designations▪ Beginning around 1900, Asian and other non-

European theatres were influenced by developments of modern theatre in the West

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Nations and cultures influence one another’s theatrical traditions continued Diversity – types of theater available and

audience members attending Multicultural – wide variety of social groups

and concerns

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Nations and cultures influence one another’s theatrical traditions continued Theatre is a global activity

▪ Interaction▪ Adaptation▪ Collaboration

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Types of theatre are wide-ranging Audiences are diverse Diversity in Contemporary Theatre

Contemporary theatre is: ▪ Complex▪ It mirrors the society in which it is produced▪ It is fragmented and reflects the complexity of

today’s life

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