Theatre 2 History

A. Medieval TheatreA. Middle Ages

1.Drama developed differently in Europe.

2.Earliest evidence of medieval theatre came in the form of liturgical dramas in the late 10th century A.D.

3.Christianity, specifically the Roman Catholic Church, established prohibitions against secular drama.

A. This action suggests the existence of other types of performing arts.

acrobatics

mimes

dancers

B. Liturgical Drama

1. 1st began as a question and answer song performance by monks on Easter.

A. Originally performed in Latin, later translated to the vernacular of a region.

B. Originally performed by priests, choirboys, and nuns. Later, members of the congregation were invited to perform.

C. Popular entertainment during the Easter service. Later, became self-sustained Christian tradition.

B. Liturgical Drama

2. Saint & Mystery Plays

A. Very popular form of church drama

B. Saint Plays—based on legends and tales of the saints

C. Mystery Plays—based on biblical history

B. Liturgical Drama3. Passion Plays

A. Drama about the last week of Christ's life (ex. The Passion, Jesus Christ Superstar)

C. Mansions

1. Stages in churches set on elevated platforms.

A. Represented biblical settings (i.e. Heaven, Hell, Temple of King Solomon)

popularity of these plays moved them into town squares and out of the churches.

A. Mansions placed in a straight line

B. Some stages were permanent

C. Evidence exists of touring troupes who traveled and performed in various towns/cities.

D. Craft Guilds

1.Late 14th century, became dominant presenters of Saint & Mystery plays, in England.

A. Most were performed during the festival of Corpus Christi

B. Instituted in 1311 A.D.

2.Guilds were secular (not religiously affiliated) in nature but member were associated with the church.

3.Each guild presented one part of the biblical text (i.e. the shipwrights presented the Noah pageant)

E. Pageant Wagons

1.Craft Guilds toured on these mobile stages on wheels.

2.Most were divided into two levels:

A. Upper Level— used as the main platform plying space

B. Lower Level— functioned as the dressing room and properties storage space.

Pageant Wagons

3. Pageant wagons were often decorated according to which play in the cycle was presented.

A. Cycle— a series of short plays depicting religious history from Creation through Armageddon.

F. Folk Drama1. Developed clandestinely and simultaneously with secular

drama.

A. 1st recorded in the 12th century A.D.

2. Performed during planting time, harvest time, and Christmas.

*Some stories herald back to the Gaelic and pagan traditions of pre-christian Europe.

Tales of the Fey, faeries, leprechauns, etc.

3. Presented as folk festivals to hide their non-church sanctioned entertainments

A. Robin Hood plays arose out of these performances (c. 1300 A.D.)

G . Morality Plays

1. Didactic in nature.

A. Taught difference between right & wrong

*God & Satan's war for souls.

2. Took the form of allegories.

A. Symbolic characters representing

abstract qualities

*Everyman=Humankind

Only morality play still performed today.

H. Moral Interludes

1. Shorter than Morality plays.

2. Included more lighthearted and humorous characters & situations.

3.Presented by secular dramatists.

A. 1st acting companies...their primary occupation!

B. Came under the patronage of nobility(royal sponsorship).

Vocabulary:

Liturgy- customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions.

Didactic- intended as a means to instruct/teach.

Allegories- story in which people, things, & happenings have another meaning, often instructive ( i.e., Brothers Grimm fairy tales)

Renaissance Drama

(Renaissance means “Rebirth”) The Renaissance describes the transitions from the medieval to modern world.

I . Renaissance—Italy A. Italian advances in drama:

Architecture development

Stage equipment development

Perspective & colored lighting introduced

B. Opera—Attempt to revive the simplicity & humanism of ancient Greek Drama.

1.Scholars in Florence, Italy attempted to recreate the chorus music of ancient Greek drama.

2.Music was designed to emphasize words.

A. Solo vocal line

B. Simple instrumental accompaniment

17th Century—Opera imitated by England & France

Renaissance—Italy

C. Commentate Dell'arte-- (“Comedy of the Profession”)

`1.Comic improvisation troupes

A. New interests in theatre during the 16th through 18th centuries

* taste in drama similar to ancient Rome

B. Manager led troupes—often wrote scenarios for performances

Renaissance—Italy

2. Comic Scenario—plot outlines posted backstage before each performance.

A. Commedia troupes mastered comic scenarios

B. Scenarios were detailed plot outlines that included “lazzi” & certain memorized lines

*Lazzi—Humorous bits of stage business. (Ex. Stage action continues while a comic actor laboriously tries to catch a fly.)

*Most scenarios were based on comic intrigue involving fathers who put obstacles in the way of their childrens' romances.

*Troupes learned stock jokes, proverbs, songs, and speeches such as declarations of love, hate, and madness.

Renaissance—Italy 3. Commedia—Social Class/Characters

A. All Commedia characters represented two (2) social classes:

Upper class

Servant class

B. Characters identified by costumes and masks

1. Innamorati & Innamoratae : Beautifully dressed young lovers, speak refined language.

*ONLY characters not to wear masks.

C. Commedia stock characters evolved into modern characters:

1. Pulcinella— foolish character with hooked nose & peaked hat. Ancestor of Punch from Punch and Judy Shows. (puppet shows popular in Great Britain in the

18th & 19th centuries.)

2. Pedrolino— Male servants, eternal moonstruck lover, sad & gentle, too romantic & sad. Later called Pierrot & paired with Pierrette, his devoted sweetheart.

3. Pagliacci— Male servant, comedian who makes other laugh while his heart breaks.

4. Scaramuccia— Ancestor to the wicked mustached villain. Later called Scaramouche.

II. Renaissance Theatre elsewhere in Europe

A. Spain— Written Drama

Notable authors of the period:

1. Cervantes (1547-1616)

2. Lope de Vega (1562-1635)

3. Calderon (1600-1687)

* Don Juan Demarco—Spain's foremost theatrical contribution. Based on Spanish legend.

Renaissance Theatre elsewhere in Europe

B. France— Professional theatre developed, patrons of the state.

Notable plays of the period:

1. “The Cid”--Corncille (1606-1684)

2. “The Miser”

3. “The Misanthrope”--Moliere (1622-1673)

4. “The Imaginary Invalid”

5. “Phaedra”--Racine (1639-1694)

C. Miscellaneous Traveling Players— “Life of Drama”

1. Performed in village squares

2. Performed before nobility in castles

3. Create melodramatic history plays, rowdy comedies & romantic comedies

* These plays are the origins of later generations great dramas.

III.Renaissance—England

A. Elizabethan Age— Climax of Renaissance Drama

1. Drama—Expression of the soul of a nation.

2. Drama—Vital force in lives of the people.

B. English Plays—modeled after Roman & Greek style.

1. Comedies

A. Nicholas Udall (1504-1556) wrote “Rolph Roister Doister” (1552)

* modeled after the plays of Plautus.

2. Tragedy

A. “Gorbeduc” (1562)--1st true English tragedy.

Renaissance—England

3. Glorious Elizabethan Dramatists:

-Christopher Marlowe

-Ben Jonson

-William Shakespeare

* All still produced to this day.

Renaissance—England

1. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)--killed in tavern brawl.

A. Introduced 1st important use of blank (unrhymed) verse

*“Mighty Line” of poetic drama.

B. Produced plays that present the glory & horror of the age:

1. “Tambourlaine”

2. “The Jew of Malta”

3. “Edward II”

4. “Doctor Faustus”

* Story of a man who sells his soul. Bridges the gap between medieval and renaissance ages.

Renaissance—England

2. Ben Jonson (1572-1637)--master of English comedy.

A. Widened the scope of the humors: to Elizabethans, humor referred to a personality trait not an attitude of amazement.

Renaissance—England

Believed all matter, even the human body, to be made up of four elements—air, earth, fire, water.

Each humor had its own effect on a persons personality—the balance of elements in body determined personality.

Black bile was the most interesting humor to Elizabethan playwrights:

->Melancholy characters fit into three main types:

The Lover (Ex. Romeo)

The Malcontent (Ex. Iago)

The Intellectual (Ex. Hamlet)

Renaissance—England

William Shakespeare ( 1564-1616)--Considered the Greatest Dramatist of all Time.

A. Towering literary giant: Shakespeare “was not of an age, but for all time.”-Ben Jonson

Memorable characterizations

Beautiful poetry

Never to be forgotten lines.

B. Plays were meant to be seen-not read!!

Shakespeare's Audience: loud, shouting their approval or hissing disapproval.

Plays had to be exciting, moving or violent

Filled with fury, humor and human truth

Renaissance—England

C. Shakespeare's Characters: center of interest in plays.

Felt emotions-->love, jealousy, ambition, joy and grief.

Universal characters-->speak to the lives of people today as they had 400 years ago.

Soliloquy-->reveals characters inner most thoughts. Used to define a characters personality immediately.

Soliloquy-- A speech delivered by an actor alone on the stage.

A soliloquy is different from an aside, a speech performed so as not to be heard by the other actors on stage.

Renaissance—EnglandD. Elizabethan Playhouse:

Inspired by innyards (audience stood around a platform stage OR watched from rooms around the courtyard.)

1. Audience Area:

A. Multi-sided building.

B. Two (2) levels for acting

C. Three (3) levels for seating: refined audience members occupied the gallery seats. The most expensive seats were next to, above, or even on the stage.

Groundlings- members of the audience who paid a penny to stand in the pit area around the stage. Most were soldiers, apprentices, country folk and pick pockets.

Pit Area- open to sky to supply sunlight (no electricity). In case of rain, floor sloped to a drain. The floor was a mixture of ash, sand, silt and hazelnuts. Audience ate nuts and apples.

Renaissance—EnglandActing Area:

A. Unlocalized platform stage-five to six feet above pit floor. Little to no scenery was used. (lines from the play or a symbolic object used to indicate locale)

B. Tiring House-> behind stage dressing room

C. Study-> upstage center curtained recess

D. Tarras → Second level acting area, shallow balcony.

E. Chamber → used by musicians or audience.

F. Heavens-> roof supported by two ornate columns above stage.

Sun, moon, clouds,stars zodiac signs painted on underside of roof