History of Theatrical Forms: Greek Tragedy

History of Theatrical Forms

• Theater originated from myth, ritual, and ceremony.
• Early societies saw connections between communal actions and societal leaders.
• Theater transitioned from habit to tradition, ritual, and ceremony because of the human need for entertainment.
• Repeated rehearsals and performances led to the creation of the theater.
• Theater is more than just a place of seeing; it involves playwrights, directors, designers, actors, and an audience.

Ancient Theaters: Greek and Roman (700 BCE - 410 CE)

• European theatre started in ancient Greece around 700 BC with festivals honoring gods.
• Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, was honored with the cult of Dionysus.
• Athens became the center of cultural, political, and military power where festivals and competitions were held.
• Three well known Greek tragedy playwrights include: Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles

Greek Tragedy

• Tragedy combines the Greek words "tragos"(goat) and "ode"(song).
• Goats were sacrificed to Dionysus or goat skins were worn by performers.
• Tragedy was the most admired type of play in Greece, dealing with tragic events and unhappy endings
• Thespis was the first actor and introduced the use of masks, earning him the title "father of tragedy."

Greek Comedy

• Comedy plays originated from imitation with obscure beginnings.
• Aristophanes wrote most of the comedy plays.
• Eleven plays by Aristophanes survived, including "Lysistrata," a humorous tale about women ending war.
• "Cyclops" was an adventurous comedy by Euripides.

Satyr Plays

• Satyr plays included comic elements to lighten the mood of serious plays.
• It was a short, lighthearted piece performed after tragedies, featuring choruses of satyrs.
• Satyrs were half-man, half-goat characters from Greek mythology, often drunk and lustful.

Ancient Theater Terms

• Theatron: The name for theater buildings.
• Theaters were large, open-air structures built on hillsides.
• Three main elements include: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience.
• Orchestra: Circular or rectangular area for plays, dances, and religious rites.

Roman Theater

• Theater in ancient Rome began in the 3rd century BC.
• Art forms included festival performances, acrobatics, comedies, and tragedies.
• The spread of Greek culture influenced Roman theater, encouraging the development of Latin literature.
• Etruscan actors were the first to experience live theater in the 4th century BC.
• Roman drama began with the plays of Livius Andronicus in 240 BC.
• By the mid-4th century AD, 102 out of 176 Ludi Publici were dedicated to theater.

Influence and Spectacle

• Greek theaters greatly influenced Roman theater.
• Pompey built one of the first permanent, non-wooden theaters in Rome.
• The theater was part of a complex with a quadriporticus, gardens, fountains, and art galleries.
• Common themes for Roman plays included chariot races, gladiators, and public executions.
• Romans enjoyed realistic violence in entertainment.
• Christians opposed the barbaric themes, leading to theater closures.
• Comedy plays were popular, and women were allowed to perform on stage between 350 to 250 BC.

Medieval Theater (500 CE - 1400)

• Theater performances were not allowed in Europe during the medieval era.
• Minstrels performed in markets, public places, and festivals as puppeteers, jugglers, and storytellers.
• The Church began staging theater performances during Easter, depicting biblical stories.
• Some plays moved outside the church due to portrayals of the devil and hell, such as "The Mystery of Adam."
• Plays revolved around biblical themes from creation to the Last Judgment.

Renaissance Theater (1400 - 1600)

• Renaissance theater saw a return to classical Greek and Roman arts and culture.
• Morality plays and university dramas were formed.
• Public theaters were developed, including Commedia dell'arte, an Italian comedy.
• Dramatic entertainment included pantomime, dancing, dialogue, song, and masks.
• Queen Elizabeth I was a prominent supporter of the theater.
• Companies of actors were organized by aristocrats and performed seasonally.
• Tours by these players gradually replaced local mystery and morality plays.
• Gorboduc was first performed during the Christmas celebration in 1561

William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare: Baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616.
• English poet, playwright, and actor regarded as the greatest writer and dramatist.
• Shakespeare was called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon."
• Shakespeare's works include about 38 plays.
• Well-known plays include: "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "Cleopatra".
• Four tragedies considered Shakespeare's greatest works: "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", and "Macbeth".

Contemporary Playwrights and Play Types

• Christopher Marlowe wrote tragedies like "Dr. Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta."
• Thomas Kyd wrote "The Spanish Tragedy."
• History plays depicted English or European history, such as "Richard III" and "Henry V."
• Comedies were common and dealt with life in London, like "The Shoemaker's Holiday" by Thomas Dekker.

Ballet

• Ballet was first performed in public during this period.
• Ballet is a formalized dance form originating from Italian Renaissance courts.
• Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, helped develop and flourish ballet in France.
• Catherine's work includes "Le Paradis d'Amour," presented at her daughter's wedding.
• The first formal court ballet was "Ballet des Polonais" in 1573.
• Commissioned by Catherine de Medici to honor Polish ambassadors visiting Paris.

Renaissance Stage Innovations

• Proscenium was developed, framing and dividing the stage from the audience.
• Backdrops for scenery were popularized through the art of painting clothes.
• Commedia dell'arte was developed.

Baroque Theater (1600-1750)

• Technology was heavily used in current Broadway plays, with machines for special effects and scene changes.
• Deus ex machina became popular, where gods could come down from the heavens to rescue heroes.
• Theater was richly decorated.
• The use of theatrical technologies can be seen in the films "Vatel" (2000) and "Farinelli" (1999).

Neoclassical Theater (1800-1900)

• Neoclassical period saw the styles of Roman and Greek societies influencing theater arts.
• Theater was characterized by its grandiosity; costumes and sceneries were highly elaborate.
• Main concepts: to entertain and to teach lessons.
• Stages were restyled with dramatic arches to highlight scenes.
• Lighting and sound effects intensified the mood and message.
• Scenery and backdrops were changed more noticeably with pole systems.
• "Decorum" concept applied, emphasizing classical concepts and appropriate social behavior
• Only two types of plays were officially established: tragedy and comedy.
• This restriction led to the use of happy and sad masks to symbolize theatrical arts.
• Tragedies portrayed the lives of the upper classes, while comedies focused on the lower ranks of society.

Playwrights of the Neoclassical Theater

• Pierre Corneille (1606-1684): Called the father of French tragedy, wrote over four decades, e.g., "The Cid."
• Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Molière) (1622-1673): Known for comedies "Tartuffe" and "The Misanthrope."
• Jean Racine (1639-1699): Known for simple approach to action and linguistic rhythms in works like "Andromaque."

Neoclassical Trivia

• The first spotlight, called limelight, was used in the U.S during this period.
• The Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 banned drinking in legitimate theaters.

Romantic Theater (1800-2000)

• Melodrama and operas became the most popular theatrical forms.
• Melodrama: Dramatic work that puts characters in danger to appeal to emotions.
• Opera: Combines text (libretto) with musical score, acting, scenery, costumes, and dance.
• Performed in an opera house with an orchestra.
• Victor Marie Hugo (1802-1885): Famous romantic playwright.

Victor Hugo

• Victor Hugo is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers.
• He was a poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement.
• Hugo's literary fame comes from his poetry, novels, and dramatic achievements.
• Prominent works include Les Contemplations, La Légende des siècles, Les Misérables, and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame).
• Notre-Dame de Paris features Quasimodo, a deformed hunchback and bellringer, who helps Esmeralda, a kind and generous gypsy street dancer.

Georges Bizet

• Georges Bizet was a famous Romantic composer, born on October 25, 1838, and died on June 3, 1875, in Paris.
• He entered the Paris Conservatory of Music shortly before his 10th birthday.
• Bizet's first symphony, Symphony in C Major, was written at age 17, showing stylistic resemblance to Franz Schubert's music.
• Bizet was a pianist known for his operas.
• Carmen is Bizet's most popular opera
• The title role of Carmen was composed for a mezzo-soprano.
• Carmen tells the story of Don José, a soldier seduced by the gypsy Carmen, leading to his downfall.
• Bizet's contemporaries included Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Frédéric Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, and Hector Berlioz.

Sophocles

• Sophocles was an ancient Greek tragedian.
• His contemporary playwrights were Aeschylus and Euripides.
• Of the 123 plays written by Sophocles, only seven have survived in complete form.
• Surviving plays include Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus.
• Sophocles was the most famous playwright for almost 50 years in dramatic competitions in Athens.
• He won first place in 24 out of 30 competitions and was never judged lower than second place.
• Aeschylus won 14 competitions and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won only four competitions.
• Oedipus and Antigone are among Sophocles' most famous tragedies, known as the Theban plays.
• Sophocles influenced drama by adding a third actor and developing characters to a greater importance than the chorus.

Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King)

• Oedipus Rex is one of the most famous plays written by Sophocles.
• Main characters include Oedipus (King of Thebes), Creon (Oedipus' brother-in-law), Eurydice (Creon's wife), Apollo (god/oracle of Delphi), King Laius (Oedipus' father), Jocasta (Oedipus' mother and wife), Polyneices and Eteocles (sons of Oedipus), Tiresias (blind prophet), Polybus (Oedipus' foster father), Merope (Oedipus' foster mother), Antigone and Ismene (daughters of Oedipus), Haimon (Antigone's lover), and the Sphinx.
• The play is a tragedy with one to three characters per play, but they can portray other characters.
• The chorus consists of 12 members wearing identical masks.
• Masks were used to advance the universality of themes and to prevent distraction from physical attributes of the actors.
• Oedipus wore a gold mask with exaggerated deep empty eye sockets.
• Jocasta's mask expression depended on the scene of the play.
• Antigone and Ismene wore masks with a white face, dark under the eyes, and a sad look.
• Creon wore a mask with a mad or angry facial expression and a crown.
• Facial expression was of no importance to Greek actors since they were always masked.
• The chorus was used at the beginning of the play to help the audience understand the given circumstances.
• Choruses frequently lamented terrible events.
• Men wore loose, floor-length ponchos with pleated shoulders, while women wore draped robes.
• Staging often mimicked Greek architecture
• Staging included Ionic order columns with cornice and moldings on top and was elevated by five step risers.
• A platform was situated in front near the audience.

William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare was born and baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616.
• He was an English poet and playwright widely known as the greatest writer in the English language.
• He is also known as the Bard of Avon.
• Shakespeare's works consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems
• Between 1585 and 1592, Shakespeare began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men).
• He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later.
• With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's most famous tragedy is one of the world's most enduring love stories.
• Shakespeare's early plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s.
• Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
• His later works are tragedies and tragicomedies such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello.

Romeo and Juliet

• Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
• Main characters from the Montague family include Romeo, Lord Montague, Lady Montague, Benvolio, Balthazar, and Abraham.
• Main characters from the Capulet family include Juliet, Lord Capulet, Lady Capulet, Tybalt, the Nurse, Peter, Samson, and Gregory.
• Other characters include Friar Lawrence, Mercutio, Prince Escalus, Paris, Rosaline, Friar John, and the Apothecary.
• The stage itself was divided into three levels: a main stage area, an upper canopied area called heaven, and an area under the stage called hell.
• Costumes were based on the style and design of dresses worn during the Renaissance period.

Carmen (Opera)

• Carmen is one of the world's most popular operas, written by Georges Bizet.
• The setting of Carmen takes place in Seville, Spain, during the mid-19th century.
• Main characters include Carmen (mezzo-soprano), Micaëla (soprano), Morales (bass), and Zuniga (bass).
• Carmen was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, France, on March 3, 1875.
• The opera is in four acts with music by Georges Bizet and libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.
• The libretto was based on a novel of the same title by Prosper Mérimée.
• The story is set in Seville, Spain, and the surrounding hills in 1820.
• The opera tells the story of the downfall of Don José
• Carmen is a drama of love and jealousy filled with melodies and dancing.

Francisco Balagtas

• Francisco Balagtas (Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz), also known as Francisco Baltazar, was born on April 2, 1788, in Panginay, Bigaa, and died on February 20, 1862, of pneumonia.
• His best-known work is Florante at Laura.
• Francisco Balagtas was the youngest of the four children of Juan Balagtas and Juana de la Cruz.
• He studied in a parochial school in Bigaa and later in Manila.
• Balagtas worked as a houseboy in Tondo, Manila, during his childhood.
• He learned to write poetry from José de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw).
• De la Cruz challenged Balagtas to improve his writing.
• In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met María Asuncion Rivera, who served as the muse for his future works.
• She is referenced in Florante at Laura as Celia and M.A.R.
• Balagtas's affections for M.A.R. were challenged by Mariano Capule, who used his wealth to imprison Balagtas.
• Balagtas was accused of ordering a servant girl's head to be shaved.
• He wrote Florante at Laura in prison, which paralleled his own situation.
• Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838.
• In 1840, he moved to Balanga, Bataan, where he served as the assistant to the Justice of the Peace.
• In 1856, he became Major Lieutenant.
• He died on February 20, 1862, at the age of 73.
• Balagtas asked that none of his children become a poet and preferred they cut off their hands rather than be writers.
• The term for Filipino debate in extemporaneous verse is named after him: Balagtasan.

Severino Reyes

• Severino Reyes, known as the Father of the Tagalog Zarzuela, born in Manila on February 11, 1861
• Son of Rufino Reyes and Andrea Rivera.
• He studied at San Juan de Letran College and the University of Santo Tomas, studying philosophy.
• Reyes was a writer, dramatist, and playwright.
• In 1902, Reyes founded and directed the Gran Compañía de la Zarzuela Tagala.
• On June 14, 1902, the company staged his play Walang Sugat
• In 1923, Reyes co-founded the Liwayway magazine
• Reyes died on September 15, 1942, during the Japanese regime.
• Severino Reyes's masterpiece, Walang Sugat, underscores the injustice of Spanish rule.
• Walang Sugat is set in Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution
• Walang Sugat tells the story of Tenyong and Julia, young lovers dealing with love during war.
• Walang Sugat features an unexpected twist which shows how Tenyong outwits those keeping him from his beloved Julia

Ricardo G. Abad

• Ricardo G. Abad was born in Manila on August 10, 1946.
• He graduated from Ateneo de Manila and obtained a doctorate in sociology at Fordham University.
• Abad taught sociology and anthropology and was involved in over 120 productions as an actor and director
• He has directed and acted for professional companies like Teatro Filipino and Tanghalang Ateneo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Metropolitan Theater.
• His theater productions often included classics of Western drama adapted with Filipino themes.

Salvador F. Bernal

• Salvador F. Bernal, known as the Father of Theater Design in the Philippines, born in 1945
• He was the first to develop theater design as a profession and elevate it to an art form.
• Studied at Ateneo de Manila and Northwestern University.
• He designed more than 250 productions in ballet, theater, and film.
• He is a National Artist awardee