The Evolution of European Theatre

Tragedy in Ancient Greece

• Tragedy deals with tragic events, unhappy endings, and the defeat of the main character.
• There were only three players allowed onstage, with a "chorus" (a group of up to 15 actors who sang and danced but did not speak) that helped with scene transitions.
• Thespis, the earliest recorded actor in a tragedy play, introduced the use of masks and is often called the "Father of Tragedy".
• The term "thespian" is a common English term for a performer.

Sophocles

• Sophocles (c. 497/6 BC - 406/5 BC) was a great playwright of Greek tragedy.
• He created 123 plays, but only seven have emerged in complete form, with the most famous being Oedipus The King.

Georges Bizet

• Georges Bizet was born on October 25, 1838, in Paris, France.
• His legal name was Alexandre César-Léopold Bizet, but he was baptized as Georges Bizet.
• He entered the Paris Conservatory of Music at the age of 10.
• Bizet's first symphony was the Symphony in C Major, which was forgotten until its discovery in 1935.

Development of Theater

• During the Middle Ages, mystery plays formed part of religious festivals in England and other parts of Europe.
• Morality plays and university drama were formed to recreate Athenian tragedy.
• Public theatrical performances developed, including Commedia dell'arte (Italian comedy) and elaborate masques.

Filipino Playwrights

• Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz is well-known for his work Florante at Laura.
• Severino Reyes is known as the "Father of the Tagalog Zarzuela" and is highly acclaimed as one of the giants of Tagalog Literature.
• Dr. Ricardo Abad has been involved in over 120 productions as an actor, director, teacher, researcher, and editor.