Theatre Introduction and Ancient Athens

Theatre Introduction

• Preliterate human history: 99.9% of human history
• Abydos Passion play: depicted the crucifixion of Christ, a European form of theatre used to apply European perspectives in non-European content
• Stele: a carved stone monument, often telling a story (e.g., the Ten Commandments)
• Ritual vs Theatre: ritual is considered more "efficacious," theatre more "entertainment"
• Cambridge Anthropologists/Ritualists: theorized theatre developed from ritual practices (a theory not widely accepted). Religious rituals were believed to have evolved into a more aesthetic art form of theatre.

Theatre in Ancient Athens

• Thespis: first tragic playwright to win a competition at the City Dionysia
• Thespian: a term still used for actors today
• Dithyramb: poems chanted and sung by men's choruses.
• Lenaia Festival: held in winter, mainly for Athenians, used to make fun of the government
• City Dionysia: held in spring, for everyone in the surrounding area of Athens. Held at the base of the Akropolis.
• Chorus: a group of 12-15 men, representing a collective character, sang dialogue, and danced
• Masks: All Greek actors wore masks, as did the chorus.

Japanese Traditional Theatre: Noh

• Noh: stands for talent and ability, comes from the word Nohgaku
• Masks: represent actors re-incarnating past persons/spirits; allowing audiences to use their imagination to feel emotion
• Purpose of Noh masks: very stylized and ritualistic; highly symbolic; takes a long time to perform
• Characteristics of Noh:
  • Minimalistic sets
  • Dream-like actions
  • Performed only by men
  • Roles: the Shite (main protagonist) and the Waki (secondary character)
  • Accompanied by a chorus (6-10 men and musicians).
  • Performed on a small raised stage

Japanese Theatre: Kabuki

• Kabuki: comes from the word Kabuku, meaning bizarre or out of the ordinary
• Kabuki was aimed at common folk
• Onna-Kabuki (women's Kabuki): Originally performed by women, later banned because shoguns disliked women advertising their bodies on stage
• Wakashu-Kabuki: Young boys played roles, later banned
• Yaro-Kabuki: the form that is still performed today, using grown men performers
• Kabuki is a 5-act performance

Parts of the Theatre

• Skene: a low, house-like structure added to some ancient theatres, allowing action to take place on the roof
• Ekkyklema: used to expose interior scenes through a wheeled mechanism
• Orchestra: a circular semi-circle area in ancient Greek theatres
• Paradoi: passages into the orchestra, located between the theatron (audience seating) and the skene
• Thymele: a flat stone in the center of the orchestra