Theatre Resume Revision PDF

**Dithyramb** - **Origins**: A choral hymn dedicated to Dionysus, dating back to the 7th century BCE. - **Features**: Combined music, dance, and poetry with energetic and emotional expression. - **Impact on Theater**: - Influenced the use of choruses in Greek tragedies....

**Dithyramb** - **Origins**: A choral hymn dedicated to Dionysus, dating back to the 7th century BCE. - **Features**: Combined music, dance, and poetry with energetic and emotional expression. - **Impact on Theater**: - Influenced the use of choruses in Greek tragedies. - Inspired storytelling techniques and thematic exploration of human and divine interactions. - Marked the shift from oral traditions to structured performance art. **Dionysus and Tragedy** - **Connection to Dionysus**: Rooted in religious festivals involving goat sacrifices and rituals like \"trag-ōdia.\" - **Ritual Elements**: Included music and instruments like the aulos. - **Representation**: Dionysus symbolized transformation and emotional release. **Greek Theater** - **Key Playwrights**: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes. - **Architecture**: - **Theatron**: Open-air venues with excellent acoustics. - Primarily male audiences, though women\'s attendance is debated. - Free entry from the mid-5th century BCE. - **Staging Rules**: Onstage violence was forbidden; deaths were reported offstage. - **Role of the Chorus**: - Provided commentary and background for the audience. - Expressed communal emotions, emphasized central themes, and represented divine or moral perspectives. **Themes and Content** - Largely drew from Greek mythology, integral to Greek religion. - Plays sometimes included political commentary, primarily expressed through the chorus. II. **Greek Tragedy: Overview** - **Origins**: Emerged during the 5th century BCE as part of the Dionysian festivals, where playwrights competed by presenting three tragedies. - **Structure**: - Alternates between the **chorus** and **characters**. - Combines **dramatic action** with lyrical commentary. - Blends **spoken parts** with sung elements. **Key Characteristics** - **Moral Lessons**: Audiences are encouraged to learn moral truths by empathizing with the characters and stories. - **Sacrifice and Themes**: Tragedies end with a sacrifice, such as the death of a king, child, or virgin. Themes are existential and often deal with human suffering and moral dilemmas. - **Aristotle's Definition**: - Tragedy is \"an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude.\" - The goal is **catharsis**, achieved by evoking pity and fear in the audience to purge these emotions. - Central elements: - **Existential conflict**. - Noble characters. - A form of death (literal or symbolic). - Ambiguity in the tragic hero's morality, leading the audience to question their judgment. **Playwrights and Competitions** - **Major Authors**: - **Aeschylus** (-525 BCE), - **Sophocles** (-495 BCE), - **Euripides** (-485 BCE). - **Competitions**: - Held over three days with each playwright presenting a **tetralogy** (three tragedies + a satyr play). - The fourth day was reserved for comedies. **Audience and Impact** - Spectators ranged from 17,000 to over 30,000, as noted by Plato. - Tragedies served both entertainment and educational purposes, connecting audiences to existential questions and moral dilemmas. III. **Greek Comedy: Overview** - **Origins**: Popular form of theater across ancient Greece from the 5th century BCE. - **Social Insight**: Comedies offered a humorous yet insightful look into: - Greek government, political institutions, legal systems, religious practices, and education. **Periods of Athenian Comedy** 1. **Old Comedy**: Satirized and challenged political and social norms. 2. **Middle Comedy**: Records from this period are lost. 3. **New Comedy**: Upheld existing political and social norms, focusing on everyday characters and situations. **Characteristics of Greek Comedy** - **Structure**: - Began with the **parados**, where the Chorus (up to 24 members) performed elaborate song and dance routines. - Frequently named after the Chorus, e.g., *The Wasps* by Aristophanes. - **Themes**: - Emphasis on fantastical elements, including giant creatures and improbable disguises. - Heavy use of satire, parody, puns, colorful language, and jokes. - **Style**: Combined everyday scenarios with absurd, exaggerated ideas to achieve a \"happy ending.\" **Prominent Playwrights** - **Aristophanes** (460-380 BCE): Satirized politicians, philosophers, and public figures. - **Menander** (342-291 BCE): Known for contributions to New Comedy, focusing on societal norms. **Comparison of Tragedy and Comedy** - **Tragedy**: Focused on mythological themes, existential dilemmas, and moral catharsis. - **Comedy**: Explored political and social norms, offering more freedom to mock and satirize. **Key Takeaway** Greek comedy significantly influenced the structure and content of theater, blending entertainment with sharp commentary on society and politics. IV. **Roman Theater: Overview** - Roman theater played a significant role in the history of drama and literature, producing preserved works from key figures: - **Plautus** and **Terence**: Known for their comedies. - **Seneca**: Renowned for his tragedies. - Their works profoundly influenced major Western playwrights like Shakespeare, Corneille, and Molière. **Definition of *Theatrum* and *Ludi Scaenici*** - **Theatrum**: - Derived from the Greek word *Theatron* (θέατρον). - Referred to the physical venue where performances occurred, not the literary genre or body of dramatic works. - The central focus was the *scaena*: - **Frons Scaenae**: The stage wall. - **Scaena**: The stage in front of it. - **Ludi Scaenici**: - Translates to \"stage games\" or \"plays.\" - Represented a key part of Roman religious festivals. **Ritual and Spectacle** - **Religious Context**: - Stage games were part of grand religious festivals (*Ludi*) that honored the gods. - Festivals included sacrifices, prayers, symbolic banquets, and theatrical performances. - Shared spectacles symbolized unity between gods and humans. **Historical Developments** 1. **Early Integration**: - Theatrical games began in **364 BCE** during the *Lectisternium* ceremonies to appease gods following a plague. - Evolved from dances and musical performances. 2. **Ludi Romani**: - The most notable festival held in September to honor Jupiter. - Marked by professional drama performances as public entertainment. - Aimed to divert attention from the empire\'s violence. 3. **Greek Influence**: - Roman drama closely mirrored Greek models, influenced by Roman conquests in Greek regions. - **240 BCE**: Livius Andronicus adapted and translated Greek plays for Roman audiences. **Key Takeaways** - Roman theater combined religious and cultural traditions, creating a public spectacle that entertained while honoring the gods. - By adapting Greek elements, Roman playwrights and performances played a crucial role in shaping Western dramatic traditions. V. **Medieval Theater: Overview** - **Timeframe**: Spanned the 5th to 15th centuries. - **Purpose**: Originated as a way for churches to educate communities about the Bible and Christian values since schools did not teach religion. - **Performances**: - Initially staged within churches, then moved to public spaces, such as in front of churches. - Involved clergy and servants as actors, with priests often portraying Jesus. **Types of Medieval Plays** 1. **Liturgical Dramas**: - Performed inside churches. - Depicted Bible stories and were integrated into religious services. 2. **Mystery Plays**: - Focused on dramatizing key biblical events. - Typically performed on major religious holidays near or within churches. 3. **Miracle Plays**: - Highlighted the lives and miracles of saints. - Often performed during saints\' feast days near churches. 4. **Farces**: - Secular comedies with satirical elements. - Performed in public spaces like market squares. **Key Characteristics of Medieval Theater** - **Religious Themes**: Stories focused on biblical events, saints' lives, and moral lessons, aimed at educating an illiterate population. - **Pageant Wagons**: Mobile stages made performances accessible to different locations. - **Community Involvement**: Local guilds sponsored plays, promoting collaboration and community spirit. - **Simple Staging**: Utilized minimal props and natural settings, such as church architecture or town squares. - **Audience Participation**: Encouraged interaction between actors and audience, creating an immersive experience. - **Dialogue and Music**: Combined dialogue with music to enhance the emotional and educational impact. **Use of Allegory** - **Technique**: Characters personified moral concepts like Death, Knowledge, or Good Deeds to illustrate moral struggles (e.g., the play *Everyman*). - **Purpose**: Made moral lessons more relatable and engaging for audiences. **Transition Toward Secular Themes** - By the late medieval period: - Theater started to reflect humanist ideals and individual experiences. - Secular plays explored social, political, and romantic themes, moving beyond purely religious content. - Influence: - Medieval theater laid the foundation for Renaissance theater, influencing playwrights like Shakespeare. VI. **Key Features of Renaissance Theater** 1. **Use of Soliloquies**: - Characters expressed inner thoughts and conflicts directly to the audience. 2. **Focus on Human Experiences**: - Characters became more complex, relatable, and emotionally diverse. **Notable Playwrights** - **William Shakespeare**: - Famous works: *Romeo and Juliet*, *Macbeth*, *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, etc. - Known for mastery of language and exploration of universal themes. - **Christopher Marlowe**: - Famous works: *Doctor Faustus*, *Tamburlaine the Great*, etc. - Explored themes like ambition and the human condition. **Significant Theaters** 1. **The Globe Theatre**: - Built in 1599; associated with Shakespeare. - Circular structure, open roof, and a stage extending into the audience. 2. **The Rose Theatre**: - One of the first purpose-built theaters in London (1587). - Hosted early performances, including Shakespeare\'s works. 3. **The Blackfriars**: - An indoor theater catering to wealthier audiences, allowing for winter performances. **Regional Highlights** - **England**: - Notable for works by Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Ben Jonson. - Introduced historical and social complexity into tragedies and comedies. - Saw the construction of permanent playhouses like *The Globe Theatre*. - **Italy**: - Known for the emergence of **Commedia dell'arte**: - Early professional theater using improvisation, masks, and stock characters. - Performed in public spaces and courts. **Commedia dell'Arte** - **Key Features**: - **Masks**: Actors wore masks representing fixed social types. - **Stereotyped Characters**: - **Arlecchino** (Harlequin): A mischievous servant. - **Pantalone**: A miserly old man. - **Il Dottore**: A pompous scholar. - **Innamorati** (The Lovers): Young romantic figures. - **Improvisation**: Pre-established scenarios with improvised dialogue and action. - **Influence**: - Inspired European drama and modern theater forms. - Relied on physical comedy and exaggerated gestures. **Lebanese References to Commedia dell'Arte** - Lebanese performers like Abo Salim and Fadia El Chere'a embraced physical comedy, drawing on the pantomime traditions of Commedia dell'Arte during tours. Renaissance theater marked a turning point, emphasizing humanism, creativity, and professionalization, laying the groundwork for modern theatre. VII. **Classicism: Overview** - **Definition**: - A theatrical style inspired by Ancient Greek (e.g., Sophocles, Euripides) and Roman models. - Focused on **harmony**, **order**, and **restraint**. - **Aims**: - Reflect ideals of beauty, proportion, and rationality. - Teach moral and philosophical lessons through theater. **Key Features** 1. **Themes and Style**: - Emphasis on **reason** over emotion. - Strict adherence to the **Three Unities**: - **Unity of Action**: A single, focused plot. - **Unity of Time**: Action occurs within a 24-hour period. - **Unity of Place**: A single setting. - Encouraged **verisimilitude** (*vraisemblance*): Plausibility and realism within the context of the play. - Followed **decorum** (*bienséance*): Ensured moral propriety, avoiding anything offensive or inappropriate on stage. 2. **Structure**: - **Exposition/Prologue**: Introduced characters, relationships, and conflicts. - **Rising Action**: Central conflict and dramatic tension build. - **Climax**: The moment of greatest tension. - **Falling Action**: Conflicts begin resolving. - **Resolution**: Loose ends are tied, and the play concludes. **Historical Context** - **Revival in the 17th Century**: - Influenced by the rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman texts. - Italian and French theater embraced classical forms. - **Key Playwrights**: - **Jean Racine**: Master of tragedy with works like *Phèdre*. - **Pierre Corneille**: Known for *Le Cid*. - **Molière**: Revolutionized comedy, blending satire with theatrical conventions. **Molière's Contribution** - **Notable Works**: - *Tartuffe* (1664): Critique of religious hypocrisy. - *The Misanthrope* (1666): Exploration of extreme honesty vs societal norms. - *The Miser* (1668): Satire of greed. - *The Bourgeois Gentleman* (1670): Mockery of pretensions in the rising bourgeoisie. - **Techniques**: - **Satire**: Critiqued human folly, social pretensions, and hypocrisy. - **Wordplay and Wit**: Clever dialogue with sharp commentary. - **Physical Comedy**: Use of slapstick and exaggerated situations. - **Legacy**: - Known as the \"Father of French Comedy.\" - His works remain widely performed and celebrated for their timeless humor and social insights. **Influence of Classicism** - Unified and rational theater influenced later European drama. - Its principles shaped the works of future playwrights, including modern adaptations of classical ideas.