Theatre Origins
What is the difference between a ceremony and a ritual?
A ceremony
Is a formal religious or social occasion, usually led by a designated authority figure such as a priest or chief
A ritual
Is the acting out of an established, prescribed procedure, rituals can range from family events to Catholic mass
Multicultural
Multicultural historians focus on the groups who are underrepresented in the course of history. They review the ideological and political perspectives of these marginalized groups. They argue that there are unique approaches to theatrical arts within these cultures, because of their histories and their interactions within majority society
Proedria
reserved front row seats for political and religious dignitaries.
Who is Aristotle? Why is he important?
The Tragic Form
According to Aristotle (The Poetics) drama has six elements:
- Plot
- Characters
- Theme
- Language
- Music
- Spectacle
Tragic Hero in which the protagonists suffers because of a tragic flaw/hamartia.
Schoolars tend to see the flaw of hubris (excessive pride) in Greek tragic characters
Hypokrite
Greek term for "actor"
Theatre Practices in Egypt
Abydos Ritual in ancient Egypt
2,000 years from 2,500 to 550 B.C.E
Osiris who was ruler of Egypt and married his sister Isis, was killed, recovered, and when to live in the underworld and become the judger of souls
We do not have text for this ritual but we have a parcial account of someone who participated sometime between 1887 and 1849 B.C.E
People played roles of characters in the story and acted out episodes from Osiris’ life.
Feminist vs LGBT Historians
Feminist argue that the place of women in theatre history has not be explored carefully, that women have been "invisible" in male-centered history.
LGBT historians reevaluated the place of gay men, lesbians, transgender and bisexual populations in theatre history as well as the influence of sexual orientation on theatrical representation/creation
Theatron
"viewing place"
The audiences sat in the theatron, the playing area for the actors was the orchestra, the scenic building was the skene (skene also has side wings called paraskenia)
Aeschylus
(525 - 456 BCE)
1st to develop theatre into a separate form from singing, dancing, or storytelling. (Founder of Greek Theatre)
Plays about noble families, lofty themes that were praised for lyrical poetry as well as dramatic structure and intellectual content.
Only 7 of his plays still exist The Suppliants, The Persians, Seven against Thebes, Prometheus Bound, The Oresteia (Trilogy including Agamemnon, The Choephori, and The Eumenides)
Dithyramb
In ancient Greece, a long hymn sung by a chorus of 50 men. By about 600 B.C.E, the dithyramb became a literary form that usually related heroic stories
The Mayans and The Aztecs
Maya, Incas and Aztecs in what is present day Central and south america part in performative activities, also often associated with religious rituals prior to European conquest
The Aztecs
Staged rituals that celebrate the seasons within festivals
They also staged ceremonies dedicated to their deities
Flowery wars were battles staged in full war garb
Included human sacrifice in order to gain goodwill if various deities
The Mayan
People in rabinal in the central mountains of present day guatemala participated in Rabinal Achi meaning man of
Artifacts make clear that Rabinal Achi involved elaborate costumes and masks
Revisionist vs Post Modernist
Revisionism focuses on the idea that history has usually been told from the point of view of a social elite, as well as the idea that "mainstream" phenomena have been ignored since historians focus on what is revolutionary.
Post Modernism is a theory that says positivist narratives, rationality, objective reality, and absolute truths do not exist. They argue that the past can't be retold in an objective and completely truthful way. Have greatly influenced feminist, multicultural, gay and lesbian historians/rebel against the canon traditional texts
Thyromata
Thyromata: Simple one-story structure with several openings at back
Sophocles
(496 BCE - 406 BCE)
Introduces characters and information skillfully and then builds swiftly to a climax
Focuses on exploration of character and the individual
Was an actor in his own early dramas
Single dramas instead of a trilogy + adding more action into the plots
Only 7 tragedies survived Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra, Ajax, Trachiniae, Philoctetes. and Oedipus the Colonus
Ekkyklema
In ancient Greek theatre, a wagon used to bring characters onstage. Often to reveal the results of offstage violence
What are some differences between rituals and theatre?
efficaciousness and Methexis
Efficaciousness means that unlike theatre rituals and ceremonies are intended to achieve results such as affecting the weather, honoring the gods, bringing victory in battle, receiving forgiveness or better the world.
Theatre can a serve a number of purposes
Challenging people to think and feel but always focuses on humans
Methexis: Group sharing
Means that in many rituals and ceremonies there is not the same distinction between audience and performer
European theatre is meant to affect the audience - to entertain or to teach - the purpose of the African tradition is to embody or to be
Marxist/Class Oriented vs Post Colonialist
Marxist and Class Oriented historians focus on how theatre reflects economic and political oppression. They are interested in hegemonic theory: how historic phenomena reflect power structures in a given society. They explore how the profit motive and capitalism affect theatrical arts. Class oriented historians review how certain classes were privileged and others excluded from the theatre in different societies.
Post colonial historians study the relationship of theatrical art created during colonial occupations and how the theatres of subjugated people reflected resistance, attempts to hold on to traditional forms/oppression. They may explore the changes in the theatre and drama of colonized nations following independence.
Proskenion / Parados
Proskenion: The stage, it was quite 8-13 ft high, stretching 140 ft, and 6-14 ft deep. This type of stage housed the first productions of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
Parados: In classical Greek drama, the scene in which the chorus enters. The entrance way for the chorus in Greek theatre
Euripides
(480 - 406 BCE)
The most "Modern"
Characters behaved as everyday people did although this was deemed as inappropriate for tragedy.
"weak" plots, diminished chorus, a mix of comedy and tragedy
Portrayed Gods as human and fallible to undermine traditional morals
18 plays still exist a few are Medea, Hippolytus, The Children of Heracles, Andromache, and The Trojan Woman
Periaktoi
In ancient Greek theatre, a three-sided scenic piece that could be revolved to show the audience three different scenes
What two cultures influenced the development of Greek Theatre?
Minoans - 2700 to 1450 BCE developed on the island of crete
Known for its development of religion construction of palaces uses the column in arch and agrarian innovations
Mycenaeans - 1600 to 1100 BCE named for city southwest of Athens, known for its development for arch pottery and commerce
These early Aegean civilizations had little to do with theatre but the direct influence of gods and heroes supplied Homer.
Semioticians and Iconographic Historians
Semioticians argue that theatre historians should focus on the response of audiences to the various elements of a production (which function as signs and have inherent meaning for the viewer.) They say that performance is undervalued in the study of theatre history with too much focus on literary text on descriptions of individual elements of theatre.
Iconography is Greek in origin and means "image writing", historians that study this are interested in iconography review the symbolic meaning of the various theatrical elements (scenery, costumes, playbills). They read the meanings between contemporary society and the theatrical event its self.
What are Pinake/Periaktoi?
Pinake: a type of flat, a wooden frame covered with stretched fabric
Periaktoi: a triangular stage device consisting of three painted flats hinged together, each showing a different scene.
Clifford Ashby (in classical Greek Theatre: New Views on an Old Subject) argued that Periaktoi were not used in the Greek era.
Aristophanes
(448-380 BCE)
Best-known comic playwright of the Greek Golden Age
Plays reflect the social and political climate in Athens as it declined in power toward the end of the 5th century BCE.
Eleven of the plays survive such as The Frogs, The Birds, The Clouds, The Wasps, and Plutus
Deus ex Machina
"god from a machine"
In ancient Greek theatre, the convention of bringing in gods on a mechane (a crane of lever suspended from the top of the scene house.) The term now applies to any unjustified dramatic device used to resolve a plot, usually in the final moments