History of Theatre Spaces

Objectives

WE WILL:�Be able to recognize the various types of theatre spaces by reviewing the history of the stage and exploring them in different cultures.

I WILL:�Discuss how theatre spaces have evolved throughout the ages

TEKS Technical Theatre I

1.B recognize the technical elements of theatre such as types of stages, stage areas, fly systems, curtains, front of house, dressing rooms, and storage;

2.A recognize the function of technical elements in various theatrical styles and genres;

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4.C understand the cultural heritage of world drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in dramatic literature;

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Basic Elements of Theatre

• What is performed (script or scenario)
• The performance (including all of the processes involved in the creation and presentation of a production)
• The audience

“The only thing that all forms of theatre have in common is the need for an audience” - Peter Brook

Greek and Roman Theatre

Theatre can be traced back to ancient Greece. The Athenians were the inventors of democracy. That means they were the first to have sufficient faith in humanity to let citizens be responsible for making the laws that governed their lives.

Even with a democracy, not everyone was created equal. Women were not allowed to perform on stage. Female roles were played by men.

This new attitude lead to the development of the Greek drama, which usually emphasized the attempts of human characters to control their own destinies. These dramas were based on harmony between humans and the gods. Greek tragedies often show the results of human attempts to escape fate or the will of the gods.

The Greeks held performances to honor the god Dionysus. Performances included singing, dancing and animal sacrifices. By the 5th century B.C. Athens held four festivals honoring Dionysus. Theatrical performances were viewed as offerings from the city to the gods.

In 534 B.C. Athens held a contest for the best tragedy. This contest saw Thespis, the FIRST actor, step away from the chorus to portray a character on stage. The word Thespian is derived from his name.

Roman Theatre

• Borrowed ideas from the Greek, made them better.
• Less Philosophical
• Encompassed more drama: Acrobats, gladiators, jugglers, athletes, chariot races, boxing, animal battles.
• Actors were called “histriones” or mimes. Sometimes viewed as inferior, slaves.

Roman Theatre

• Still held in honor of the gods, less religious
• Forms of Roman Theatre included: � Pantomime - usually a solo dance with music and a chorus. Used masks for the storytelling of mythology. �� Mime - Actually was spoken, no masks, had women, sometimes violent and usually short.

How did the Romans change the basic structure of the Greek theatre?�Cut the orchestra in half, Cut the seating down, Added a narrow stage �Romans used the orchestra for seating. Greeks used it for acting.

Photo Credit: https://www.capitolivm.it/meraviglie-di-roma/i-teatri-di-roma-antica/

Greek

Roman

The Theater at Epidaurus on the Peloponnese in Greece

Roman Theater of Bosra

Deus Ex Machina

In Latin it means: "God from the machine."

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In Greek tragedy, when a playwright was unable to solve a problem he would often use a machina, �a crane-like device mounted on the roof of the skene (scene house) to lower a “god” into the action to solve the character's problem.

Photo Credit: https://literature.fandom.com/wiki/Deus_ex_machina

• The Greek Theatre of Dionysus in Athens seats 15,000 - 16,000 people. A large broadway musical theatre seats about 1,200 people.
• A Roman theater seats about 12,000 people.
• Sometime during the rise of christianity, theatrical performers were denounced by the church and many were reduced to small bands of players who traveled, performing only where they could.

Medieval

(Middle Ages)

• The most influential power during this time was the Christian church. Drama was mostly performed in churches.
• The Bible was the source of the stories being dramatized
• Inside a church, plays were performed on a number of platforms. There was no fixed seating like we see in modern churches (pews).
• The actors were the priests and important members of the church
• Plays were staged on a number of small "platforms" (or mansions) distributed around the church. Both the performer and the audience would move from one "platform" (or scene) to the next.

Eventually this led to outdoor performances. Permanent theaters did not exist so theatrical spaces were improvised. Having sufficient space for a large audience was difficult.

The Pageant Wagon was a movable stage that could travel from one location to another. Each wagon carried one or more “mansions”.

Guilds and troupes began to form and they had to supply performers and someone to oversee the production.

This is where we start seeing the early stages of theatre technicians.

Pageant Wagon

• A pageant wagon held the mansion, the plateau, and a dressing area on one structure. This wagon stage would then move from audience to the next, much like a float in a parade.

Pageant Wagons in Brussels, Miller Arthur, 1615 https://people.emich.edu/gcross1/l430ntown.htm

The Decline of Medieval Theatre

• Secular plays were most often performed by professional actors attached to noble houses.
• Increased interest in classical learning which affected staging and playwriting.
• Professional theatre rose and became more commercial, no longer a community venue.
• Actors returned to the classics for new ideas for stories.

Elizabethan Theatre (Shakespeare)

James Burbage built the first theater in 1576 and named it “The Theater.”

Before plays were performed in the courtyard of and inn or tavern.

Theatre were named based on their location. These names included The Curtain, Rose, Swan, Fortune, Globe, and The Red Bull.

Most famous contributor of plays was William Shakespeare and was a part owner of the Globe Theatre after 1599.

In order to be competitive with other theatre companies, playwrights needed to come up with new material frequently in order to attract audiences.

William Shakespeare

• Wrote 38 plays. Some people doubt he was even real or the author of some plays.
• Was an actor, playwright and sometimes director
• Histories: Henry IV, V, VI, VIII, Richard II, Richard III
• Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth
• Comedies: Twelfth Night, As You Like IT, Comedy of Errors

The Globe Theatre

https://www.shakespearesglobe.com

The reconstructed Globe Theatre, which opened in 1997 in the London Borough of Southwark.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/today-in-history/william-shakespeare-was-a-shareholder-in-the-globe-theatre-the-original-popup/news-story/b91ce1582a9faa749e3049057ef28caa

The Globe Theatre

• Burned down June 29, 1613 during a performance. A theatrical cannon was set off, misfired and ignited the wooden beams. Was rebuild the following year.
• A modern reconstruction of the theatre opened in 1997 and is now named “Shakespeare Globe”.

Noh Theatre

Noh

• Noh Theatre is a traditional form of Japanese musical drama and is one of the oldest existing forms of drama. Started around the 1300s (14th Century)

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• Derived from the Sino-Japanese word for “skill” or “talent”.�
• Many characters are masked with men playing male and female roles. Used various props and was a danced based performance requiring highly trained actors and musicians.�
• Traditionally, a Noh “peformance” lasts all day and consists of 5 plays and comedic Kyogen plays in between.

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• Noh is based on tales from traditional literature with a supernatural being transformed into human form as a hero narrating a story.

Supplemental Video Links

The Basic Knowledge to Enjoy “Noh” - Japanese Traditional Arts, How To Japan

https://youtu.be/blOzH842IYg

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Noh Theatre Performance “Tamura”, Dance of the Ghost

https://youtu.be/lu5Vn1vQ5i4

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Carving a Noh Mask with Bidou Yamaguchi, Master Noh Carver

https://youtu.be/6C_tZEAdopM

Kabuki Theatre

Kabuki

• Kabuki Theatre is a classical Japanese dance-drama. It is known for its elaborate makeup.

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• Kabuki means to “be out of the ordinary” but is sometimes interpreted as “avant-garde” or “bizarre” theatre.

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• Male actors continue to play both male and female parts.

Supplemental Video Links

Kabuki Informational Video

https://youtu.be/hlTQUzPZU8Y

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Kabuki Artist Applying Makeup

https://youtu.be/CiKUurfoRhE?t=68

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Kabuki Theatre Star Wars “A New Hope” Official Adaptation

https://youtu.be/PJ8VtEw5DgE