ARTS 9 EXAM

• Ancient Theater


  700 B.C.E.-410 C.E. (Greek and Roman Theater)
• Greek Theater


  • Began around 700 B.C. with festivals honoring their many gods
  • One god, Dionysus, with a religious festival called, "The Cult of Dionysus, to honor Dionysus (Di-on-i-sus), the god of wine and fertility
  • The city-state of Athens was the center of a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, where the festivals and competitions were usually performed
  • The three well-known Greek tragedy playwrights are Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus
• Types of drama in ancient Greek theater

  • Tragedy
  • Comedy
  • Satyr play
• Tragedy


  • A compound of two Greek words, "tragos or "goat" and "ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, referring to goats sacrificed to Dionysus before performances, or to goat-skins worn by the performers
  • Dealt with tragic events and have an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character
  • Thespis was the first actor and introduced the use of masks and was called the "Father of Tragedy"
• Greek theater


  • The actors, directors, and dramatists were all the same person
  • After some time, only three actors were allowed to perform in each play
  • Due to limited number of actors allowed on-stage, the chorus played into a very active part of Greek theatre
  • Music was often played during the chorus
  • Men performed songs to welcome Dionysus and women were not allowed to perform
  • Competitions in song, dance, music, scenic representation and bodily exercises were done during the festivals
  • To promote a common identity, Athenians spread these festivals to their numerous allies
• Satyr Play


  • Contains comic elements to lighten the overall mood or a serious play with a happy ending
  • A short, lighthearted tailpiece performed after each trilogy of the tragedies
  • An ancient Greek form of tragic comedy
  • Featured choruses of satyrs, based on Greek mythology, and with pretended drunkenness, bold sexuality (including phallic props), tricks, and sight jokes
  • Featured half-man / half-goat characters known as Satyrs who were awful, ridiculous, and usually drunk, and lusted after everyone on stage, and delivered the most humorous lines, often at the expense of others
• Theatre buildings


  • Called theatron, large, open air structures constructed on the slopes of hills
  • Consisted of three main elements: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience

  
• Orchestra

  A large circular or rectangular area at the center part of the theatre, where the play, dance, religious rites, and acting took place

  
• Usual themes for Roman theater plays

  • Chariots races, gladiators, and public executions
  • The more realistic the violence, the more it pleased Roman audiences
  • The Christians however opposed the barbaric themes of the plays and closed down all theaters
• Comedy plays were popular too in the Roman Theater from 350 to 250 B.C. and women were allowed to perform on stage
• Medieval Theater


  • Theater performances were not allowed throughout Europe
  • To keep the theater alive, minstrels, though denounced by the Church, performed in markets, public places and festivals
  • They travelled from one town to another as puppeteers, jugglers, story tellers, dancers, singers, and other theatrical acts
  • These minstrels were viewed as dangerous and pagan
  • Churches in Europe started staging their own theater performances during Easter Sundays with biblical stories and events
  • Some plays were brought outside the church due to their portrayal of the devil and hell, like the "Mystére d'Adam" or "The Mystery of Adam"
  • The plays revolved around biblical themes from the Story of the Creation to the Last Judgment
• Renaissance Theater


  • Characterized by a return of Classical Greek and Roman arts and culture
  • During Middle Ages, mystery plays formed a part of religious festivals in England and other parts of Europe
  • Morality plays and the University drama were formed to recreate Athenian tragedy
  • Public theatres were developed like, the Commedia dell'arte and the elaborate masques
  • Queen Elizabeth I was a prominent supporter of the theater
  • The companies of players were organized by the aristocrats and performed seasonally in many places
  • Gorboduc was an English play and first performed at the Christmas celebration in 1561, and performed before Queen Elizabeth I on 18 January 1562
• William Shakespeare


  • An English poet, playwright and actor regarded as the greatest writer and dramatist in the whole world
  • He was often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"
  • His works consist of about 38 plays, including well-loved Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Much Ado about Nothing
  • The four tragedies considered to be Shakespeare's greatest works were Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth
  • Other contemporary playwrights like Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd
• Elizabethan Theater


  • The history plays depicted English or European history
  • Comedies were common, dealing with life in London after the fashion of Roman New Comedy, such as "The Shoemaker's Holiday" by Thomas Dekker and "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside" by Thomas Middleton
• Ballet


  • A formalized form of dance which originated from the Italian Renaissance courts
  • Developed and flourished from Italy to France with the help of Catherine de' Medici
  • The first formal "court ballet" ever recognized was 'Ballet des Polonais' in 1573, commissioned by Catherine de' Medici to honor the Polish Ambassadors who visited Paris
• Innovations of the Stage

  • Proscenium was developed, the area of a theater surrounding the stage opening
  • Backdrops for scenery were popularized by the art of painting clothes
  • Commedia dell'arte or "Comedy of the Profession" was developed, a quick-witted performance of the characters/players

  
• Proscenium


  • The area of a theater surrounding the stage opening, with arches framing and dividing the stage from the audience

  
• Backdrops


  • Scenery popularized by the art of painting clothes
• Commedia dell'arte


  Quick-witted performance of the characters/players
• Baroque theater 1600-1750


  • Use of technology for special effects and scene changes, Deus ex Machina (god from the machine) solution
• Neoclassical theater 1800-1900


  • Grandiose costumes and sceneries, main concepts were to entertain and teach lessons, dramatic arches, multiple entry points, enhanced lighting and sound effects, concept of decorum, only tragedy and comedy plays

  
• Neoclassical playwrights


  • Pierre Cornielle
  • Jean Baptiste Poquelin (Molière)
  • Jean Racine
• Melodrama


  Dramatic work that puts characters in danger to appeal to emotions, with orchestral music or song to accompany the action
• Opera


  Art form where singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (libretto) and musical score, with acting, scenery, costumes and dance as important elements
• Romantic playwrights


  • Victor Marie Hugo
• Quasimodo


  A deformed hunchback, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, who had a good heart and helped Esmeralda
• Romantic period composers


  • Franz Liszt
  • Richard Wagner
  • Frederic Chopin
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Franz Schubert
  • Felix Mendelsshon
  • Hector Berlioz
• Melodrama and Opera became the most popular theatrical forms during the Romantic period