What are the origins of theatre?
Hard to point to a direct origin. However, there was a discovery in South Africa where there was the first abstract mark.
What are epics?
Recited stories, narration and dialogue, narration gives you subtext.
What are rituals?
a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
What is drama?
theatre, art that imitates every day life. Contains dialogue, up to actors and directors to read between the lines
What did the Cambridge anthropologists do?
These translators, archaeologists, theoreticians posited that theater has its origin in seasonal rituals
What are some examples of human action and nature combined for the Greeks?
- Prayers for rain, sun, etc. (Zeus provided storms, Persephone/Demeter spring)
- Corn King - coming of spring and generation of new grains in the fields, related to fertility.
- Burning of a wickerman then rebuilding (regeneration)
What is the critique of the idea that theatre has its origin from seasonal rituals?
Cultural Darwinism - Things evolve from simple to complex. This origin of theatre has been discounted, yet we still have rituals like weddings
What has been the source of art for forever?
Primitive Stories
In the study of ritual, what can human action be considered?
A tool
The Shaman Theory
certain figures who are identified by the community who is the conduit between humans and nature (or the divine).
- Allows the human to ‘speak’ to the cosmos and cosmos speaks back.
- Sort of like actors(?)
Differences between Ritual and Theater
In rituals, all participants contribute to the activity.
In theater, audience is separated from the performance
How different people are drawn to the theater
Greeks: theater was connected to religion
Romans: same as the Greeks
Medieval peoples: Still somewhat religious, but starting to move away.
Renaissance: Theater breaks loose and becomes a meeting place
Loses its ritual function and becomes more of a social event.
Theatron
Literally “The place for viewing”
Theater is a visual event (duh)
Skene
The place where the actors would go to change between scenes
Origin for the word scene.
Orchestra
Circular dancing floor for the chorus
Thymele
Center of the orchestra where we believe a statue of Dionysus was placed.
Parados/Paradoi (plural)
Entrance gate at the side of the stage for the chorus
Crane
Machine used to raise and lower actors playing gods and goddesses
Where the term “Deus ex Machina” came from.
Ekkeklyma
Cart that was used to reveal a pictorial event (usually a bloody scene of death)
Periaktoi:
3 sided scenic pieces, rotated to show different locations.
Scenery is introduced by Sophocles
Organic Development of Types of Theater
Tales and stories > Epics
Dithyramb (Choral song for rituals) Chorus > Tragedy
Phallic Song > Comedy
Chronicles
Fact after fact without much expanding with details.
List of dates and events
Earliest examples goes back to Middle Eastern Courts
Chronicler makes an account of the story.
History elaborates chronicles into a story while keeping the information into an accurate form.
Chorus
a homogeneous non-individualized group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action.
Originally 50 then down to 12 with the addition of a second actor.
Who was the first to introduce the second and third actor?
Aeschylus
Protagonist
1st Actor
Antagonist
2nd Actor
Tritagonist
3rd Actor
Who were the actors?
originally citizens actively participating in their community and religion
Hypokrites
The answerer [in other words: actor]. The one who answers the other one.
Dramatis personae
the masks of the drama’s list of characters.
The roles in a play.
Didaskalos
Trainer of the chorus; author/composer/director in earliest days (ie. Aeschylus)
What are the scenic units?
The chorus and the episodes
Episode
When someone leaves or enters
Scene
Act
Section
Strophe
moving from right to left during a part of a choral section
Antistrophe
moving left to right during a part of a choral section
Epode
last part of the choral ode. Standing still
Six Elements of Tragedy - what are they?
Plot, character, thought, diction, music spectable
Plot:
central core of the dramatist (the action)
character
supports the plot - the driving forces of the action
thought
supports the characters - manners of dialogue
diction
supports the thought - how that dialogue is expressed
music
supporting to diction/ to all - storytelling through song, whether with or without vocals
spectacle
supporting to all - providing the visuals for the performance (design)
Stichomythia
single line dialogue between 2 characters
Loxias
Apollo
Bromius
Dionysus
Important festivals
Rural Dionysia, Lenaea, City on Great Dionysia
Rural Dionysia
midwinter festival - fertility festival
Dedicated to Dionysus as the god of fertility
Lenaea
January - staged comedy and tragedy
City on Great Dionysia
April
National and international event
Choregus
Private citizen patron
Plays were funded by this person
The city funded the actor
Archon
Government Official, overseeing the festival
Didaskalos
Trainer of the chorus; author/composer/director in earliest days (ie. Aeschylus)
Those duties eventually became a specialty
Thespis
The name of the first person to step away from the chorus and be the actor. Thespis, the leader of a dithyrambic chorus whose name has become synonymous with acting - The “Thespian Art” - just as “robes of Thespis” means theatrical costume. Thespis is said to have traveled from Icaria, his birthplace, with his chorus, carrying his belongings on a cart whose floor and tailboard could form and improvised stage. In the course of his wanderings from one festival to another he eventually reached Athens, and there, he was the first to win a prize at the newly established dramatic festival, the City of Dionysia. He was the first actor, and the first manager.
Craftsmen of Dionysus
craft union of actors
Organon
ancient Greek word for ‘instrument’ or ‘tool’
Spaces of Festivals
Religious - Dionysus - Priests would sit up front.
Civic - honoring the city of Athens
Political - Politicians would sit up front.
Local - You would sit with your deme (neighborhoods or neighbors)
International - people (honored visitors) would visit from abroad
Aeschylus
Individuals in balance with the cosmos and the gods - part of a “larger plan”
Sophocles
Individual is affected by fate (and the gods) but it’s ‘shadowy’ how so. Less specifically religious; narrows in on the importance of individuality
Euripides
Unknown relation with the gods - asking “what’s out there?” Questioning the meaning of things
Aristophanes
Comedy, Satire, Parodies about contemporary culture. Jokes are not subtle. Usually starts with grand plan, happy endings abound.
