Theatre History Midterm

Premise

An assertion or proposition that forms the basis for a theory or argument.

Bias

Prejudices in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered unfair.

Primary Source

A first-hand account, document, or artifact created during the period under study.

Secondary Source

A later analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources.

Unspoken Premise

Defines 'theater' exclusively as white European and American theater, marginalizing non-Western traditions.

Historiographical Shift

Modern scholarship emphasizes exposing, interrogating, and redressing implicit Eurocentric and exclusionary premises.

Theatre of Dionysus

Did it have an elevated stage (logeion) in 5th-century BCE Athens?

A.W. Pickard-Cambridge's Argument Against a Stage

No Greek word for 'stage' existed in the 5th century; no archaeological evidence of a stage from this era.

Peter Arnott's Argument For a Stage

Ancient commentators unanimously believed a raised stage existed in the 5th century.

Ritual

Group activities rooted in repetitive behavior that have a performer/audience structure and serve a recognized social function.

Efficacy

Intended to achieve tangible external results beyond the performance itself.

Ceremony

Formalized rituals designed to sanction a political, social, or religious concept.

Ritual vs. Theater (Richard Schechner Matrix)

Ritual focuses on results; Theater focuses on entertainment.

Commercial Theater

Deliberately created by professional writers, directors, performers, and designers.

Greek Tragic Hero

Always a god or mythological figure from the upper classes/royalty.

Hamartia

'Missing the mark' or a striking inadequacy/error in judgment contributing to the hero's downfall.

Anagnorisis

The recognition scene where the hero moves from ignorance to knowledge.

Ideal Hero

A virtuous, illustrious, and prosperous individual whose downfall results from hamartia.

Critique of Aristotelian Structure

Augusto Boal argued it is a coercive, reactionary system designed to keep the populace compliant.

Greek Chorus

Embodies collective community identity in opposition to the isolated individual hero.

Genre

Defined by shared structural conventions and intended audience responses.

Conventions of Old Comedy

Focused on immediate, current social and political events.

Phallus

An exaggerated representation of an erect penis worn by male characters, symbolizing fertility.

Atellan Farce

Short, improvised comedic sketches with base motives and stock characters.

Venationes

Staged wild animal hunts where thousands of exotic animals were slaughtered.

Gladiatorial Combats

Hand-to-hand combat between trained fighters, prisoners, or slaves.

Modern Parallels

Public hangings and mob violence illustrate a recurring historical impulse to turn real-world violence into public spectacle.