History of Theatre Test 1

when were the early middle ages

500-1000 CE

when were the high middle ages

1000-1400 CE

theatre

A universal human activity that has evolved from various roots, including ritual, popular entertainment, and storytelling. It involves performance, an audience, and some form of a playing space

ritual

a specifically ordered, ceremonial, religious, personal or social event with an effect in mind

performance

broad term for human action that is presented to others

ritual origin hypothesis

The theory that theatre evolved directly from ancient rituals that were eventually separated from their religious purpose to become purely for entertainment

efficacious

having the intent of producing results and successfully doing so

sacred vs secular

Sacred refers to things connected to religion or the gods, while secular refers to things without a religious basis

methexis

group sharing; originating from group theater, the audience participates, creating and improvising the action of the ritual

popular entertainment

performances that are meant to appeal to mass audiences and do not require any specific educational or social background

mimesis and who believed in it

The human instinct to copy or mimic others, which Aristotle believed was a root of theatre

repertoire

embodied human behaviors, such as cooking, praying, hairstyling, and dancing, that tell us about people's past

passion play

Type of vernacular drama: a performance depicting an ordeal or the death of a religious figure

ex: play about Jesus dying on the cross

ludic impulse

relates to the human instinct to play and engage in playful activities

masquerade (in an African culture context)

A performance tradition, particularly in African cultures, that involves performers wearing masks and costumes to embody ancestors or spirits

Athenian Hegemony

Athenian dominance over the Greek world in the 15th century BCE

Dithyramb

long choral hymn sung and danced in ancient Greece

Thespis

(534BCE) Thespis is an ancient greek poet often considered the first actor and the father of tragedy

myth and why it was invented

Mythological narratives were adapted by playwrights to create tragedies and comedies performed during festivals like the City Dionysia

satyr play

ribald takeoff on Greek mythology and history and included a chorus of satyrs, mythological creatures who were half-man and half-goat providing comic relief through mock drunkenness, bawdy humor, pranks, and phallic props

tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character

comedy

A humorous work of drama

archon

leader of Athenian city state (mayor), assigned roles/plays at Dionysia

choregos

The archon appointed choregos (plural, choregoi), the equivalent of a modern-day producer, for each of the selected playwrights

Aeschylus

earliest playwright who introduced the antagonist which causes the decrease in use of the chorus

Sophocles

tragedid acknowledged by Aristotle for perfect plot development and introduction of the third character. Oedipus Rex, Antigone

Euripides

accused of being a skeptic (religion, gods) and having a weaker technique, Medea

chorus

A group of characters in Greek tragedy (and in later forms of drama), who comment on the action of a play without participation in it.

ode, episode

Ode is choral intervention in between scenes (which are the episodes)

catharsis

release of negative emotion or fear as a result of this tragedy. Learn something intellectually and emotionally

members of the audience feel pity for the suffering, tragic hero and fear that a similar fate could befall them

Aristotle

The first critic who tried to identify the characteristics of the Greek tragedies written by the great dramatists of the fifth century BCE.

The Poetics is Aristotle's analysis of tragedy, is still considered one of the most important documents ever written on the subject

Hamartia

Fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

Huburus

extreme pride or arrogance often provoking god intervention

Agnorisis

when a protagonist gains insight into their own identity, the identity of another character, or a significant truth about their circumstances

theatron

the seating area for the audience

orchestra

playing area for the actor

skene

building used as dressing room and backstage for Greek actors

parodos

the appearance of a chorus of elderly men

periaktoi

a triangular stage device consisting of three painted flats hinged together, each showing a different scene. Rotating these flats revealed one new scene to the audience while hiding the other two

mechane

a crane hidden behind the upper level of the skene, was used to produce the entrance of the actor playing the god in such a way as to suggest a descent from the heavens

Ekklyklema

wagon that took the dead charachters off the stage

rabinal achi

Oldest written ritual of the Mayans

Mayan World: Four Corners/Four Sides

the world is organized around four directions (north, south, east, west) and a center. Myan perfromances follow this design in performance dances

Syncretism

The blending of Indigenous Mayan traditions with introduced Spanish Catholic practices after colonization

Feudalism

three main classifications of people. At the top of the hierarchy were lords or counts, who controlled large areas of land and protected landholders who were less wealthy. In return for a lord's protection, his subjects—the second level, vassals or lesser lords, who controlled smaller areas of land —agreed to provide military service, consult, and pay occasional fees. Under the vassals were the peasants or serfs, who were attached to their lord's land and required to work it. In return, they received protection and a very small financial reward. Serfs, though bound to the land, had a slightly higher status than those enslaved in earlier societies

Hrovist

A nun, earliest known woman dramatist, lived during the tenth century in northern Germany

Liturgical Drama

short plays based on biblical events that were sung in Latin

allegory

symbolic representation of an abstract theme through the use of character, action, or other concrete of a play

morality play

uses allegories to teach audiences a lesson like Everyman

trope

lyrics added to a musical passage in a religious service; evolved into liturgical dramas

miracle play

plays based on a saint’s life

trade guild

any kind of cracts people can be part of a trade guild

vernacular drama

play written and performed by people of a certain language