Theater Comprehensive

Adaptation vs the Simulation Hypothesis

Adaptation is the betterment of the species, humans want to learn how to be better, we enact rituals to become better

Hypothesis is the argument that we enact rituals incase something happens in the future

The “Safe Distance Hypothesis”

When there is sufficient identification with characters and action that previously unresolved emotions are aroused, and sufficient cues that the present situation is safe (it is only a play) 

Willing Suspension of Disbelief

You know it is only a movie but you pretend it is real, you will also ignore any inconsistencies to fully engage with the story

Presentational

No fourth wall, playing to the audience (engaging with audience members), most asian performances are this

Representational

Playing for the audience, there is a fourth wall, representing human reality

Hubris

Pride, arrogance, blind to their actions because they are always correct

Allegory of the Cave

We are prisoners and can only look at the projection of the fire on the wall, what we are seeing is manipulation, we save ourselves through education, represents social media, save yourself by logging off

Apollo vs Dionysus

The sons of Zeus: Apollo represents harmony, order, and reason while Dionysus represents Chaos and Disorder

Athens

Worlds first democracy (508 BC), was the perfect climate for theater

Audience

Where people sit to watch a live performance tells us about the socio/political status of that period, women not allowed on stage or in the audience, the chorus

Thespis

First Greek drama actor, term thespian comes from him, would have multiple masks and play multiple roles

Aristotle: Two types of Theater

Simple (peripeteia) vs Complex (accompanies by peripeteia and anagnorisis)

Peripeteia

Change of fortune

Anagnorisis

Recognition of faults

Aristophanes

Playwright, father of comedy

Orchestra

a circular or semicircular area in front of the stage where the chorus performed

Hamartia

The flaw: the worst fatal flaw is hubris

Catharsis

To purge or to cleanse, occurs through profound pity

Children object violence

Some studies show watching tv violence may temporarily induce object aggression 

No correlation between violent games and violent behavior has been found 

Japan vs United States

Much lower murder & violence rates (0.02 compared to US’s 6.5), but still contain violence in their entertainment

Battle of Corinth 146BC 

Roman victory over Greece, after they broke down the major cultural city of Corinth, Greece, and took inspiration and stole their drama/theatre 

Orchestra (Rome)

Where the rich sat and where the dancers were, Rome cut these in half

Venus

Patron of beauty and prostitutes, watch over the theater

Rome (cost)

Everybody was in the audience in Rome, free entry, sponsors paid large sums to gain social and political favor

Opening of Colosseum

Opened in 80 AD, completed by Titus

Circus Maximus

Roman racetrack was huge, form on entertainment, fairly well preserved

Gladius

latin for sword, Rome religous critics objected gladiator battles because the audience lost control of themselves

Gladiatrix

Female gladiators

Wetwang

a women warrior in battle, she was buried in peat to preserve, woman would not fight other women in roman battles, they would often fight dwarfs

Velarium

It got hot during summer, they were used to create shade

Bellows Organ

Water organ: auditorium (hearing place), romans highlighted audio (trumpets to simulate battle, horns, and pipes), water organ roared behind battles, it was invented to be played outside in large spaces and very loud

Naumachia

Naval battles, needed to be built near rivers to potentially “flood” the space, go for hours and hours, they were rarely stages/scripted, very expensive and take lots of time

Venatoria

“wild beast fighters,” animals from all over the world, sacrificial

Edict of Milan

Constantine legalized christianity in Rome, marks the leave of serious drama in Rome

Constantine

Edict of Milan, changed capital to Constantinople (Istanbul) because he wanted something more easily defendable

Diversion demographics

They are competing for diversion funds which is 5% per houshold income

3,000 of income annually

New trend in theme parks

Need strong narrative, often starts in the line, compelling environment, character, and story

Great white way

Theater district in Broadway, NY

Vaudeville

Mix of several types of acts, strongmen, dancers, circus type, native people, recreate battles, none of the acts were connected by a central narrative

Why did vaudeville change

Wanted better storytelling, competition for Hollywood’s new film industry

Libretto/its functions

A musical “book,” it tells a clear story and creates characters, creates moment that “call characters to song,” it provides text/dialogue, narrative structure/plote, guides composer, theme, basic stage directions

Oklahoma

Used dance/choreography to tell the story, the book has descriptions of how the people are moving in the play, characters are “called to dance” as well as to song

Showboat

1927, First book musical about race, first multiracial cast, sells out all houses in Broadway, on riverboat didnt have to obey law so they could drink with other races, comedy/tragedy, songs drew out dramatic situations

Paul Robeson

First black actor to play Othello in US, was a lawyer, very famous actor, he wanted ten minutes at the end of the show to talk to the audience about race problems around the world, outside of his role

Etymology

the study of origin of words and how their meaning have changed throughout history

Goal of acting

the actor needs to embrace that character and represent them, convince the audience

Pope Innocent III

issued the papal edict

Papal Edict 1210

Issued by Pope Innocent III, prohibited clergy from acting in public plays, particularly miracle plays

Space and performance style

The bigger the space, the more you need to annunciate and project (but it becomes less believable: it is a tradeoff), the larger the space the more presentational (no fourth wall)

Hamlet “Advice to the Players”

Evidence of naturalism, it sounds like Shakespeare is really talking to his actors, telling them to not make stuff up, do not act unnaturally, be believable

Histrionic

An affected performance with excessive gestures, vocal choices, and emotions

The Booth Family

Representational vs Presentational: most famous acting family in US history, they all represent different styles of acting: traditional, presentational: would play for points (John Wilkes Booth), and representational

Verisimilitude

Believability; visual and psychological appearance of Truth

Duke Saxe Meiningen

Realism, realistic style acting is favored, this is traced to Meiningens players who traveled on trains (nice), painted backgrounds, authentic costumes from the specific time periods, no lead actors (larger roles shuffled from night to night)

Stanislavski - The Method

Member of Meiningen’s audience

The method creates a more believable performance:

• The magic if: what if this were you? imagine yourself in this scenario

• Subtext: what do you really mean (like passive aggression)

• circle of concentration (what is the actor focusing on)

• tempo (fast or slow) and rhythm

3 categories of diversions

1. popular entertainment (lower income): can afford to bring whole family, streaming services, circus animals

2. Bourgeois (middle income): mainstream narrative theater (w/out music), professional sports games

3. Elitist Entertainments (upper income): not very expensive but requires special knowledge/education/context, like Avant Garde (experimental)

Diversion is a form of entertainment, diversion from reality

Context

Needed for experimental forms of diversion (Avant Garde)

Two Models of Diversions

1. Classical: realism

2. Contemporary: abstract

Freud - Psychobiology

Some individuals avoid novelty due to need for repetition and comfort, some crave novelty due to underlying desires for excitement or escape

Entertainment & Novelty

Avant Garde is novel, new and unusual/experimental, it challenges conventional norms and structures in theater

Media Sensation Seekers

individuals tendency to actively choose media content that offers strong emotional arousal, excitement, and novelty

Butoh

Japanese women are typically always topless and painted white

Kabuki

Classical form of Japanese theater known for its highly stylized performance, elaborate costumes, and dynamic acting

Onnagata

Male actors who perform in women roles

Bando

Japan’s most famous onnagata

Reactions against realism

Western movement against realism, embrace chaos

Death if a Salesman

Very realistic movie, talking over one another

John Cage - 4’33”

he walks in, sits at a piano and doesn’t play anything, the argument is that everything is music

Merce Cunningham

the use of chance, dancers dancing to any music

Abramovic - Rhythm O

Experimental art, was almost naked and stood there with a table full of things and weapons and a sign that said “do whatever you want with me”

God of Vengence

1907 play by Sholem Asch shut down for lesbian relationship and hypocrisy in Jewish family (cast arrested)

Sarah Kane

Playwright, challenged theatrical norms, featured graphic violence and mental anguish, “in-yer-face” movement in 90s

MOCA

Museum of contemporary art, experimental performance art that challenges political/social norms

Censere

“To judge” or “to assess” where we get the word “censorship”

Ekkyklema

Greek device used to roll out interior scenes like dead bodies or violent events happening off stage

Ob Skene

from Greek theater, action that takes place on the stage area, more violent acts happened off stage

Lysistrata-Aristophanes

411 BCE comedy that used sexual politics and anti-war themes it was provocative, protest authority

Jeremy Collier

Argues plays were morally corrupting, advocated “poetic justice” his views supported stricter censorship

A Vision of the Golden Rump

Satirical anonymous anti-royalist play in England that mocked King George II, led to Theatrical Licensing Act of 1738

Theatrical Licensing Act 1737

British law requiring government censorship of theater and approval of all plays before public performance

Lord Chamberlain

Royal official in charge of approving plays under licensing act of 1737

Limits to 1st Amendment

US constitution protects freedom of speech including theatrical expression however there are limits, artistic freedom is not absolute in theater

Hays Code

strict content guidelines for films in the 30s, created climate of self-censorship to avoid public backlash

Father Daniel Lord

Jesuit priest who co-authored the Hays code, moral regulation of entertainment

Laramie Project

2000s play created using real interviews about the murder of Matthew Shepard, it was challenged because of its conversations of homosexuality and hate crimes

Verbatim Theater

Documentary theater, uses real events, controversial political/social issues

Cohen vs. California

1971 supreme court case which protected a man’s right to wear a jacket that said “Fuck the draft,” protected controversial speech from censorship under 1st amendment

Hero prop - 3

highly detailed, main character “hero” often uses, helps tell the story

Color - 3

lightness, hue, saturation

Stunt casting - 3

increased ticket sales, larger more diverse audience, more young people go to shows

Analyzing a play or scene for your character - 4

1. Goal: objective/desire of the character 

2. Other: “who am I playing to?” who is the target of the characters goals and actions 

3. Tactic: the method your character uses to achieve their goal 

4. Expectation: the characters hope/assumption about how the interaction will go