Theatre History 1.2

The "how-to" text of Sanskrit theatre

Nāṭyaśāstra

The Indian playwright who created the "third theatre"; he wrote Ebang Indrajit

Badal Sarkar

The important Sanskrit play which was so influential in 1800s Europe

The Recognition of Shakuntala

Characteristics of Beijing Opera

Highly physical acting; very limited sets; theatrical rather than literary form; performance usually "excerpts"

Who "invented" Noh?

Kan'ami

Who "perfected" Noh?

Zeami

Comic interludes between Noh plays

Kyogen

Characteristics of Bunraku

Puppets operated by 3 puppeteers; visible musician and narrator; representational scenery and elevator traps

Who invented Kabuki?

Izumo no Okuni

Western scholars have focused on which genre of plays by Chikamatsu Monzaemon?

Lovers who commit double suicide

What is an onnagata?

A male actor who plays female Kabuki roles

What is the Mie?

A dramatic pose by Kabuki actors that show the essence of the character

Characteristics of liturgical drama

Part of the church service; sung or chanted in Latin; performed by priests and/or choir

Who was Hrosvitha?

The first known female playwright; the first known playwright post-Antiquity; she wrote Christian-themed plays based on Terence's work

Characteristics of vernacular religious drama

Episodic; minimal characterization; usually moral allegories, about lives of saints, or bible stories; lots of spectacle, music, and rhyming verse

Typical method of medieval staging

Mansion and platea

A play probably written in Dutch that could be a warning to the new merchant class

Everyman

Characteristics of Corpus Christi plays

Developed to explain transubstantiation; in vernacular language; often financed by trade guilds and other non-church groups

Performance conditions of Corpus Christi plays

Mixed audiences, mostly amateur male performers; contemporary costumes with special costumes for "outsiders"; limited (2-5) rehearsals

Corpus Christi plays were usually performed on fixed stages or on what?

Pageant wagons