Notes: Early Theatres — Greek, Roman, and Medieval

Origins of Theatre

  • Theatre's exact origins are unknown; the creative impulse is universal.

  • Key elements: storytelling, imitation, costuming, rituals, ceremonies.

Greece

Theatre and Culture

  • Greek drama honored Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, evolving from the dithyrambic chorus.

  • Thespis became the first actor, giving us the term "thespian."

Theatre and Religion

  • Theatre was integral to Greek religion, featured in annual festivals like City Dionysia.

  • Government organized presentations, with a Choregus funding playwrights.

  • Greek myths provided stories for most dramas.

Greek Tragedy

  • The most admired form, with 900900 produced in the 5extth5^{ ext{th}} century B.C.E., but only 3131 survive from Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

Tragic Dramatists

  • Aeschylus: First important dramatist, introduced a second actor, master of the trilogy.

  • Sophocles: Added a third actor, increased chorus to 1212 to 1515 members, skilled in dramatic construction.

  • Euripides: Considered "modern," portrayed sympathetic female characters, increased realism, mixed genres, and treated gods skeptically.

Tragic Structure

  • Followed a pattern of opening scene, chorus entry, character episodes interspersed with choral songs, final episode, and exit.

Functions of the Chorus

  • Shaped audience reactions, provided background, balanced extreme behaviors, offered philosophical observations, and performed songs and dances.

Greek Comedy

  • Old Comedy: Satirized social, political, or cultural conditions with recognizable characters; often lacks climactic structure.

  • New Comedy: Emerged late 4extth4^{ ext{th}} century B.C.E., focused on romantic and domestic problems, influencing Roman comedy.

Dramatic Criticism in Greece

  • Aristotle's The Poetics defined six elements of drama: PlotPlot, CharacterCharacter, ThoughtextorthemeThought ext{ or }theme, LanguageLanguage, MusicMusic, SpectacleSpectacle.

Theatre Production in Greece

  • Amphitheatres (seating 15,00015{,}000-17,00017{,}000) built into hillsides included an OOrchestra (circular playing area), Skene (scene house), Parados (chorus entry aisles), and Theatron (seating).

  • Mechane: crane for "flying" characters.

  • Ekkyklema: wheeled platform for revealing interior scenes.

Rome

Theatre and Culture in Rome

  • Roman theatre adapted heavily from Greek New Comedy.

  • The Ludi Romani festival was the first to incorporate theatre.

Popular Entertainment in Rome

  • Included chariot racing, gladiatorial combats, acrobatics, wrestling, mime, and pantomime, housed in structures like the CircusextMaximumCircus ext{ Maximum} and Colosseum.

Roman Comedy

  • Plautus: Based plays on Greek New Comedies, focused on domestic situations and romance with stock characters; dialogue often sung, plays were farces.

  • Terence: More literary style, less farcical, emphasized verbal wit; dialogue mostly spoken.

Roman Tragedy: Seneca

  • Most notable tragic dramatist, known for onstage violence, supernatural characters; influenced Shakespeare.

Dramatic Criticism in Rome: Horace

  • Distinguished tragedy (royalty) and comedy (common people), advocating that drama both entertain and teach.

Theatre Production in Rome

  • Festivals managed by government officials, who hired acting troupes (all male, at least six members) led by a dominus.

  • Acting emphasized detailed pantomime, broad gestures, and strong vocal delivery.

The Theatre in Rome: Physical Structures

  • Freestanding buildings with semi-circular, sloped seating for 8,0008{,}000-25,00025{,}000 spectators.

  • Features included a semi-circular orchestra, Scaena (stage house), and Vomitoria (passageways).

The Middle Ages

Background: Medieval Europe

  • From 500500 to 15001500 C.E., the Roman Catholic Church initially suppressed theatre, which later re-emerged as liturgical and vernacular drama.

Types of Vernacular Plays

  • Mystery, or cycle, plays: Dramatized biblical events.

  • Morality plays: Used religious characters and themes to impart moral lessons.

Medieval Theatre Production

  • Large-scale mystery plays were produced across Europe using Mansions and Wagon-stages.

  • Performers were amateurs, and Pageant masters oversaw productions.

Medieval Writers

  • Hrosvitha of Gandersham: Wrote plays based on Terence, likely not performed.

  • Hildegard von Bingen: Wrote short musical plays like Ordo Virtutum for her convent.

Text Alternatives and Imagery

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