Monday week 1 THTR1

Theater 1: Play Analysis

Introduction to Curtain Call

• The curtain call belongs most broadly to the tradition of formal beginnings and endings that punctuate events in social life.

• Significance of curtain call:

  • Represents a transition in social nature.

  • Symbolizes a return and farewell, not just an end.

• Kierkegaard's contribution: assigned curtain call to the "category of the interesting", defining it as a border category between aesthetics and manners.

• Acknowledges the need for distinct endings in theatrical performances to avoid a jarring conclusion, comparing it to the unceremonious ending of Hamlet with actors simply leaving the stage like workers at a quitting time.

The Pleasure of the Play

• Theatre is framed as an art form, emphasizing experiences created through sensitive play.

Etymology of "Play"

• Old English: pleg(i)an means "to exercise" from plega (brisk movement).

  • Connotation: affiliated with joyous exercise.

• Explore Greek root: luein (to loosen, dissolve, destroy) + ana- (up, against, back).

  • Meaning: to break up, dissolve or destroy, or to loosen up.

Root Imagery and Radical Analysis

• Exploration of roots:

  • Gk. radix translates to "root".

  • Connects to words like radius, radiate, radio, radical.

• Root imagery involves reasoning from complexity to singularity and back to complexity.

• The aim of the course: radical analysis to uncover the foundations of theater art.

Terminology of Theater

• Theater: spelled theatre in French, spelled theater in German.

  • Derived from the ancient Greek root theasthai meaning “to behold or see.”

  • Implies that a theater is fundamentally a seeing place.

• Contrast with Latin-derived term auditorium, which signifies a hearing place.

Historical Context: Theater at Epidaurus

• A detailed look at the theater located in Epidaurus, Greece (4th century BCE):

  • Cavea width: 119 m, orchestra width: 24.65 m.

  • Capacity: 11,750-14,700.

  • Importance: The architecture reflects the intersection of performance and physical space in ancient Greece.

Definitions of Focus

• Various definitions to consider:

  1. Center of activity or attention.

  2. Point of concentration or directed attention.

  3. Clarity of perception or understanding.

  4. Technical definition involving optics and geometry.

• Etymology of focus: from Latin focus, meaning hearth, fireplace.

  • Associated with Kepler's use in mathematics and astronomy.

  • Theater as hot place of looking, emphasizing its core nature of observation.

Experience in Theater

• Theater as the art of experiencing a focused performance.

• Distinction in German for experience: Erfahrung (scientific, demonstrable) vs. Erlebnis (subjective, lived).

• Analysis of how we experience plays triggers a question about the integration of knowledge between objective and subjective forms.

The Nature of Experience

• Experience involves:

  • Utilizing various capacities like sensation, intuition, reason, and memory.

  • Creation of a knowing that transcends empirical data.

• Contrast between innocence and experience:

  • Reflections on William Blake's works which indicate that adulthood and the embrace of experience are essential for growth.

Art of Theater

• Theater is about shaping human experiences into a work that conveys meaning and understanding.

• Drama's role: centers on story experience, recognized in various forms beyond typical theater structures.

Performance Defined

• The prefix per- in performance means thoroughly.

• Therefore, performance implies an experience put into a well-formed, crafted narrative.

The Concept of Story

• Definition of story derives from Latin historia (inquiry) and Greek (knowledge).

• Stories function as a knowing passed on from a storyteller.

• Importance of truthfulness in storytelling as it separates history from mythos.

Storytelling Practices

• The art of storytelling retains its roots in ancient practices, showcasing immediacy and transformation per telling.

• Characteristics:

  • Oral tradition: live storytelling.

  • Adaptive nature of stories with cultural and contextual influences shaping each retelling.

Historical Context of Storytelling

• Lascaux cave paintings, dating back 15,000-17,000 years, signify early storytelling methods.

• Nikolai Leskov's works highlight storytelling traditions within Russian literature.

Mythos and Knowledge

• Mythos refers to story, intricately tied to knowledge and understanding.

• Aristotle's perspective: Mythos relates to plot in storytelling, distinguishing drama's narrative structure.

Plot Elements Explained

• Aristotle’s six key elements of drama (from Peri Poietikes):

  1. Plot (mythos) - arrangement of events.

  2. Character (ethos) - representation of moral nature.

  3. Thought (dianoia) - themes and messages.

  4. Diction (lexis) - choice of language.

  5. Music (melopoia) - auditory aspects.

  6. Spectacle (opsis) - visual elements.

Understanding Plot

• Definition of plot: A layout of significant events in storytelling, originating from concepts of land measurement and planning.

• Aristotle's viewpoint: effective plot execution requires arranged incidents that guide the drama.

Structure of Stories

• Stories are not merely data but interpretations shaped by the storyteller's choices of what to include or omit.

• The arrangement of the plot is both an art and a science, adapting narratives to create compelling arcs with beginnings and endings.

Conclusion on Storytelling**

• Importance of finding the unique story that resonates with the audience, providing the means to convey experiences, thereby transforming storytellers and listeners alike.

1. The Curtain Call

• Curtain Call

  • Word-for-Word: "Belongs most broadly to the tradition of formal beginnings and endings that punctuate events in social life."

  • Simple Summary: This is a formal way to mark the start and end of an event. It tells the audience the 'play-world' is over and we are returning to real life.

• Significance of Curtain Call

  • Word-for-Word: "Represents a transition in social nature."

  • Simple Summary: It is more than an end; it is a way to say goodbye and move back from art to reality.

• Kierkegaard’s Contribution

  • Word-for-Word: Assigned it to the "category of the interesting," defining it as a "border category between aesthetics and manners."

  • Simple Summary: He believed it sits right on the line between high art (aesthetics) and social politeness (manners).

2. The Language and Etymology of "Play"

• Pleg(i)an / Plega

  • Word-for-Word: Old English: pleg(i)an means "to exercise" from plega (brisk movement).

  • Simple Summary: The word play originally meant moving around quickly and happily for exercise.

• Ana-luein (Greek Root)

  • Word-for-Word: luein (to loosen, dissolve, destroy) + ana- (up, against, back).

  • Simple Summary: To 'analyze' or 'play' means to break things down or loosen up a solid structure.

3. Radical Analysis and Roots

• Radix

  • Word-for-Word: Gk. radix translates to "root."

  • Simple Summary: This is where we get the word 'radical.' In this class, radical analysis means going down to the very root of an idea to understand it.

• Radical Analysis Technique

  • Simple Summary: Thinking from a complicated idea → down to one single root → back up to a complicated idea.

4. Theater vs. Auditorium

• Theater

  • Word-for-Word Etymology: Ancient Greek root theasthai meaning “to behold or see.”

  • Simple Summary: A theater is fundamentally a seeing place.

• Auditorium

  • Word-for-Word Etymology: Latin-derived term signifying a hearing place.

5. Historical Context: Theater at Epidaurus

• Epidaurus (Greece, $4^{th}$ century BCE):

  • Stats: Cavea (seeing area) width is $119$ m; Orchestra (acting area) width is $24.65$ m.

  • Capacity: Can hold $11,750$ to $14,700$ people.

  • Simple Summary: Ancient theaters were massive spaces built specifically for a huge crowd to see the show together.

6. The Concept of "Focus"

• Focus

  • Word-for-Word Etymology: From Latin focus, meaning "hearth" or "fireplace."

  • Simple Summary: In theater, focus is the "hot place of looking." Like people gather around a fire, everyone gathers their attention on one spot on stage.

7. Understanding Experience

• Erfahrung

  • Word-for-Word: "Scientific, demonstrable."

  • Simple Summary: This is objective experience, like facts or data you can prove.

• Erlebnis

  • Word-for-Word: "Subjective, lived."

  • Simple Summary: This is personal experience, or how you personally felt during something.

• Innocence vs. Experience

  • Simple Summary: Based on William Blake. To grow up, humans must move from simple innocence and embrace 'Experience' to truly understand the world.

8. Performance and Story

• Performance

  • Word-for-Word: The prefix per- means "thoroughly."

  • Simple Summary: A performance is taking an experience and putting it into a thoroughly prepared, well-crafted story.

• Story

  • Word-for-Word Etymology: Latin historia (inquiry) and Greek (knowledge).

  • Simple Summary: A story is a form of 'knowing' passed from a teller to a listener. It needs to be truthful to be different from a myth.

• The Art of Storytelling:

  • Lascaux Cave Paintings: Early storytelling dating back $15,000$ to $17,000$ years.

  • Nikolai Leskov: A famous Russian writer who studied oral storytelling traditions.

9. Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama

You must know these terms from Aristotle's book Peri Poietikes for the test!

1. Plot (mythos): [Word-for-Word] "Arrangement of events." [Simple Summary] The organized 'map' of the story.

2. Character (ethos): [Word-for-Word] "Representation of moral nature." [Simple Summary] The personality and ethics of the people in the play.

3. Thought (dianoia): [Simple Summary] The themes or the message of the play.

4. Diction (lexis): [Simple Summary] The specific words the writer chose to use.

5. Music (melopoia): [Simple Summary] The rhythm and the sound of the performance.

6. Spectacle (opsis): [Simple Summary] Everything you see visually (costumes, set, lighting).

10. The Plot Deep-Dive

• Definition of Plot: Originates from the idea of land measurement or planning.

• Function: It is an interpretation. A storyteller chooses what to leave in and what to leave out to make the story powerful for the audience.