History I

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History I

• Boyd H Wolz

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Theatre Traditions East West

• Aristotle said, There are no new ideas anymore.

• Rehashes of earlier works
• Shakespeare French Neo-Classical writers used
  the earlier Greek Roman writers.
• Modern writers like Neil Simon, Stephen Sondheim,
  Tom Stoppard use Shakespeare.
• Ideas well worn and tested work in any period.

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Origin is in storytelling

• A story consists of a teller and a listener, or
  an Actor Audience.

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Recorded Drama

• East (Asia) West (Europe)
• West 700 BC
• East 300 BC
• Egyptian Coronation Dramas discovered in 1896
  dating back to 2500BC

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Greek Drama

• Greeks
• (800-300BC Golden Age)

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The Birthplace of Democracy, Mathematics,
Philosophy Ethics! The Popular
Entertainments of Theatre
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The Greeks

• Educate, Entertain, Delight
• City Dionysia -Dionysus, the god of wine and
  fertility.
• Spring festival (end of March) both religious
  civic, Religious/Theatrical.
• Dithyramb Choral story
• Theoric Fund (450BC) for public assistance to
  attend festival.

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Playwrights

• Aeschylus The father of Greek Drama
• Sophocles superb construction of plots, and
  real or more lifelike characters.
• Euripedies Considered the most modern and
  leader of feminism.
• Aristophanes Greatest comic playwright.

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The Tragedy

• The Highest Form of Education.
• Fear Pity
• Hamartia or Tragic Flaw usually hubris
  orexcessive pride.
• Catharsis
• 3 UnitiesTime, Place, Action

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Teatron

• Orchestra
• Skene
• Prados

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Sets and Lights

• Lighting by nature
• Sets were suggested.
• Unity of location
• Pariaktoi
• Pinakes
• Ekkelema
• Machane

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Costumes

• Masks
• Costumes
• Kitan Himation
• Cathorni
• Tistigia
• Onkos
• Clear class distinction
• Comedy - Phallus

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Comedies of the Greeks

• Old Comedy 800-400 BC
• Political, satirical and pointed toward social
  problems, vices, and current events.
• The Parabasis, a chorus moment where they would
  single out a members of the audience and ridicule
  them, in fun. Much like the humour of some talk
  radio, SNL, or Mad TV.
• New Comedy after 404 BC
• Under the new government political satire was
  discouraged Domestic struggles were
  highlighted.
• The tragic writing also suffered after 400 BC