History of Theatre Midterm
Noh Acting Style
"The art of Walking", Highly stylized dance and pantomime, Actors alternate speech in reciatative, Linear Costumes, masks becomes indistinguishable from yourself, dynasty actors (56 generations)
Hanamichi
"flower way", Narrow platform in Kabuki Theatre connecting the rear of the auditorium with the stage
Yuan Dynasty
(1279-1368) Synthesis of arta and popular tradition, Marco Polo, China ruled by mongolians,
Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) Chinese emperor restored, dramas reverted to elitest texts, lost contact with broad publich, Operas and dramatic form, "The Lute Song"
Literary Drama
...
Indian Theatre Space
100 by 50 feet, divided equally into stage and seating, 200-500 seated, four pillars to organize caste system, no scenery, ornate costuming
Japanese Theatre
14th Century - present First was a part of Shinto and Buddhist Ceremonies Three main types, Noh, Bunraku, and Kabuki
Kabuki Theatre
17th Century Japanese theatre which combined elements of noh, bunraku and folk theatre. Created by Shinto priestesses as a Buddhist rigin with folk dance qualities.
Bejing Opera
19th Century, elements of folk theatre, modern dinner theatre, symbolism, no set and props, elaborate costumes, stock characters, specific vocals
Decline of Roman Theatre
4th Century splitting of the empire, two capitals, Theatre, less art, more popular entertainent (dancing, pantomim, impersonation, costumes, juggling, acrobatics, training animals
Greek Theatre
550-220 BCE, Classical Greece, stories about Mycenaean Greece
Chorus
A group of singers who provide expository information, comment on action, interact with characters, and describe offstage action. They represent the common people of the city state, or whatever is relevant. Audience could identify with them.
Myths
A story or a legend, sometimes invented, sometimes loosely based on fact, handed down generations. Used to explain human or natural events.
Ritual
Acting out an established, prescribed procedure
Efficaciousness
An action intended to achieve rewards, results, religious worship
Dance Drama
An indian drama presented through dance moves, primarily women, originally a devotional dance
Shaman
Ancient religious leaders who carry the stories of their people
Chinese Theatre Space
Bare stage with two doors on each side, painted cloth between doors, built for outdoors, color from costuming
Hrosvitha
Benedictine nun, first known female playwright; wrote plays modeled after Terrence's comedies but using religious subjects; in the 900s, six plays which glorified virgins and martyrdom,
Ekkyklema
Box on wheels to roll on dead actors
Indian Religion
Buddhism hits its peak in 400BCE, suffering = purification; Hinduism is about achieve oneness with supreme world
Southeast Asian Theatre
Burm, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam performed Ramayana and Mayabharata as dance crama or puppet theatre
Platea
Central open playing space, such as the nave
Holy Roman Empire
Charlemagne, Centralized in Rome
Sudtradhara
Chief actor, managed others in production for Indian Theatre
Li Yu
China's first important drama critic in 17th century, about following rite
Greek Politics
Citizenship, Male landowners, total participation, slavery, women were not citizens
Revisionist
Claim history has only bee told by the social elite, revise analysis of historical documents
Chou
Clown in Chinese Theatre
Cycle Plays
Collection of mystery plays, took entire towns to produce, lasted full days
Chinese Religion
Confuciusism: Perfectibility of human beings, responsibility to others Taoism - Tao=the path Simplicity, patience, nature's harmony Started as shamanisms and rituals
Mechane
Crane to move actors
New Comedy
Domestic affairs in middle class, everyday life, smaller chorus, stock characters, misunderstanding, Menander
Middle Ages
Early: 400 CE-1000 CE High: 1000 CE - 1400 CE
Byzantium
Eastern Europe, Eastern Orthodox, Centered in Turkey, Constantinople, led by Constantine, Had the Hippodrome and Popular Theatre
Abydos Ritual
Egyptian ritual enacted from 200-550 BCE, containing theatrical elements, role playing and acting
Popular Entertainment
Events with strong theatrical components
Procession Wagons
Favored by English, Spanish, and Dutch Audiences assemble like a parade Wagons move from place to place, performing multiple times Two-story structure on six wheels Loft for entrances, back area for dressing "tiring area"
Dan
Female character in Chinese Theatre
Ludi Romana
First drama festival of rome, established by Etruscan rule
Kutiyatam
Folk play tradition, performed facing deity
Zaju
Form of drama perfected in the Yuan dynasty, four acts, song sequences, to popular music, protagonist sang all
Ceremony
Formal religious or socail occassion, led by an authority figure
Aeschylus
Founder of Greek drama, wrote about noble families, master of tetralogy (4 plays united by single theme), added second actor, smaller chorus, directed and acted, 7 plays left
Roman Politics
Government of the poeple, military discipline, Pax Roman (Roman peace), patricians and pheans (tribunes and consuls)
Dulcitus
Hrosvitha's play in which the three Christain virgins fool Dulcitus into making love to pots and pans.
Hildegard von Bingen
German nun, wrote short musical songs and texts, performed antiphonally
Zeami Motokiyo
Gifted Noh actor, Classical dance drama favored by teh aristocracy, influenced by the study of Zen
Greek Religion
Gods could protect them and tell the future, festivals to keep you in good favor, all social classes, entertainment, ploythestic, practical and tangible
Methexis
Group sharing
Kothornus
In Hellenistic Greek theatre, platform boots worn by actors
Pageant Masters
In Medieval Theatre, Organized and oversaw the production, hired people construction, supervision, rehearsing, selecting, serve as m/c, assign money collectors
Cornish Rounds
In cornwall, england, earthen embankments surrounding certain staged areas
Sanskrit Drama
Indian Theatr performed in 5th century in cour circles, based on Indian Epics, merged religion and art, movement and gesture
Kathakali
Intricate hand movements and facial expressions
Biwa
Japanese large lute used in Bunraku
Chanter
Japanese storyeller who would travel around singing the histories and stories
Samisen
Japanese three-stringed instrument
Tsure
Kabuki Accompanying role
Waki
Kabuki Supporting character
Kyogen
Kabuki comic actor
Shite
Kabuki main character, masked
Old Comedy
Large casts, satire of contemporary issues, Fantasy and improbable plots, Aristophanes
chorodidaskalos
Lead of the choru, employed for the festival
Noh Theatre Space
Main playing space 18 squared feet, roofed with four columns, with ceremonial painted pine tree, narrow space at the back for musicians and chorus, Hashigakari: bridge from actors room to stage
Sheng
Male character in Chinese Theatre
Miracle Plays
Miracle plays were about lives of saints
Choregus
Modern day producer for each playwright, provided money for all expenses...
Euripides
Most modern author, sympathetic towards women, realism, mixture of drama and comedy, diminished chorus, humanized gods, 18 plays left, uninvolved in politics
Plautus
Most popular, Master of colloquial Latin, New Comedy, 20 plays, farcicl situations, physical humor, no chorus, not political
Imitation
Observing an action and repeating or impersonating it
archon
Official who chose plays 11 months out, oversaw, judging of awards, 10 tribes of Greece provided judge, archon picked 5 votes
siparium
Painted back curtain
Jing
Painted face in Chinese Theatre
Quem Queretas
Part of Liturgical Drama, a trope enacted for the masses, Angel speaking to the three Mary's visit to the tomb of Christ, Regularis Concordia
Stock Characters
Part of New Comedy; 9 types of old men, 4 young men, 7 slaves, 5 young women, etc.
Medieval Society Structures
People tied to the land/agriculture Feudalism: Kings, Lords, Vassals, Serfs Worked the land for protection, portion of crops CHurch Feudalism: God, Pope, Cardinal, ZBishop, Mon Senor, Priests, Monks, Clergy, PEasants,
Shadow Plays
Performed in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, called Wayang, take place at night, started in 10th century
Orkestra
Playing area, 66 feet in diameter, stone
The Poetics
Plot, Character, idea, diction, spectacle, music
Terrance
Plots more literary, romantic/sentimental, verbal humor, high moral, defended work in prologue
Semiotics
Point of view of drama, symbols recognizable to audience
Secular Plays
Popular entertainment, folk plays (Robin Hood), Farce, Feast of Fools, French "sottie"
Stationary Staging
Popular in rest of europe, series of small mansions side by side in a courtyard, included Hell Mouth(West) and Paradise(East). Houses inbetween were on earth, less important, temporary seating in the round or thrust
Noh Theatre
Popular stage traditions morphed into Noh theatre in 14th Century Japan, traveling torupe performed for wealthy man and produced Noh. Kan'ami first author/director, son is Neami.
Bunraku Theatre
Puppet theatre which started in the 17th century, puppets are 2/3 size and require 3 operators,broke off from chanter tradition
Bunraku Acting Style
Puppeteers dress in black and are unseen, unless chief handler. Leveled by experience. Lowest, legs. Second, Left arm. Highest, Head and Right arm. It takes ten years to move up a position. Incredibly delicate movements to create lifelike doll
Deconstructionist
Question traditional manner in which history is reconstructed, history is written by people in power
Cavea
ROman viewing place for the audience
Influences of Christianity on Roman Theatre
Rise of Christianity opposed to theatre, saw it as a pagan ritual that taught immorality and made satirical comments on Christians, this had long reaching effects on theatre
Horace
Roman Aristotle, Ars Poetica, Famous for having epodes and satire, lyrical poetry, tragedy and comedy never combined, gods only sparsely, 5 acts, 3 speaking characters, to entertain and instruct, moral tone
Orchestra
Roman orkestra space, semi circle, used for seating officials
scaene
Roman scenery, with roof 2 stories high
Auleum
Roman theatre, a front curtain that was raised and lowered on telescoping poles.
Medieval Politics
Rome falls in 476 CE, Christianity splits
Skene
Scene building in Greek Theatre
Mansions
Scenic structure depicting locale for biblical tale, corresponded to architecture of the church
The Origins of Greek Theatre Space
Seated 15,000-17,000, outdoor amphitheater, built into hillsides on threshing floor were used for spaces of performance and people would watch from the hillside
Positivist
Sees things in a chronological effect: Cause and Effect, explains logically, opposite of deconstructionist
City Dionysia
Several days long festival, theatre festival in March to celebrate Dionysus and also fertility, origonally dythyramb and tragedy
Mystery plays
Stories of biblical events, short dramas sometimes presented in cycle, on festival dates, Corpus Christi (blood/body of Christ)
Sophocles
Superb plot construction, focus on individual, won many prizes, only 7 exists, general, priest, and civic leader
Rasa
Surrender to dramatic action in Indian Theatre
Role Playing
Taking on societia roles, adopting the behaviors of these roles
Morality Plays
Teaches a less throught the use of allegorical chracters, long journey's aof life,somewhere between religious and secular
Storytelling
Telling the histories of people, adopting voices and characters and personalities
Roman Theatre Structures
Temporary wooden structures, First stone theatre by Pompey the great, held around 25,000
komos
The Greek word that our word "comedy" is based on
Roman Theatre
The Republic: 509-27 BCE The Empire: 27 BCE - 476 CE Decline in 4th Century CE
Natyasastra
The Study of Theatre, included the mythical origin of theatre and description of the theatre space
Pear Garden
The actor's training school in the Tang Period of Chinese theatre
hypokrite
The ancient greek word for actor, means literally "answerer"
Hashigakari
The bridge in Noh Theatre which lead from actors room to stage, typically 20 feet long
Onnagata
The males that play the "women-type" roles of the Kabuki theatre. Particularly those of young courtesans and princesses are assumed only by actors who have devoted years of study to their performance.
Yugen
The mysterious inner heart or spirit behind the outer form invented by Zeami Moyohito
Fibula Pallieta
Type of comedy, no chorus, more music, emphasis on eavesdropping, setting action on the street
Indian Theatre
Traced from 3000 BCE, Sanskrit drama performed in court circles, performed in Sanskrit languages
Kabuki Acting Style
Trained from childhood in voice, dance, acting, Intense athletic movement followed by poses for climactic parts, larger than life performances by flamboyant heroics. Extensive costume and makeup red=warrior, indigo=villain
Kabuki Theatre Space
Wide stage with low proscenium, Musicians on or offstage, Beautiful scenic effects revolving stage, Hanamichi: narrow platform conecting the rear of the auditorium with the stage, elevator traps
Japanese Politics
Women left out of Kabuki because it is too erotic and made them unafe, officials worried Kabuki would elad to improper displays by samurai an dminglin of classes Japanese in China in Tang Dynasty, Buddhism becomes prevailing influence on the poeple Powerful people shaped Noh theatre
De Architectura
Written by Marcus Vitravius, guide to Roman architecture based on Hellenistic models
Vernacular Plays
Written in common languages, religious/farce, less costly to produce
Chinese Theatre
as old as 2000 BCE, but prodominant between 13th and 17th centuries,
Hubris
excessive pride
Yuan Drama
four acts, songs set to popular music, protagonist sang all, NONE SURVIVED, few characters, professional actors, outdoor building with roofs, simple props (swords and fans), no scenery, elaborate costume and makeup
Menander
new comedy, plautus and terence based on his works, written in the Aristotelean structure, chorus was greatly diminished
Aristophanes
old comedy, plays reflect socio-political climate, bawdy wit, references to contemporaries, never directed, 11 plays
Joruri
performance of narrative and dialogue the accompaniment of a samisen in Japanese theatre (Bunraku theatre)
Dramatic Action
prologos - opening parados - chorus enters episode - scene with 2 more hcaracters choral ode - alternate with episodes exodos - final scene, characters exit
pulpitum
stage area of roman ampitheater
Scaene frons
the ornate front of the saene
Hamartia
tragic flaw
Trade Guilds
unions centering around one type of trade, produced cycle plays based on occupation, (Last Supper-Bakers, Noah-Shipbuilders, The Visit of the Magi-Goldsmith)
Theatron
viewing place for audience
