Chapter 6- The Theatre of the Italian Renaissance

Scenarios

short plot lines conceived by the company not written down, company members invented the words and actions as they went along (improvised)

Stock characters

stereotypical fictional character who the audience recognize they also wear specific costumes, somewhat 2 dimensional don't really grow or change very much ex: pentalone, il dottore, il capitano, arlecchino, innamorati

Modern versions of lazzi

the 3 stooges, Charlie Chaplin, Marks brothers Groucho Marks- always had glasses, big mustache, guitar Harpo- usually had guitar, giant scissors 3 Stooges- very physical comedy

What are we being reborn out of during the Renaissance?

the dark ages/middle ages

Which class of people was emerging and growing during the Renaissance?

the merchant class

Perspective

the painting and arrangement of scenery to achieve an illusion of depth

About the Renaissance

the reawakening of arts and culture after the "sleep" of the medieval period, a time of great exploration and discovery, focus shifts to humanism, secularism

What impact did Commedia dell'arte have?

they traveled all throughout Europe, spreading this idea of theatre and these stock characters

Unity of action

1 central story, small group of characters, no subplots

4 contributions that the Italian Renaissance made to Western theatre

1) acting (commedia dell'arte) 2) theatre architecture 3) scenic design 4) dramatic criticism/neoclassical ideas

Minor neoclassical ideals

1) characters actions must be morally acceptable 2) must teach a moral lesson 3) no onstage violence 4) no chorus 5) no soliloques 6) no deus ex machina

Sections of audience seating in a proscenium theatre

1) pit- down below, cheap seats, standing 2) boxes- most expensive, exclusive 3) galleries- raised and off to the side for the next 300 years (and up to today) this is standard seating for people in the Western world

Neoclassicists' influence

1) rigid, literal rules for drama 2) other countries followed Italy's lead 3) these "rules have been followed, broken, and debated for centuries

The 3 Unities

1) unity of time 2) unity of place 3) unity of action

Greek and Roman manuscripts

Byzantium fell in 1453, Greek and Roman manuscripts transferred to the West, serendipitous timing

Big voyage in 1492 was who?

Columbus Columbus was from Italy, "discovered" America

What country did the Renaissance first take root?

Italy

Rake stage

a stage that's at an angle

Unity of time

action should not exceed 24 hours

Comedy

always dealt with commoners, happy ending

Tragedy

always dealt with royal people, sad ending

Il Capitano

bragging but really is a cowardly soldier

Metachi Family

come from Florence, wealthy and powerful family whose kids traced throughout the Renaissance into other countries

Proscenium arch stage

comes from greek word proskene, audience all faces one direction kooks through a rectangle "frame", fourth wall became a bigger thing

Opera

cross between play and music, made its grand debut in the Italian Renaissance

Humanism

focusing on human beings, the here and now people in this world as opposed to G-ds and G-desses

Neoclassicists derived their "ideals" about theatre from who?

from Aristotle and "The Poetics" although, Aristotle was not actually writing "rules" for drama, he was merely observing but neoclassicists took these rules to heart

Deus ex machina

g-d from a machine, a contrived plot device- unexpected power/event arriving at the last minute to save a hopeless situation

Arlecchino

harlequin, comic, clever servant wears a cap that falls down and a very colorful patchwork

Acting/Commedia dell'arte

improv (there's no script) and stock characters, have scenarios instead of script, a traveling company of professional actors, usually made up of 7 men and 3 women, traveled throughout Europe

Gutenberg printing press

invention that came along in 1450 that made it popular for rich people to pass knowledge around amongst their friends, their country and other countries

Il Dottore

means doctor as in PhD, academic who knows everything and understands nothing, wears mask and long academic robe

Pentalone

meddling (gets in everyones business) miserly (he likes to keep his money, he's cheap) lecherous (always lusting after someone who's inappropriate for him) old man, wears mask with big nose

Decorum

neoclassical idea, characters should behave in ways based on age, profession, sex, rank, characters expected to follow set behavior deemed appropriate

Verisimilitude

neoclassical idea, drama was to be "true to life", no ghosts, apparitions, supernatural

Merchant class

not necessarily kings and queens, increasing power as dominance of church declined, patronage system, loved the arts and theatre, also loved learning

Secular

not religious

The wing and groove system

painted flat wings placed in grooves, grooves allowed wings to slide off stage quickly, new series of wings revealed to audience

Scenic Design

perspective, painted flat wings (today called flats), the wings and groove system, in order to add to this illusion the stage was raked

Modern slapstick comedy

physical comedy, often making fun of pain

Meaning of "renaissance"

rebirth

Lazzi

repeated bits of physical comic business that are peppered throughout that make each time they perform different ex: Il capitano and his sword

Unity of place

restricted action of a play to 1 locale

2 choices of genre

tragedy or comedy, no mixing

Slapstick

used by Arlecchino, 2 pieces of wood to make slapping noise to sound like a hit

Patronage system (patron)

wealthy people funding artists, still occurs today, very popular among the merchant class in Italy

Comedia companies

worked together long periods of time, often composed of families, improvisation became second nature

Innamorati

young lovers, plot complications, the only characters without masks