Theatre History Medieval to Elizabethan

Mummer play plot

A Hero (knight/soldier) and chief opponent, the Fool, who kills the knight in some quack fight, and a quack Doctor.

action by Queen Elizabeth led to the rapid development of secular drama

Banning of religious plays

the Glories

Cycle plays were performed on multiple stages. The ones that represented Heaven (covered in cotton to appear to be clouds)

the 3 Renaissance Periods

Early Renaissance (1400-1500) High Renaissance (1500-1525) Mannerism (1520-1600)

Ralph Roister Doister

English farce by Nicholas Udall. Trickster tricked plot.

characters from an Everyman play

God, Death, Everyman, Good-Deeds, Angel, Knowledge, Beauty, Strength

the 1st English tragedy and its playwrights

Gorbeduc - Thomas Sackville and Thomas Norton

5 of the Zanni (servant) characters from Commedia dell 'arte

Harlequin; colourful patched costume, carries a batocio (slapstick), mischievous mask Brighella; quarrel, trouble, womanizer, quest for food, carries small baton or sword, and guitar/lute Pulcinella; basically Michael, Eeyore, simple manner, simple white costume Pedrolino; "little pete" charming, kind—to point of excess, gullible, easily tricked, often maskless, too big clothes Columbine; Harlequins mistress or wife, ragged and patched dress, intelligent, heavy make up, apron, basket and tambourine.

1st female playwright

Hrosvitha; re-works of Terrence.

List 3 factors that led to the decline of Medieval Theatre.

Increased interest in classical learning changing social structure dissension with church led to banning of religious plays

Masques

Introduced to King Henry the VIII from Italy as early as 1512. Spectacles of nobility.

The Proscenium Theater, as we know it today, is a product of the ______________.

Italian Renaissance

most prolific playwrights of the Golden Age of Spanish Theatre

Lope Felix de Vega and Pedro Calderon.

the Father of Spanish professional Theatre

Lope de Rueda

two scenic areas/structures utilized to stage Liturgical Dramas

Mansions; small scene structures, and Platea; a general acting area adjacent

Mystery Plays

Medieval plays about Christ or from the Old Testament

Miracle Plays

Medieval plays about lives of saints, historical and legendary

Morality Plays

Medieval plays that were didactic allegories, often of common man's struggle for salvation

wrote Don Quixote

Miquel de Cervantes

Gammer Gurton's Needle

Mr. S Mr. of Art. (maybe William Stevenson) Reminiscent of Terrence

the 5 types of Medieval drama in chronological order

Mummings - of the people Mystery Plays - about Christ or old testament Miracle Plays - lives of saints Morality Plays - didactic allegories; common man's struggle for salvation Masques - for the royal court; super extravagant

the three major contributions of the Renaissance to the Theatre

Neoclassical ideals in playwriting, Italianate staging and architecture, Commedia dell'Arte

Other Mummer play characters

Old Father Christmas, Beelzebub, Little Devil Doubt

3 of the "Masters" characters from Commedia dell 'arte

Pantalone; money, controls finance, usually obeyed, tight-fitting clothes with loose cloak, Turkish slippers, lean and scrawny. Gold chain Il Dottore; doctor, bachelor or widower, usually fat, academic robe, handkerchief and large book, up the day prop Il Capitano; self-appointed, silly title, never from the town it takes place in, satire on military

Who wrote Life is a Dream?

Pedro Calderon

Liturgical Drama

Sacred Drama; drama within the church

most distinct characteristic of Medieval Theater

Simultaneous staging

Sebastiano Serlio

The Artist/Architect who published Architetura, the first work detailing the design and construction of a court theatre. Based on Roman - Vitruvius' books of Architecture

the Register

The Master copy of a Medieval cycle play

3 most complete Miracle play collections

The York Cycle (48 pageants) The Wakefield Cycle (32 pageants) The Chester Cycle (24 pageants)

"Quem Quaeritis" (The Three Marys)

The earliest extant drama from the middle ages was a four-line dramatization of the resurrection of Christ, with direction for its performance

the Hellmouth

The mechanical apparatus used to depict the entrance to hell

Master of Secrets

The person in charge of all of the mechanical special effects

two plotlines that were main preoccupations of Medieval Farce

Trickster is tricked and cuckolded husband.

a Lazzi (name 3 and their characters)

a goof or bit. Pulcinella—macaroni bit frightening large medical instrument—Il Dottore the returning coin—Pantalone

University Wits

an informal group of scholars who began applying classical standards to the needs of a vigorous contemporary stage. 3 members include Robert Green, Thomas Kyd, John Lyly

The Bibienas

family of scenic artists, advanced the design through their elaborate backdrops

Everyman

most known morality play

pageant wagons

movable wagons

"The Second Shepherds' Play"

part of the Wakefield Cycle, is considered one of the "jewels of Medieval Theatre"

The Boy and the Blind Man

play written by an anonymous playwright considered the oldest surviving French farce

Farce of the worthy Master Pierre

the anonymous medieval farce written originally in French later translated into English. Printed in 1489 (6 copies) with woodcut illustrations

The Hotel Bourgogne

the first permanent Theater in France

Filippo Brunelleschi

the goldsmith, sculpture and architect that discovered the secret of linear perspective: a mathematical system for creating the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface

Keeper of the Register

the person responsible for keeping up with the Master copy of the entire script, and making partial copies for various performers

Christopher Marlowe

wrote Dr. Faustus and EdwardII

John Bale

wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English (on the subject of King John)- which marked the transition between the old morality play and the English historical drama