THEA 105: Chapter 7 - Early Stages

Zaju (xiqu 1)

- The first and earliest form of xiqu or Chinese opera (c. 900 - c. 1400) - Emerged in the 10th century during the Sung dynasty - Peak popularity occurred during the rule of the invading Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in the 13th century - (Perhaps a response to severity of Mongol rule) A comic, vivid and lively form of popular theatre with songs, acrobatics, clowns, and puppets - Plays also served as forums for political thought -- many deal w/ social injustice, suffering of the masses, use myths and legends as subject matter to conceal political agendas - 450 total Zaju plays were written during the period; today only 160 survive - Many scripts show up in Kunqu (xiqu 2) and form a 1/4 of that theatre's repertoire - NO authentic Zaju theatre space survives - Performances would be on stage open on 3 sides with an open ground areas surrounded by raised seating and possible balconies

shite

- the protagonist in Noh dramas; "the doer" - May be a god a ghost or an animal but most often is a legendary warrior - Always played in masks and costumes, tradition dictates every detail of the role to allow distinct identification of this character - Responds to secondary characters at length, defending, explaining, describing events or chastising the others

Noh (also spelled no)

A classical dance drama created in 14th-century Japan that relies heavily on tradition; this style of drama predates Kabuki Ceremonials, mysterious, and tragic Filled with Zen Buddhist concepts of enlightenment through meditation and personal insight Focuses on symbolic images and the struggle to escape realities of time and place Shinto beliefs play a role : ghosts and gods haunt the stage while mortal men struggle to understand the mysteries of life Majority of plays had "slim plots" ; focused on exploits of warrior heroes; evolved as a surprising restrained and fastidious art even in the midst of a world of chaos, bloodshed and war

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

A major playwright of the Elizabethan era who is considered by some to be the best English playwright of all time

Homer

A person (or persons) who first recorded the ancient stories of French in the eighth century B.C.E. including the Illiad and the Odyssey

Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

Aeschylus (524 - 456 B.C.E.) The earliest of the three great Athenian tragedians, author of our only complete trilogy, The Oresteia Sophocles (496 - 406 B.C.E.) Greek tragedian of the firth-century B.C.E., or "Golden Age" of Athens; considered by some to be the finest of the Greek tragic playwrights Euripides (480- 406 B.C.E) The last of the great classical Greek tragedians; author of Medea and The Bacchae

Bharata

Author of the Natya Shastra or The Canons of Dance and Drama According to Sanskrit tradition/legend, the gods invented theatre and gave it to humans through an ancient sage whose name was Bharata. Bharata received the Canons directly from the god Brahma; transcribed the will of the gods into the Natya Shastra or Canon of Dance and Drama, a 37-chapter, detailed description of theatrical presentation The Canons describe the elements of Sanskrit and much of Eastern theatre Like Homer, Bharate may have been one storyteller or many and created the current form of the Natya Shastra b.w 200 B.C.E and 200 A.D.

Vedas

Books outlining ethical behavior that form the spiritual/philosophical foundation of the Hindu religion Hindu social system was set down in 4 great works called the Vedas, describing a male-dominated system, celebrating the victory of gods over demons, describing the creation of humanity, and establishing codes for behavior The Vedas encourage physical strength, courage in battle, and skill with weaponry, but also the pursuit of peace, serenity and happiness in the mind Rash behavior is discouraged, love is central, and men must protect and cherish women; Family is essential The many gods and demons of the cosmos provide daily temptation and redemption; Both evil and good are necessary for the harmony of creation; The ultimate destination of each soul is enlightenment, perfect peace, and happiness -- but this can only be achieved through many cycles of life, or reincarnations With enlightenment, comes release from the eternal cycles of time and space, birth and rebirth, into oblivion

allegory

Characters representing human qualities, especially used in the Middle Ages to represent the seven virtues and seven vices in religious dramas

Xiqu (With a CAPITAL X)

Chinese city/region in which xiqu (tuneful theatre) evolved

New Comedy

Comic dramas of Greece of the late fourth to second centuries B.C.E., tending toward domestic and romantic comedy

Aristophanes (456 - 386 B.C.E.)

Fifth-century B.C.E. author of our only examples of Old Comedy, a classical Greek style of satire and sex farce.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) (563 - 483 B.C.E.)

Hindu prince who achieved Enlightenment, influential in the spread of Sanskrit dramatic conventions throughout Asia In about 556 B.C.E., Siddhartha left his life of riches and power and set out to find the meaning of the suffering that he saw in the world; after 6 years of training,with spiritual masters, he sat under a tree and entered a state of profound mediation until he achieved Enlightenment and became the Buddha After he became the Buddha, he and his disciples began lifelong journey of teaching and spreading ideals of Hinduism and Buddhism through vast reach of Asian continent; in the process, using theatre a a teaching tool and so spread the conventions of India to the rest of Asia

skene

In ancient Greek theatre, the building and facade behind the stage, used as a changing house and to indicate locations

orchestra

In ancient Greek theatre, the circular area in front of the stage that was the performance area for the chorus

chorus

In classic Greek plays, an ensemble that moved, spoke, sang and danced mostly in unison Their function included providing commentary and narration, serving as a character in and of itself, or representing the mindset of the general public. Originally, the chorus was a large number of about 50 men, then was reduced to 12 or 15 As other playwrights emerged, such as Shakespeare, the chorus became a character who was portrayed by a single actor or a smaller group of actors . In musicals, it is an ensemble that stings and dances in unison or as a series of solos or smaller groups

hanamichi

In the Japanese Kabuki theatre, a long, narrow pathway leading from behind the audience to the stage where actors make entrances and exits and express heightened dramatic text

Kan'ami Kiyotsugu and Zeami Motokiyo

Japanese father/son team responsible for the creation of the Noh drama and most of its extent texts Kan'ami Kiyotsugu - father and professional actor, skilled musician, composer and playwright; refined Noh performances by gathering stories, songs, and epic poems about the warriors and heroes of the past; structured them into elegant dramas of the mature Noh theatre Zeami Motokiyo - son, trained at the age of 6 by his father to follow in his footsteps; continued his father's work, writing about 240 of the surviving plays, all now designated national treasures

epic

Long, narrative poems celebrating the exploits of a legendary hero or a people Epics of India : teach that true pleasure comes through kindness, humility, duty, love, and correct behavior

onnagata

Male performer in traditional Japanese theatre who specialized in playing female roles

Mahabharata Translation: The Great Story of the Bharata Family)

One of the two great epics of Indian tradition in which in which a god asks a great hero, "What is the greatest wonder of the world?" With the lives of his 4 brothers at stake, this calm and wise hero correctly answers, "The greatest wonder is that death is everywhere, we see it every day and yet we each live as if death will never touch us." epic poem that has 100,000 stanzas for a narrator to memorize The most influential Indian story; Begins 7000 years ago, before humans became corrupt through idleness and greed The story of 2 great families, one with 5 brothers and the other with 100 brothers; The two families are torn apart by jealousy, greed and betrayal The 5 brothers are heres, sons of gods, possessing all that is good. Their 100 cousins are not evil, they are simply weaker than their 5 cousins. Sages, visionaries, gods, demons, spirits, and women are active characters; After many adventures, the families fight a great war; and the heroic brothers defeat their cousins.

Hinduism

One of the world's oldest religions, which provided the spiritual/philosophical foundations for Sanskrit dance/drama

Commedia dell'arte

Originating in Italy, one of the first secular theatre movements following the religious domination of the Middle Ages A style based in scenarios (or basic story lines) fleshed out with lazzi, improv, and topical humor

Tudor

Referencing plays written during the reign of Henry VIII (1509 - 1547)

Jacobean

Referring to drama written during the reign of James I of England (1603 - 1642)

Points of Attack

Sanskrit dramatists found many points of attack within the epic stories

Buddhism

A world religion, founded by (Siddhartha Gautama), a Hindu prince who achieved Enlightenment His teachings spread throughout the Far East and beyond with an estimated 350,000,000 believers today.

Yoruba

An ancient and continuing West African culture/nation, particularly hard hit by the ravages of the Western slave trade

Kabuki

One of the classical theatre of Japan dating from the 17th century; a popular form in contrast with the elitist form of the Noh

Elizabethan

Period referring to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558 - 1603)

Plautus

Roman comic playwright who specialized in popular farcical comedy

tile districts

during the 1200s, large cities that featured Zaju theatres; often huge fenced enclosures with flags and banners flying above them

filial piety

the near worship of parents, grandparents, and ancestors created a society in which needs of the individual were unimportant when in conflict with those of the family, community, or government

Old Comedy

Greek comic plays written in the classical period that directly or indirectly comment on the social, political, and/or cultural issues of the times. It is usually filled with physical and obscene humor

Globe Theatre

One of the theatre buildings used by Shakespeare's company for the public performance of plays

xiqu xi ("shee") - theatrical entertainment + qu ("chyoo") - music/tune = "TUNEFUL THEATRE"

"Tuneful Theatre" in Chinese The common term for all forms of traditional Chinese Theatre; also known as Chinese opera Emerged in the 10th century Current Manifestation: Beijing Opera or Jingju

shogun

head samurai warrior an aristocratic warrior who dominated his territory ruled from the 11 - 19th centuries During the height of the samurai period -> Noh drama evolved

ts'anchon (troupe director) (aka : the "bamboo stick", referencing his baton)

in Zaju plays, a head clown served as troupe director for companies of 4-7 acts Director may also have served as master of ceremonies and led musicians onstage

innamorati

one of the stock character types of the commedia dell'arte, meaning young lovers

koken

stage assistants

stock character

stereotypical characters that are usually less than three dimension Stock characters were first valued in Western theatre in the Roman comedies of Plautus; His stock characters were recreated during the Italian Renaissance in the Commedia dell'arte. These types of characters are still popular today

orature

term recently coined to describe rich, sophisticated oral traditions in the arts

Analects

the rules of Confucianism deep contrast to Western thought (which was developing at the same time) adoption of Analects resulted in less chaotic society *these rules actually used to enforce conformity and control

Shudraka, Bhasa, Kalidasa The 3 Great Classical Sanskrit Playwrights

Shudraka (dates unknown) >> Most respected play The Little Clay Cart a complicated 10-act love triangle; the story of a priest who falls in love with a beautiful courtesan, who in turn is in love with a poor merchant. After many trials and tribulations, lovers are united, lives are spared, and balance is restored Bhasa (c. 275 - c. 335) >> Most respected work, Vasavadatta's Dream tells of a kind pressured by his minister of state to marry the daughter of powerful ruler to strengthen his reign and protect his kingdom. The king, however, is too devoted to his wife to consider such a marriage. Instead, the queen, ready to sacrifice her own happiness to save the kingdom, fakes her death in a place fire and then secretly returns to wait upon the new queen and to be near her husband Kalidasa (3rd century) >> The most honored, revered of all 3 classical Sanskrit playwrights >> Credited with writing the "perfect" play: The Recognition of Shakuntala** The romantic story of King Dushyanta, who falls in love at first sight with Shakuntala, a beautiful maiden he meets while hunting in the forest She returns his love and they agree to marry, but burdened by a strange curse, the king forgets her as soon as he returns to his palace Time passes and Shakuntala leaves her family to journey to the palace; En route, she loses her ring and ends up getting rejected at the king's palace; she soon gives birth to the king's son Magical, the ring is found, the gods restore the king's memory, and they all live happily ever after ** Play was translated 46 times into 12 different languages, and literally forced Europeans to question their presumed racial superiority, at least in the area of the arts

Renaissance

The "rebirth" or renewed excitement in learning that has occurred in many cultures at different times. In Europe, a renaissance of interest in the culture of ancient Greece and Rome began in Italy 1450-1650 and spread throughout Western Europe

Natya Shastra

The Canons of Dance and Drama, first written by the sage Bharata as a guide to all elements of Sanskrit dance/drama Outlines theatre spaces, training or performers, and "appropriate" material for performance; Appropriate stage place is temple, featuring marble-pillared halls with large sweeping roofs; rectangular building with separate entrances for men and women; b/w the two entrance doors stands 2 large copper drums To this day, the great epics provide the model, if not the actual source material for much Indian theatre and film

scenarios

The blueprint for commedia dell'arte performance, outlining the plot, some key lines, and where to put lazzi

Kabuki Juhachiban

The body of 18 classical Kabuki plays still performed today

Sanskrit

The classical language of India and South/Southwest Asia; currently one of 23 official languages of India used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies

Guanhanqin

The founder of Zaju and author of 67 plays (18 of which still performed in contemporary xiqu) Works focus on the darker aspects of life, yet with a sense of possibility Wrote about historical peasant rebellions and common people of history or legend who rose up against their fate (ie. Saving the Prostitute, The Injustice of Dou E

Christopher Marlowe (c. 1564 - 1593)

The most famous Tudor-era playwright; author of Tamburlaine the Great, Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta, and Edward II

Bunraku

The popular puppet theatre originally developed in Japan in the 17th century simultaneously with Kabuki and still performed today

Izumo no Okuni

The young Japanese women credited with the first "weird and flashy" entertainment that evolved into the Kabuki theatre

Sanskrit Dance-Drama

Traditional theatre of India/projects the worldview of the Indian culture and its prevailing attitudes Dominant theatre of the Indian Empire; lasted until the 1200s (its influence continues today) Formalized in written form around 2600 years ago; before that, it flourished as an oral tradition In Sanskrit drama, women are often central figures, objects of love and devotion and powerful figures that change the nature of the world

boy companies

a company of young male performers, especially found in the Elizabethan period, who performed special theatre productions at indoor theatre during the late 16th and early 17th centuries

Samuel Beckett

a giant in 20th-century Western theatre, experimented with language and gesture as pure symbols, going so far as to compose plays entirely without words

August Strindberg

a nineteenth-century master of non-realism, attempted to address the cosmic mysteries of love and pain and birth and death; even used Hindu symbolism and deities in several of his works

Noh Stage

a very specific design for stage, theatre space, costumes, etc. in which this type of drama is performed

Confucius (551 - 479 B.C.E)

born in a time of war and chaos his vision emerged as a path to order and benevolence Each individual owed absolute obedience to the hierarchy of family and empire - those in power must rule with benevolence (kindness) and justice in exchange for this obedience

lazzi

comic bits (singular - lazzo) found in the Commedia dell'arte style of performance

zanni

comic servants in Commedia dell'arte