Theater Midterm 1 Study Guide

Catharsis of pity and fear (Aristotle)

- Aristotle: when you go to the theater, you feel sorry for the ppl in the play, then feel afraid b/c if it can happen to the characters, then it can happen to you - Leave the theater with resolve to not make the same mistakes, will become a better citizen (which is Aristotle's end goal)

Commedia dell'arte

- Based in things that are going to be universally recognizable to audiences - Emerged in Italy in the 16th century - An improvised form based on scenarios -- Brief outline of the scenes and overall plot -- Changed from night to night, varied on where they were, depended on individual actors - All commedia characters used lazzi: repeated bits of physical comic business

University Wits

- Bridged the gap between the learned and popular audiences - During this period it was NOT legal for women to be on stage of theatrical performances

Theatre of Dionysus

- Built into slope of the hill down the southeast corner of the Acropolis - Date of origin ~ 5th century BCE - Surviving Greek plays first performed there - Held up to 17K spectators -- Benches added and replaced with stone seating in 330 BC

"Antigone" Plot

- Chorus introduces the players...Antigone = girl who will rise up alone and die young. Her fiance, Haemon, chats with her beautiful sister, Ismene. Expectation was for him to propose to Ismene but he proposed to Antigone out of nowhere. Creon is King of Thebes, bound to duties of rule, and is Haemon's father. Eurydice is Queen (Creon's wife)...will knit until she dies. - Chorus recounts events leading to Antigone's tragedy. Oedipus is Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polynices' father. When he died, it was agreed that his two sons (E + P) would annually alternate ruling. But Eteocles (older) refused to step down...Polynices marched on Thebes and was defeated - Eteocles and Polynices killed each other, making Creon King. Creon order Eteolces buried in honor, left Polynices (seen as traitor) to rot on the pain of death. - Nurse and Ismene ask where Antigone snuck back in from. Ismene declares they can't bury Polynices...understand Creon's intentions. Antigone refuses, Haemon enters and Antigone asks him to hold her with all of his strength, tells him she won't ever marry him. Haemon confused and leaves. Ismene comes back and is terrified that Antigone is trying to bury Polynices despite the daylight...Antigone says she's already done it. - First Guard tells Creon someone covered Polynices' body...orders guards to uncover the body on the DL. Chorus appears - announces that the tragedy is underway. Unlike melodrama, tragedy is clean, restful, and flawless. In tragedy, everything is inevitable, hopeless, and known. - Guards enter w/ struggling Antigone...tell Creon they found her digging Poly's grave by hand in daylight. Creon tells Antigone to go to her room and pretend she's ill. Antigone says she'll just do it again tonight. Creon says her marriage to Haemon is more important to Thebes that her death. - Antigone says he can't save her. Creon grabs her arm forcefully, she complains but then says she can't feel it anymore, he releases her. Explains his rule makes him loathsome but he has no choice. Antigone explains that she is the queen to be but that Creon must sentence her to death. He asks her to pity him and live. Antigone says she is not there to understand and oblige but can only say no to not going back to Polynices and will die. - Creon makes a final appeal...she must understand what goes on in the wings of her drama. Polynices was not the good man she wanted him to be (cruel, vicious). Oedipus too cowardly to imprison him but let him have power. And Eteocles too wanted to overthrow his father. Both bad. When Creon had ppl find their bodies, they were smashed beyond ruined. He had the prettier one (?) brought in. - Antigone goes to room in a daze. Creon tells her to find Haemon and marry him ASAP - don't waster your life/happiness. She objects again. Ismene begs Antigone to forgive her and promises to help her. Antigone rejects her...she does not deserve to die with her. Ismene swears she'll bury Polynices herself them. Antigone implores Creon to arrest her, as her "disease" is spreading. Creon relents, Chorus protests. Haemon enters, begs father to stop the guards but Creon says the mob knows too much and he can't do anything. - Antigone in cell with First Guard who tells her she'll be immured. She gives the guard a message. Then the guards lead her out. - Chorus enters and says it's Creon;s turns. Messenger announces Antigone has just been immured. Haemon cries out. Creon has misgivings - demands stones be removed from her immuring. Antigone hung herself, Haemon stabs himself. Eurydice hears of Haemon's death and cuts her throat - Creon now alone. Chorus: if it had not been for Antigone, all would have been at peace. All who had to die have now died. Only Guards are left, and the tragedy does not matter to them.

Thespis

- Considered the world's first actor - Now: thespian = actor - Won first prize for tragedy in 534 BC - Creation of dialogue is attributed to him

"Hamlet" Plot

- Dark winter night: Ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore Castle. Discovered first by watchmen, then Horatio. Looks like King Hamlet. He just died and his brother just married his wife (sheesh!). Horatio and the watchmen bring Prince Hamlet to see the ghost and it speaks to him - declares he's KH's spirit and that Claudius murdered him by putting poison in his ear. Orders Hamlet to seek revenge on the usurper that took his throne and married his wife, then disappears. - Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his father. Contemplative and thoughtful...delays revenge and becomes melancholy, even mad (most other characters believe he is mad, he presents himself as sane to the audience despite erratic actions, etc.). King/Queen worried about Hamlet, asked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch him. Polonius says Hamlet might be madly in love with his daughter Ophelia. Claudius spies on Hamlet-Ophelia convo...Hamlet seems mad but not in love with Ophelia (tells her to go to a nunnery and wishes to ban marriages). - Travelling actors come to Elsinore, Hamlet tests Claudius' guilt by instructing them to perform a scene that reenacts the sequence the ghost described/Hamlet imagines of how Claudius murdered King Hamlet. If Claudius is guilty, he'll react violently! Moment of "the murder" arrives and Claudius gets flustered and leaves. Hamlet and Horatio agree this proves his guilt. Hamlet goes to kill Claudius but he's praying...doesn't want him to go to heaven...decides to wait. Claudius now scared of Hamlet and for himself, orders he be sent to England. - Hamlet confronts Gertrude, kills spying Polonius whom he thought was Claudius, immediately dispatched to England with Rosen + Guild. Claudius has given R + G sealed orders to King of England to put Hamlet to death. - Ophelia goes mad with grief, sings through the castle, then drowns in the river. Laertes returns from France to Denmark with rage. Claudius explains Hamlet is to blame for his father and sister's deaths. Claudius and Horatio get letters from Hamlet that he's back...Claudius concocts plan: use Laertes' desire for revenge to secure Hamlet's death. Laertes will fence Hamlet, poison Laertes' blade to kill Hamlet. Back-up: king will poison a goblet that he'll offer to Hamlet if he scores one of the first few hits of the match. Hamlet returns at time of Ophelia's funeral, struck with grief and attacks Laertes on Ophelia's body...declares he always loved Ophelia and did so more than Laertes. Back at castle, tells Horatio one must be prepared to die all the time since it can come at any moment. Osric arrives w/ message to arrange Hamlet-Laertes fencing match. - Sword fight begins. Hamlet scores point, refuses to drink from poison goblet. Gertrude drinks it and dies quickly. Laertes wounds Hamlet but they're wrestling and Hamlet stabs Laertes with the poison tip too. Then stabs Claudius and forces him to drink the rest of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies and Hamlet does too right after getting his revenge. - Fortinbras (Norwegian prince) arrives with his army (that just attacked Poland) and ambassadors from England who report R + G dead (Hamlet switched envelope). Fortinbras stunned by scene of dead royal family and moves to take power. Horatio fulfills Hamlet's final request by telling Fortinbras Hamlet's story. Fortinbras orders that Hamlet be carried away in a manner befitting a fallen solder.

Actor-Manager

- Dominant form of theatrical organization in the 18th/19th centuries - The leading actor of a company became responsible for play selection and all business/financial aspects of production -- Still took a starring role in the shows as well

"One Man, Two Guvnors" Plot

- Franchis Henshall is down on his luck and permanently hungry. Finds himself employed by two bosses: 1) Roscoe Crabbe - revered London gangster who is apparently in Brighton to claim money owed to him by his fiancee's father, Charlie Clench. Soon becomes clear to audience that Roscoe is his twin sister, Rachel, in disguise. Rachel's boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers, killed Roscoe. She wants the $ to flee with Stanley. 2) Stanley Stubbers. Doesn't know that Rachel is in Brighton. He's hiding from the police and is waiting to be reunited with Rachel. - Francis wants $ from both governors...to prevent discovery he tries to keep Rachel and Stanley apart. Enlists help from the audience and brings unsuspecting audience members up on the stage to do his job for him. - Roscoe's fiancee/Charlie's daughter, Pauline Clench, must keep Rachel's disguise a secret, risking her own future happiness with wannabe thespian Alan Dangle - Francis attempts to woo Dolly, Charlie's bookkeeper, go awry - must prove to her that he good/honest. - Rachel believes Stanley is dead, ditches her disguise. But soon gets reunited with him. - Normalcy restored: -- Francis plans to take Dolly to Majorca -- Pauline and Alan are reunited -- Rachel and Stanley decide to marry and turn themselves in

Hamartia (Aristotle)

- Greek archery term..."to miss the mark" - Tragic mistake vs tragic flaw: mistake is a singular action (a choice), while flaw is inherent in one's character or personality

The Unities (Aristotle)

- Place: one location - Time: can't jump around, often interpreted as the actions of a play must take place within 24 hours (same say sun-up to sun-down) - Action: complete plot, no sub-plots

Ghosting

- Process of using the memory of previous encounters to understand and interpret encounters with new and somewhat different but apparently similar phenomena - Previous work or personal life of an actor collides with character (think: Ben Affleck)

Types of stages and characteristics

- Proscenium Stage - Thrust Stage - Arena Stage

Inciting incident

- Sets the main action of the play into motion - An inciting incident is an event that hooks the viewer into the story and sets everything else that happens into motion. This moment is when an event thrusts the protagonist into the main action of the story.

Greek chorus (functions)

- Sets the overall mood of the play and of the individual scenes - Can serve as a character (giving advance, expressing opinions, asking questions) - Can establish the ethical/social framework of the events and set up a standard against which actions may be judged - Can serve as the ideal spectator, reacting to the events as the dramatist might hope the audience would - Modern comparisons = narrator, ensemble, laugh track, collection of engaging characters

Thrust Stage

- Stage that extends into the auditorium on three sides but is connected to a backstage area at its far end - Allows for greater intimacy with the audience but retains the benefit of a backstage area - Most famous = Globe Theatre in London

Flexible space

- The arrangement between performers and audience is flexible and variable - Generally lacks a permanently structured seating seating and stage area - Best ex: "Sleep No More"

"The Poetics" (Aristotle)

- The earliest surviving work of dramatic theory - Analysis and theoretical framing of tragedy is something that has influenced every other piece of theatrical writing - Foundation for dramatic theory

Point of attack

- The moment at which the story is taken up - The point of attack that first thing the audience will see or hear as the play begins. It's the first decision that can make or break a great idea for a play

Proscenium Stage

- The most common type of stage in Western theater - So named b/c of the proscenium arch over the front of the stage from which the curtain typically hangs CHARACTERISTICS - Audience directly faces the stage - Stage is elevated above the audience - The proscenium arch frames the action onstage like a picture frame and creates a separation from the audience (often called the fourth wall) - There is often an area of the stage that extends beyond the proscenium arch called the apron - Wings on either side that are empty space - Upstage = back of the stage ADVANTAGES - Scenery, lighting instruments, and special effects machinery can all be concealed from the audience - The wings on either side of the stage allow for seamless and even surprising exits and entrances of actors or scenery - The actors only have to worry about the audience seeing/hearing them from one angle

Arena Stage

- Theater in which the stage is surrounded by the audience on ALL SIDES - NOT CONNECTED to a stage house/backstage area -- As soon as you walk into the aisle entrance you can't make a surprise or anything b/c part of the audience will see you -- Does not provide this surprise element that a proscenium theater does - Also called "theater in the round" - Became popular in early 20th-century, remains common style for contemporary theaters -- Creates intimacy with the audience - Contemporary Arenas include Washington DC and Tufts

"Hedda Gabler" Plot

- Whole play takes place in Tesman's living room and smaller side room. Jurgen and Hedda are newlyweds just returned from 6-month honeymoon. Hedda aristocratic and hard to please. Becomes clear she's pregnant. - Act 1: Play opens and Tesman is delighted to learn that his Aunt Julle has arrived. She raised him and financially supports him. Hedda is rude to Aunt Julle. Tesman asks her to be kinder to Julle but she is apathetic towards him too. Thea arrives and lets them know that Elkert Lovborg (Tesman's old academic rival) is back in town. Hedda gets Tesman to leave and convinces Thea to confide in her. Learns that she's scared Lovborg will start drinking again. Learns she came to town to look for him w/o Mr. Elvsted's permission. Mrs. Elvstead leaves, Judge Brack arrives. Tells Hedda town gossip includes that Lovborg is quite a success, might be a threat to take the professor spot that Tesman has been gunning for/thought he had locked up. He leaves, Tesman tells Hedda they'll have to cut back on their expenses (if Lovborg gets his spot). - Act 2: Judge Brack returns, finds Hedda playing with her pistols out of boredom. Talk privately, agree they should form a close, personal bond. Hedda tells Brack her honeymoon sucked and that she made up her interest in the estate Tesman went to great lengths to buy for her...has no special feelings for it. Tesman arrives and convo turns to the stage party Brack is throwing that night. Lovborg arrives, talks in earnest with Hedda while Tesman and Brack drink in the other room. Thea arrives, Hedda plays Lovborg and Mrs. Elvsted against each other, making him think that Thea worried he would start drinking again. Sparks Lovborg to start to drink, decides to join Tesman and Brack as they leave for the party. Thea is upset but Lovborg promises he'll return and escort her home. - Act 3: Opens before dawn, Thea wait for Lovborg and Hedda is sleeping. Hedda wakes up and sends Thea in to sleep on her bed. Tesman arrives and tells Hedda he now has Lovborg's incredible manuscript for his new book - picked up when Lovborg dropped it while walking home drunk. Tesman plans to give it back but asks her to store it away, hearing that his Aunt Rina is dying. Brack arrives, tells Hedda that Tesman left before Lovborg got really #downbad - he got arrested. Brack leaves and Lovborg arrives. He tells a shocked Thea that he destroyed his manuscript, she is crushed and leaves immediately (she was his muse for the writing). Lovborg confesses to Hedda that he actually lost it and wants to kill himself. Hedda doesn't tell him she has it, INSTEAD gives him one of her pistoles and tells him to kill himself. He leaves, she burns the manuscript, referring to it as Lovborg and Thea's child. - Act 4: opens to living room in darkness. Aunt Julle arrives. Everyone wearing black (mourning). Learn through dialogue that it's Aunt Rina they're mourning...Aunt Julle announces she must find another invalid to care for and leaves. Thea arrives and says she's just learned that Lovborg is in the hospital. Brack arrives and confirms this...reports that Lovborg is already dead after a gunshot wound to the chest. Tesman and Thea begin reconstructing Lovborg's manuscript immediately to honor him with small fraction Tesman read and Thea's private notes. Brack tells Hedda it was an ugly death - pistol went off accidentally and scandal might ensue for her. Hedda leaves the room, plays the piano for a few moments, then shoots herself.

Elizabethan performance schedule

6 days of performance each week, 6 different plays (different play every day) - Gaps in between repetition -> limited audience pool, so they needed to keep shows fresh in order to have audience members coming back - Performed in the afternoon (no electricity) - Limited rehearsal time (only went over bare minimum)

Golden Age

> A period in a field of endeavor when great tasks are accomplished > Golden Age of England focused on the city of London, starts to transform from an agrarian society to an industrial society >> London's pop. doubled TWICE in the span of 70 years >>> Beginning of class stratification -> education was only afforded to rich males > No such thing as secular drama until context of making plays within schools

Box set

> A three-walled set to create the illusion of a room onstage >> Really trying to create the illusion that the actors are truly in a house setting > Proscenium provides the "fourth wall" >> Imaginary wall between stage actors and audience >> Idea: looking into a window of private life >>> No more asides and engagements with audience → characters are always "in character" > Example: Hedda Gabler (1914 American Production)

Origins of comedy

> Added to City Dionysia approx. 487 BCE > Grew out of "phallic processions," according to Aristotle >> Lot of phallic rites in Greece so not sure what tradition he's talking about > "Inferior" characters, "ridiculous" plot >> Inferior characters = regular people >> Ridiculous plot = actual protagonist should be an absurd character who people look at and ridicule >>> End of the day, try and make more productive citizens of Greece

Didaskalos

> Ancient Greece >> Primary source of unity was the actor/playwright >>> Didaskalos -> teacher not necessarily director >> This remained the case until Sophocles introduced the third actor and stopped acting in his own work (approx. 468 BC)

Carlo Goldoni / "The Servant of Two Masters"

> Born 2/25/1707 in Venice > Wanted to revitalize Italian comedy >> "My sole desire was to reform and correct the abuses of the stage of my country" > Create a "comedy of character" based on close observation of real life, make it more realistic, believable The Servant of Two Masters - Giovanni Antonio Sacchi stage named Truffaldino, wrote to Goldoni in 1745 and asked for a play - Sacchi and company then improvised a show around those scenes - Several years later, Goldoni wrote out the full text of this play based on Sacchi's performance

Definition and six elements of tragedy (Aristotle)

> Definition: "an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and a certain magnitude" >> Complete = cannot be undone, needs to have a beginning-middle-end >>> Cannot have anything superfluous --> everything Shakespeare did breaks Aristotle's rules (no subplots or extra characters) >> Magnitude = it's important, has to happen to certain person of importance (think: the death of a king affects the entire kingdom) > Elements: (PCTDMS) plot, character, thought, diction, music, spectacle

Melodrama

> Derived from the Greek word "melos" (music) and the French word "drame" (drama) >> Everything is big deal, lot of feelings >> Music underscoring the dialogue in original >> Over the top, hyperemotional CHARACTERISTICS > Plot devices > Fast-paced, episodic action → don't need a long attention span >> Emotional appeal → heightened emotional situation throughout the play >> Lots of spectacle → over-the-top special effects >> Musical underscoring → music being played underneath the intense moments > Stock Characters >> Villain >> Hero >> Heroine >> Comic relief > Poetic Justice >> Vice was always punished and virtue was rewarded >> Unambiguous style of justice > Damsel in Distress >> Women were often helpless or victimized >>> Patriarchal codes of honor >>>> Scene of railroad tracks is a prime example of this > The most popular form of theater in the Western world in the early 19th century >> Everyone could follow the plot and enjoy it, spectacle appealed to people >> Moral values reinforced/reflected back at them > Contemporary examples = Star Wars, crime shows, reality shows

Characterization

> Developing and portraying a personality through thought, action, makeup, and clothes > Character → the aspects of a person that make someone who they are >> Physical/Biological → gender, age, size, coloration, general appearance >> Societal → defining economic status, profession, religion, family relationships >> Psychological → a character's habitual responses, desires, motivation, likes and dislikes >> Moral → a character's value system >>> Most plays, movies, books etc. have a Protagonist and Antagonist

City Dionysia

> Festival that commemorated the coming of Dionysus to Athens > Provided an opportunity for Athens to show off its wealth and power >> Claimed to be the cultural capital of the world >> Held each year at the end of March/early April, allowed ppl to come from all over the world to the festival > First competition for tragedy was added in 534 BC > Each playwright presented 3 tragedies and 1 satyr play >> Satyr = an after-piece known for its bawdy humor and burlesque style >>> Only 1 satyr play ("Cyclops") has survived

Cue scripts

> For economic reasons and copyright protections > Actors were given only their lines and their "cues" to speak > Book-holder helped with missed cues/forgotten lines -> guides things in the moment >> Lack of formality in Elizabethan Theater

Theater of War Productions

> Founded in 2009 by Brian Doerries and Phyllis Kauffman >> Doerries remains the Artistic Director > Present dramatic readings followed by town-hall style discussions >> All different types of issues ranging from PTSD to racial injustices (Antigone in Ferguson) >> Bare bones style that is meant to create conversation and get feedback

Inn-yard theatres

> Interior yards/open spaces of inns > Site of early commercial theater in London >> Public and commercial --> i.e., people are paying

Master of the Revels

> Royal department responsible for the coordination of theatrical entertainment at court >> No political or religious-focused plays > Administered performing licenses >> MoR screened plays before > Could censor publicly-performed plays >> Existed in London until the 1970's

Meiningen Players/Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

> Run by Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen > Became the first modern director INNOVATIONS > Unified approach to all aspects of production >> Authentic materials >> Pursued pictorial illusionism >> One of the first to treat the stage floor as part of the design > Focus on ensemble acting >> Discouraged "star complex" by making all actors perform as supernumeraries > Long rehearsal periods >> Rehearsed a play until he deemed it ready for performance Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938) >> Co-founder of the Moscow Art Theater

Realism (and its development)

> Sought to represent scientifically-observed action in physical spaces that demonstrated the interdependence of character and environment > Basically, on stage represents everyday life >> Taking recognizable situations and putting them onstage, seems so familiar to the audience but playwright is asking audience to look at it through a different lens >>> Why is the situation the way that it is? >> Scrutinize details that we often ignore b/c of their familiarity

Provincetown Players

> Susan Glaspell was a co-founder with her husband >> Launched the careers of Eugene O'Neill > Located in Provincetown, MA and NYC > Goal was to highlight the work of American authors >> Notion of "American playwright," melting pot of many styles, can produce relevant work that is of its own style rather than copying others >> Post WWII → revert back to traditional values, feminist thought put to the back until the "second wave" feminists of the 70's

Director (responsibilities)

> The person responsible for the interpretation of the text (production concept), the staging of the action, and the guidance of the actors >> Notable Directors: Sam Gold, Diane Paulus, Joe Mantello > Creates a unified concept for the presentation of a play >> Collaborates with playwright (if living) and designers (sets, costumes, lights, sound) to achieve this vision > More responsibilities >> Runs rehearsals >> Casts the actors >> Coordinates all of the action on stage (the blocking)

Production concept

> The unifying creative vision for the design elements of a show >> Communicates and emphasizes underlying meaning/themes in the play

Origins of tragedy

> Tragedy comes from tragoidia meaning "goat song" >> Goats were prizes, sacrificed at festivals > Greek Tragedy: according to Aristotle, tragedy emerged out of the performance of dithyrambs: Narrative poems sung and danced by choruses in honor of Dionysus > Negative connotations of the word "tragedy" -> associated with real world events that result in destruction, death, despair

Henrik Ibsen ("Father of Realism")

> Wrote 25 plays > Makes his mark in the 1870's/80's → put the private domain onstage, things that happen behind closed doors >> "A Doll's House" >> "Ghosts" >> "An Enemy of the People" > Made ideology the cause of the problems and suggested the need to change it > Basic themes of his plays: >> The struggle for integrity >> Conflict between duty to oneself and duty to others

"Antigone" Characters

Antigone: defies Creon's decree despite the consequences she may face, in order to honor her deceased brother Ismene: serves as a FOIL for Antigone, presenting the contract in their respective responses to the royal decree Creon: current King of Thebes, seen as a tragic hero, losing everything for upholding what he believed was right Eurydice: Queen of Thebes and Creon's wife, she commits suicide, cursing Creon whom she blames for her son's death Haemon: son of Creon and Eurydice, betrothed to Antigone. Commits suicide after finding Antigone dead Tiresias: blind prophet whose prediction brings about the eventual proper burial of Polyneices

"One Man, Two Guvnors" Characters

Francis Henshall (James Corden): scheming assistant, accidentally employed by two masters Stanley Stubbers: upper-class criminal and Rachel's lover Rachel Crabbe: Roscoe's identical twin sister, she's pretending to be him (dressed like a man) Charlie Clench: retired gangster, faint menace behind shark-like grin Pauline Clench: Charlie's daught, dim-witted ("the dumbest of blondes") Dolly: Charlie's secretary, flirtatious w/ scarlet lipsticky grin Alan Dangle: wannabe actor and Pauline's fiance, aspiring actor - dramatic gestures and accentuated dialogue Harry Dangle: Alan's father, Clench's crooked solicitor, dapper and faintly sleazy Lloyd Boateng: Charlie's friend, ex-con turned pub owner Alfie Garth

"Trifles" Characters

George Henderson: the county attorney Henry Peters: local sheriff and husband of Mrs. Peters Mrs. Peters: wife of sheriff Lewis Hale: neighbor of the Wrights and husband to Mrs. Hale Mrs. Hale: neighbor of the Wrights and wife of Lewis Hale John Wright: murder victim and owner of the house Mrs. Minnie Wright: John Wright's wife and his suspected murderer *Wrights = focus of the play but not seen

Inns of Court

Gorboduc (aka Ferrex and Porrex) > By Thomas Sackville and Thomas Norton > First English Tragedy >> Presents what happens when there is no clear succession for the throne > Presented at one of the Inns of Court: basically a law school >> Development of secular English drama >>> Used to help lawyers develop articulate discourse and establish their stage presence

First English production of "Hedda Gabler"

Opened at the Vaudeville Theatre in London on April 20, 1891 - Produced in Norwegian but this is the first time it was translated and produced specifically for an English-speaking audience - Emergence of the new woman, the openness of Ibsen's text (actress could bring own sensibility to part)

"Trifles" Plot Summary

Opens in abandoned farmhouse. In disarray - dishes unwashed, bread prepared but not baked. George Henderson, Henry Peters, Lewis Hale arrive at the scene of a crime...discover John Wright strangled with a rope in his bed. Accompanied by Mrs. Peters and Hale. Mr. Hale describes finding the body the previous day. When he arrived to the house, Minnie Wright explained that John was dead, claimed she didn't wake up when he was strangled. Mrs. Wright arrested and held for trial. Men don't closely investigate kitchen but find Minnie's canning jars of fruits. The wives know Minnie was worried her canning jars would explore in the cold weather - sheriff jokes that should be least of her worries now. Men criticize her poor housekeeping (kitchen mess and dirty towel). Wives collect kitchen items for Mrs. Wright (clothes and apron), comment on strangeness of strangulation when there was a gun in the house. Admire Minnie's in-progress quilt and discuss method she'd use to fix it. Men re-entering (from bedroom inspection) joke about women's trivial concerns at a time like this. After men leave again, wives notice poor stitching in some of the quilt (nervous or upset?). Women find birdcage with no bird. Mrs. Hale: regrets not visiting Mrs. Wright more often - John was a hard man and it must've been difficult for her to be alone at her house. Recalls Minnie pre-marriage...cheerful voice in the choir. Find red box: bird dead w/ neck broken. Men return, Mrs. Hale hides bird box. Men leave, Mrs. Peters recalls boy who killed her childhood pet kitten - she would've hurt him in return if she could have. But, "the law has got to punish the crime." Mrs. Hale berates herself for what she sees as her own crime: not visiting her neighbor..."who's going to punish that crime?" Men return: sheriff (Peters) asks attorney (Henderson) if he wants to look at items Mrs. Peters is bringing to Minnie in jail. Attorney: no she doesn't need supervising...assumes nothing harmful. Women hide box with body of the bird. County attorney jokes that at least they discovered the fate of Minnie's quilt project, and Mrs. Hale reminds him that she was planning to finish the quilt by knotting it.

Reversal and Recognition (Aristotle)

Reversal - From prosperity to misfortune caused by hamartia (tragic mistake/misjudgment) Recognition - At the end of a play, a character realizes that they are responsible for the (negative) situations they've created - Ex: At the end of "Antigone," Creon realizes that he's responsible for the deaths in the family and his role in creating the situation

Well-Made Play

Structural pattern created by Eugene Scribe FORMULA: - Careful exposition - Cause-and-effect arrangement building to climax - Secrets and suspense - Wrapped up neatly

First Folio

Survival of Shakespeare's work credit to two of his actors, Henry Condell and John Heminges, in the First Folio - Published in 1623 (after he died) - Divided into comedies, histories, and tragedies - Quarto version previously, folio = definitive text - Getting the editor's version of the text - Plays in First Folio not in chronological order (sorted by genre)

The New Woman

The "Woman Question" - Debates about the role of the female sex, private vs. public life, beginning of female suffrage, trying to get Parliament to change property ownership laws, women are working in factories more - "The New Woman": values independence and self-fulfillment over self-sacrifice, educated, active and employed, more masculine clothes, property rights

Sophocles and his innovations

Theatrical - Introduced the third actor - Reduced the size of the chorus and fixed it at 15 - First use of scene painting Dramaturgical - Placed increased emphasis on the individual characters - Characters are complex, notable but not faultless - Exposition is motivated, the action is clear and logical throughout

Greek theatre terms (areas of the theatre)

Theatron - Where the spectators are located - Translation: "Seeing Place" Orchestra - Where the chorus sang and danced - Translation = "Dancing Place" Parados (Paradoi) - Used by spectators as auditorium entrances/exits - Also the primary entrances of the chorus Skene (Scene Building) - Origin of the word means tent or hut - Indicates that the building was originally a temporary structure -- possibly a dressing room - Later incorporated into the action by the playwright -- There are no architectural remains of a skene from the Greek period that we are studying

Boys Companies vs. Adult Companies

Boy's Companies → Paul's Boys and Blackfriars Boys > Not policed by the Master of the Revels because they were associated with universities >> Plays were "for educational purposes" and thus did not fall under the same restrictions > The plays were eventually opened up to the public but are still highbrow > Performances indoors Adult Companies > Admiral's Men >> Led by actor Edward Alleyn and financed by Philip Henslowe > Chamberlain's Men >> A joint venture of the Burbage family and a group of actors, including Shakespeare > Boys were apprenticed by the Adult Companies to play the young women in these plays > Performing outdoors → amphitheaters

Climactic vs. Episodic Structure

Climactic Structure: > Cause and effect arrangement of events > Usually a LATE point of attack >> Set up relationships, conditions for actions to develop > Scenes, locations, and characters are limited >> Very self-contained >> Ex: Jurassic World Episodic Structure: > A plot connected by characters, theme/motif, or a specific issue > EARLY Point of attack >> Jumps from scene to scene, fragmented >> Scenes are short and separated by time and place >> Often many characters and multiple plots > Ex: Star Wars, Batman, King Lear, Sherlock > Overall effect is a broader perspective

David Garrick and Henry Irving - Two Prominent Actor-Managers

David Garrick - Actor-manager of the Drury Lane Theatre in London - Largely responsible for the conception of Shakespeare as the greatest English dramatist - Banned audience seating from the stage Henry Irving - Darkened auditorium - Set changes occurred behind the closed curtain - Called for more realistic outfit designs

Pageant master

Duties of the Pageant Master: - Oversee the erection of a stage - Placement of scenery and machines - Find people to paint/build scenery - Ensure all goods are delivered - Cast and rehearse the actors * "The Martyrdom of St. Apollina" by Jean Fouquet (between 1452-60)

Sharing Companies

Early Modern England: Sharing Companies - To become a shareholder, an actor had to put up a sizable sum of money and commit himself to the company for a minimum of 3 years - The companies bought back and resold the shares of those who left - Not all actors were shareholders and not all owned equal shares - The shareholders formed a self-governing, democratic body that selected and produced plays - After meeting all expenses, the shareholders divided the company's portion of the house receipts - Each company had rules of conduct and fines for their infringement

Stock characters (types) (commedia dell'arte)

Easily identified by distinctive costumes - Actors played the same stock characters for the majority of their careers Lovers - Most realistic characters - Didn't wear masks, wore latest fashions - Relationships typically OPPOSED by masters and AIDED by servants Masters (3 types) - Pantalone: elderly merchant, father of one of the lovers - Dottore: lawyer or doctor who loved to show off his learning but is easily tricked - Capitano: a braggart and coward who boasts of his prowess in love and war; often an unwelcome suitor Servants (Zanni) - Their actions kept the plots moving as the servants try to help or hinder their masters - Mostly male but a few female maids -- Columbina: female servant who is really the smartest person, can see past limitations of others -- Arlecchino (Harlequin) became the most popular, usually the center of any intrigue or plot

Elizabeth Robins and Marion Lea

Elizabeth Robins = Hedda Marion Lea = Thea > Initial production wouldn't have been possible w/o Robins and Lea as mangers -> very difficult b/c male producers refused >> They produced it themselves by putting up the money > Robins and Lea were female suffragists and avid fighters for a women's right to vote >> Colored the perception of the play both at the time and in later productions

"Hamlet" Characters

Hamlet: son of late King Hamlet and Gertrude, nephew of present king, Claudius, was studying in Wittenberg, Germany pre-plot Claudius: King of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle/King Hamlet's brother, marries Gertrude (former sister-in-law) Gertrude: Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother Polonius: chief counsellor to the King (now Claudius), father to Ophelia and Laertes Ophelia: Polonius' daughter, love interest of Hamlet Horatio: Hamlet's closest friend Laertes: Polonius' son, great fencer, gets permission from Claudius to return to France after King Hamlet's funeral Voltimand and Cornelius: courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: courtiers, friends of Hamlet, ultimate loyalty to Claudius...

"Hedda Gabler" Characters

Hedda Gabler: protagonist, newly married and bored with her marriage and life, seeking to influence a human fate for the first time Jurgen Tesman: Hedda's husband, an academic who is as interested in research and travel as he is enamored with his wife, although blind to Hedda's manipulative ways Aunt Julle Tesman: Jorgen's loving aunt who raised him from childhood after his parents died. He is very close to her and gives her love and attention Thea Elvsted: younger schoolmate of Hedda (bullied by H), former acquaintance of Jorgen (dated?), enamored with Lovborg who she has followed back to the play's town. She married Mr. Elvsted after his wife died and she was the nanny(?), fell in love with Lovborg after he became the Elvsted children's tutor. Judge Brack: unscrupulous family friend, has an affair with Hedda Eljert Lovborg: Jorgen's former colleague, had a traumatic experience that left him disgraced from town, now competes with Jorgen to achieve publication and a teaching position. Was once in love with Hedda. Destroyed his reputation in society by spending his money on depravity (booze and brothels) Berte: servant of the Tesman's, wants to please Hedda at all times

Directorial approaches

Literal - Director takes the play directly off of the page, everything is meant to be an exact replica Translation - Director captures the spirit of the play - Most common approach to directing today - *National Theater Production of Antigone Auteur - Play stops belonging to the playwright and becomes the director's - Changing the order of the scenes, hijacking the play

Characteristics of Ibsen's plays

Nature vs. Nurture - Character's behavior is attributable to a combo of hereditary and environmental forces - Internal psychological motivations are given greater emphasis Changes in Form - No conventional exposition - Got rid of non-realistic devices - All details selected for their ability to reveal subtext (clearly described in the stage directions) - No "neat" ending -> leave the audience to reflect/discuss things

Thrust & Arena Stage Pros/Cons

PROS - Create intimacy with the audience that isn't possible on a raised proscenium stage - Allows the actors to create more nuanced performances that don't need to be seen from the back of the theatre CONS - Difficult to light and design when the audience needs to be able to see the action from most angles - Actors need to be conscious of spectators on every side and not keep their backs to one area for too long

"Hedda Gabler" Overview

Playwright: Henrik Ibsen ("Father of Realism") Theme: Feminist Play, Drama Setting: Contemporary upon premier - Norway in the 1890s. Set in Jorgen Tesman's villa

"One Man, Two Guvnors" Overview

Playwright: Richard Bean Style: Commedia dell'arte (Based on "Servant of Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni) Setting: Brighton, England in the 1960s.

"Antigone" Overview

Playwright: Sophocles Style: Greek Tragedy

"Trifles" Overview

Playwright: Susan Glaspell Performed by: Provincetown Players Theme: Written at the same time as the first wave of feminism, the play contrasts how women act in public vs. in private and how they perform in front of other women vs. men Background: Loosely based on the Hossack murder case Glaspell covered while working as a reporter for the Des Moines Daily News: John Hossack killed in bed with an axe, wife Margaret was tried twice...all-male jury found her guilty, but the verdict was overturned a year later Dramatic Analysis Setting: The Wright Household in Iowa in the early 1900s (1916 publication date). Specifically a messy kitchen, reflecting relationship between Wright couple. LATE Point of Attack: everything happening after the murder...just seeing the final part of the story Climactic Structure: setting is singular, limited characters, linear progression, late point of attack Exposition: Mr. Hale's description of everything he saw when he arrived at the Wright household. Went there to offer them a party line. Theme: men are looking for evidence, women are looking for context

"Hamlet" Overview

Playwright: William Shakespeare Theme: Tragedy Setting: Denmark - inside the royal Castle of Elsinore, written between 1599 and 1601, set in late middle ages (medieval period?)

Dramatic structure (sources of unity)

Zeitgeist → attitudes/viewpoints/sentiments that reflect the time Context → intended audience, what is happening beneath the work >Take into consideration the venue performed, who is performing, how they perform/articulate it >>Theater is unpredictable and live >Subtext, can't take characters and playwrights at their word Source of unity in the play >Beginning, Middle, and End >>Cause and Effect Arrangement Characters >Thought → a theme or idea at the center of a play

Aristophanes

~448-380 BC - We only have plays from Aristophanes from 5th century - Plays organized around a ruling theme embodied in a far-fetched "happy idea" - Ex: "Lysistrata": women won't have sex with husbands until husbands stop fighting wars