A Brief History of Theatre

1. A Brief History of Theatre

2. Historians found that Ancient Egyptians performed a three-day pageant (performance) about four thousand years ago The pageant explained the story of Osiris, an Egyptian god The pageant included actual battles where “actors” were killed (slaves made up most of the cast) This is the first recorded theatrical event The Earliest Form of Theatre Recorded Osiris

3. Started as a religious ritual that honored the God, Dionysus (there was lots of chanting and singing involved) Dionysus came down from the sky during a ritual chant, and pulled Thespis on stage for dialogue. Thespis = first actor Dramatic festivals were created, and they employed intellectuals to become playwrights Greek Theatre

4. A skene was the term for the small building at the end of the stage that was used by actors for changing costumes A machina was the pulley system invented to fly the character playing a god onto the stage The Greeks built stone seats into the hillside so that the audience could see better Greek Theatre

5. The Romans got away from having theatre tied to religion Took entertainment to the next level: mimes and gladiatorial competitions There were still plays written however they were read, not performed Roman Theatre

6. Germanic Tribes conquered Rome They burned the Roman’s libraries, including all of their plays Theatre stayed alive through street performers These performers were mostly mimes, acrobats, jugglers and dancers Roman Theatre

7. Theatre was revived during the Elizabethan period in Europe Again (just like with the Greeks), it started as part of religious ritual. That is why it is called the rebirth of theatre. The purpose was to educate the people about stories from the Bible Priests and nuns performed the stories in front of the congregation Soon after, the public was invited to act in the plays Medieval Theatre

8. Pageant Wagons were built so that the mini-plays could hit the streets On these wagons, different sections of the play was performed, thus creating acts in playwriting The actors started bringing in other characters into the stories (to create humor and depth) The church stopped their involvement with pageant wagons because they were expanding beyond Bible stories Those who acted in the plays continued to perform plays, traveling in their wagon, from town to town. These groups made up the first theatre companies, and kept theatre alive. Medieval Theatre

9. Theatre became a major part of the English and French culture during the Elizabethan Age Playwrights were well-known, respected men William Shakespeare was one of the most popular playwrights of the time Finally, like Grecian times, plays were written by playwrights and then performed in front of the public The renaissance in england

10. Storytelling through theatre is an ancient tradition in both Japanese, and Chinese cultures. Traditional theatre practices are still alive today, almost untouched The costumes, make-up and masks are elaborate Theatre in Asia Kabuki Theatre

11. Japanese Theatre Kabuki Theatre -It is a mix of dance, mime, drama and song -Created by a female dancer (1600) in Japan -Men in the audience would fight over dating the female performers so in 1629 females were banned from performing Kabuki (only men could act) Noh Theatre -Created in the 1300s -Same set for every play -All actors wear masks -5 Masks Used: gods, men, women, madmen and demons -Actors have a ten year apprenticeship before they are allowed to act on stage Noh Masks Noh Set

12. Chinese opera -Created in 700 BC -Mix of mime, drama, music, and acrobatics -Make-up covers their entire face -Costumes are very, very detailed -Actors often fly around the stage (the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has the feel of Chinese Opera

13. Thespis (Greek): We now have the term thespian, which means actor • Stadium Seating (Greek): Audience seats were built into a hillside so that they could see better • Gladiatorial Competition(Roman): A modern-day gladiatorial competition would be football • Street Performers (Roman): After Rome was conquered, theatre remained alive through performances on the streets • Floats and Parades: Structures on wagons can now be seen during parades, like homecoming. They no longer have plays performed on them, but the still are decorated and wheeled through town • Acts (Medieval): Sections of plays were performed on wagons, thus creating acts in playwriting • Theatre Companies (Medieval): Groups of performers that stick together, performing several plays using the same group for every performance • Japanime (Asian Theatre): The characters facial expression in Japanese cartoons are modeled after traditional Japanese acting. • Style for Filming Action Movies (China): Actors often flew around stage during fighting scenes Aspects of old theatre still felt today…