DOWNLOAD PDF THE RENAISSANCE THEATRE: TEXTS, PERFORMANCE, AND DESIGN

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1 Chapter 1 : renaissance theatre Download ebook PDF/EPUB Note: Citations are based on reference standards. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied. It is unclear which of the following two configurations the theatre adopted: His work focused on the design and usage of the Roman scaenae frons and led to the popularization of a modified form of medieval simultaneous staging in which the back of a wide but shallow raised stage was composed of either a straight-line colonnade with curtains covering the resulting four or five openings or a colonnade that angled forward so that the central one or two openings were closer to the audience and the others were at an angle to them. In either arrangement, each curtain opening served the same purpose as a medieval mansion, but, since the openings were not differentiated visually from one another, signs were placed over them, identifying each as the home of a central character. This pattern of curtained openings became the standard for academic theatres throughout Europe. Early professional actors who adopted this system discovered that a continuous line of curtain providing three to five openings was even more versatile. These stages, which were hybrids of Classical and medieval designs, were generally installed as end stages in existing halls or in courtyards in which audience members sat on benches around three sides, sometimes on two or more levels. The audience also sat on benches or stood in the centre area facing the stage, but this area could be left open for incidental entertainment. In Tommaso Inghirami, who had studied with Laetus, had a freestanding temporary hall built to house just such an academic theatre in the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome. The innovation of this building was not in the house, where the audience still sat on benches around three sides, but in the attempt to re-create a Roman scaenae frons in a more substantial form. This focused attention on the distinctly non-classical nature of the house in these hall theatres. But in these theatres the academic interest in understanding the scaenae frons was replaced with a fascination for the recently rediscovered art of perspective. The first known use of perspective scenery in theatre dates to, when it was used on a large painted backdrop. By the s, however, pairs of rectangular panels connected in the shape of an L angled wings were being arranged at uniform intervals along each side of the stage. Three-dimensional architectural details were put on these angled wings, which provided a continuous perspective that gave the overall picture greater depth and allowed the wing units to serve the same function as medieval mansions. Perspective dictated that, for the first time in theatre history, stages would be deeper than they were wide, though actors still confined themselves to a wide shallow band of stage nearest the audience. The fascination with perspective was so powerful that not even the academic theatres could resist it, as can be seen in the famous Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy, the oldest existing theatre in Europe. This theatre was designed by the Italian architect Andrea Palladio to fit into an existing hall, and it opened in, five years after his death. It was built for experiments in the staging of Greek tragedy, though it was clearly a Roman odeum. The stage in this theatre measures about 82 feet 25 metres across and 22 feet 7 metres deep. The Olimpico has the most elaborate reconstruction of a Roman scaenae frons ever attempted. It has five doors: Behind four of these doors is the forced perspective vista of a city street, while behind the central door there are three such vistas. But such a theatre was too expensive to be copied by the average academic institution, did not allow for the changing of the perspective that was becoming increasingly in demand at court, and did not offer the versatility needed by professional acting companies. It was not widely imitated. The Bourgogne had two levels of galleries along three sides of an open floor parterre. Parts of the first-level galleries may have been divided into boxes. The audience capacity of this theatre exceeded 1, It had an end stage that was around 6 feet 2 metres high, just under 45 feet 14 metres wide, and perhaps 35 feet 11 metres deep. Multiple setting in the medieval manner was used there. Its most significant innovation was a second-level stage at the back of the main stage. The Bourgogne was eventually followed by purpose-built public theatres across Europe. The first public theatre in Italy was built in Venice in Page 1

2 , but it is not known if it was a freestanding theatre or one in an existing hall. In London the Red Lion was freestanding, built in a garden with seating risers and a large stage backed by a tower. The indoor playhouses of St. In, however, a playhouse called The Theatre was built in London. It used the first truly innovative design to be found in a public playhouse. Unlike the others, which were rectangular, The Theatre was polygonal with perhaps as many as 20 sides, or bays. Each bay was about 12 feet 3. The central area of the polygon was open-air, and the audience there stood around a large stage, about 5 feet 1. Behind the stage was a tiring-house, the backstage area of the playhouse. This basic design became the pattern for all open-air theatres in London and was one of the most successful examples of theatre design of the time. In The Theatre was taken down, and its timbers were used to build the Globe Theatre, which became famous for its association with William Shakespeare, who owned a 10 percent share in it and saw most of his greatest plays staged there. But the Spanish theatres still had many features in common with their London counterparts. They organized the audience on at least three levels covered by a roof around the periphery of an open-air space in which a large part of the audience stood. But the Spanish theatres were always rectangular; their stages were always smaller; and their use of medieval mansion-type scenery was more extensive than the English theatres. The audiences of the Spanish theatres were segregated by gender, women having their own galleries cazuela, but there was no such segregation in England. The last open-air theatre to be built in England was the second Fortune Theatre of ; the last in Spain was the corral at Almagro, the only corral theatre still in existence today. After the early 17th century, both England and Spain joined the rest of Europe in making their public theatres indoor spaces. In Asia, theatre remained outdoors for much longer. By the 17th century, Chinese audiences had stopped standing in the central area in front of the stage and started sitting at low tables where they could be served refreshments during performances. In Japan, by the late 16th century, a design suitable for the year-old Noh drama was finally being established. In its basic form, a Noh theatre was much like a Chinese theatre, with a raised square stage of about 18 feet 5. The Noh stage was set on the long side of an existing rectangular courtyard, and the audience sat only on the porches of the buildings that surrounded the courtyard. But the most distinctive feature of these theatres was a bridge hashigakari that connected the stage to the dressing room. This allowed for long dramatic entrances and exits. The audience in Noh theatres rarely exceeded Soon after the newly created Kabuki theatre adopted the Noh stage for its performances, but its courtyards consisted of two levels of galleries that were built around an open space. The open space was divided into a series of square boxes where groups of audience members could sit on mats. By the s, two such bridges were in use. Also in, Kabuki theatres began to be converted to indoor playhouses, and gradually the roof structure and four posts of the old Noh stage were abandoned. A forestage was added in In that same year Kabuki theatres began using a front curtain to allow for scene changes, something never done in Noh. There was no interest in perspective scenery in Japanese theatre in the 17th or 18th century, but there was a great interest in spectacle, and the Kabuki theatres developed sophisticated elevator traps and even turntables more than 75 years before they became a regular feature of Western stages. With this interest in stage machinery, it is not surprising that Kabuki theatres began to use the proscenium stage about But the proscenium arches, still used in modern Kabuki, are very wide, as much as 93 feet 28 metres, and members of the audience, being on the long side of the rectangle, sit quite close to the stage. Interior of a Kabuki theatre, coloured woodcut triptych by Utagawa Toyokuni, c. Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum Baroque and Rococo Public theatres in Europe did not experiment with perspective scenery until the first opera house, the San Cassiano, was built in Venice in The experimentation with perspective had taken place only in the West and only in court theatres, but it led to the invention of the proscenium arch and the clockwork stage. The proscenium was first used about to provide a frame for a fixed-perspective vista. But the magical effect of perspective was so compelling that people wanted to see it change, preferably before their eyes, and the proscenium served the additional purpose of hiding the necessary machinery. Large devices shaped like a prism with a different scene on each of the three sides, called periaktoi by Vitruvius, were used in place of angled wings to achieve some of the earliest set changes. This was the system in use when Bernardo Page 2

3 Buontalenti built the Teatro degli Uffizi in Florence, the first theatre with a permanent proscenium stage. This was a cumbersome system, however, and it was not until that efficient methods of scene changing could be devised. That year the technique was developed for transferring a perspective painting onto a series of flat surfaces, facing the audience, along the sides of a stage wings, across the stage at the level of the top of the wings boarders, and at the rear of the stage backdrops. Eventually the wings, boarders, and backdrops of a stage could be changed from one set to another in 10 seconds while any number of special effects took place simultaneously; this was the clockwork stage that, along with the proscenium stage, dominated theatre for the next years. It was this type of theatre that was built in Parma in ; the Teatro Farnese is today the oldest proscenium arch theatre in existence. From onward, stages became increasingly mechanized. Stage technology was an important feature of theatre design in the Baroque period, but its impact was seen primarily in the ever-increasing demands for backstage space. Technology also influenced onstage space in England and France, where a tradition of having audience members sitting along the sides of the stage had become fashionable and was not entirely eliminated until the s. In the Baroque period, architects who designed theatres focused on the layout and decoration of the house. At the start of the period, the audience area was most often rectangular, but it also took the shape of a U, a horseshoe, and a bell. While all these forms continued to be used during the 17th century, increasing attention was being given to a variety of elliptical shapes, especially as theatres were increasingly specialized for use primarily for spoken drama, opera, or music, each of which required its own acoustical properties. The shape of the house was determined by the shape of the galleries that formed it. These continued to increase in number to as many as seven, all but the uppermost level of which might be divided into boxes. Boxes were an outgrowth of the medieval tournament stands and are described as components of a theatre as early as They were a common feature of both English and Spanish playhouses by the s, but by the midth century they had taken on a new importance. In court theatres and opera houses, boxes and their location within the theatre were a confirmation of social status. In public theatres, boxes were sold to pay for the construction of the building, and theatres became increasingly dependent on this form of financing. Courtesy of the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California As the political challenges to such a hierarchy grew across Europe during the period, however, this theatrical form was also challenged. But by this time there already had been numerous examples of more democratic arrangements of audience spaces, ironically in court theatres, where rulers were increasingly interested in avoiding rivalries. The Drottningholm Theatre, a court theatre in Sweden, was, for instance, built with only two decorative boxes near the stage and no galleries. Public theatres had an additional incentive for the elimination of boxes. These theatres were becoming so large that they had reached the limits of the ability of actors to project their voices in them. Reducing the number of boxes allowed for larger numbers of people to be into the same volume of space. But the transition to these kinds of arrangements in the public theatres was slow, and it was still slower in the opera houses. Interior view of the Drottningholm Theatre, built by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz,, depicted after its restoration in Courtesy of the Drottningholms Teatermuseum, Stockholm Early in the Baroque period the decoration scheme of theatres was largely restrained, but it became increasingly ornate until it reached the heights of the Rococo in the midth century. After that peak, theatre decor gradually grew more restrained again as theatres, and architecture more broadly, moved into the age of the Classical revival in the last quarter of the 18th century. Increasing attention also was paid to front-of-house facilities, from ticket offices to lobbies, during the Baroque period. Page 3

4 Chapter 2 : Italian Renaissance Theatre History Project by Sabrina Guvenc on Prezi Christopher Cairns, ed. The Renaissance Theatre, Texts, Performance, Design: Vol. 1, English and Italian Theatre Vol. 2, Design, Image, and Acting Aldershot. When was the Italian renaissance? A Comedia Performance The commedia, the "comedy of professional artists," was the popular theatre of Renaissance Italy. How did it differ from other theatre groups? There were no scripts. All of the dialogue and much of the business was improvised. What type of comedy did the commedia perform? Four names for the same type of humor. Why is physical comedy also known as slapstick comedy? Much of the humor in a commedia presentation was produced by one character beating another. The prop used to administer these beatings was called a batacchio or bataccio -- a "slapstick" in English. It was supposed to produce more sound than pain. What was the scenario? The plot outline posted back stage. Bits of comic business, performed by the actors, which were inserted into the play. The specific lazzi to be performed was often indicated in the scenario. Because many of these bits, especially those dealing with bodily functions would be considered obscene, or at least in bad taste, by a modern audience. Describe the stock characters used by the commedia. The Straights The straights-- A pair of young lovers. They were handsome, well-educated and witty. The dapper young man was usually opposed in his love affair by one of the masters or perhaps his father. The young lady was sophisticated, noble and innocent. The character roles were divided into two major groups -- The Masters and Il Capitano Il Capitano-- a pompous braggart and coward who boasted of his great prowess in love and battle, but was usually discredited in both. Pantalone-- a greedy, lustful, meddling old man. Il Dottore-- often a friend of Pantalone. He was a professor or physician who spouted inaccurate Latin. His standard dress was the academic cap and gown. Il Zanni There were at least two servants or zanni. One smart and one less smart. Much perhaps most of the humor came through the actions of the servants. The stock comedia characters, in their traditional costumes, can be seen in the painting on page How do these characters compare with those used by Plautus? Moliere Both Moliere France: What was the first Opera? What group produced it? The Camerata Fiorentina, an association or "academy" of wealthy Italians who studied the arts including music and drama of ancient Greece and Rome. In what city were they located? The Firenze Cathedral Firenze, or Florence in English, was the center of medieval trade and finance and was one of the wealthiest cities of the time. This northern Italian town is considered by many to be the birthplace of the Renaissance. What were they attempting to do? Recreate an "authentic Greek tragedy. But they did not know what ancient Greek music sounded like, so they created their own, which was probably more Renaissance than Greek. Unlike Dafne, the score for Euridice was published in Who do most music historians consider the first great opera composer? Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Monteverdi, a court composer from Mantua. His first opera, Orfeo, like both Dafne and Euridice were adaption of Greek legends. What changes did he make in the original musical style of opera? He increased the size and importance of the orchestra. He established a formula which would be followed into the 20th century. This formula divided an opera into two units: One was musical and consisted of solos, duets, trios, and choruses; the other was dramatic and consisted of chanted, semi-sung, dialogue. The musical part gave the show color, and helped establish characters; the dramatic part moved the "play" along, relating the action of the opera to the audience. What is the difference between an aria and a recitative? Giuseppe Verdi In which century did he live? Where was he from? What opera did he compose for the opening of the Cairo Opera House? It is probably his most famous, and grandest opera. It is also one of the few, perhaps only, Verdi opera which is not based on an earlier drama. Who was Richard Wagner? Richard Wagner Richard Wagner - was a German composer who believed that opera should be a "total art work. In his later work, these melody lines were created by combining musical themes motifs which represented different characters, objects, and emotions in the drama. What is a leitmotif? Leitmotif is a clearly defined musical theme, representing a person, object or idea, which appears at the appropriate moment in a dramatic usually an opera or film work. Der Ring des Nibelungen The Page 4

5 "Ring" is actually four music dramas: Wagner began working on Rheingold in November and finished Gotterdammerung, the last of the series, in November Who was Marcus Vitruvius Pollio? What was the title of his most influencial work? His ten books include topics on the manufacture of building materials, machines for heating water for the public baths, speech amplification in the theatre, and the design of roads and bridges. In the text he not only describes the buildings, but gives advice on how they should be built: I have therefore given such definite directions for the conduct of works, that those already executed, as well as those hereafter to be constructed, may be by you well known and understood. In the following pages I have developed all the principles of the art. The effect this work had on Renaissance architecture is monumental. What is the Teatro Olimpico? Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza Teatro Olimpico -, a seat "academic" theatre, is the oldest surviving Renaissance playhouse. In the photo to the left, note the perspective vistas street scenes behind each of the archs, the level stage floor in front of the openings, the oval orchestra, and the steep cavea. Compare the Teatro Olimpico the image on the left and the photograph on page with the Roman Theatre at Orange page or the Teatro Romano di Volterra. Where is it located? What was the architect attempting to acomplish? This small, intimate, seat playhouse contained only five rows in the cavea and a scenic vista containing a single street. It is generally believed that this playhouse is the first European indoor theatre built specifically as a theatre. Teatro Olimpico was built into an existing structure. Page 5

6 Chapter 3 : TheatreHistoryThruRenaissance The essays examine a range of themes related to Renaissance dramatic production, including costume and stage design, the representation of theatrical figures in texts and illustrations, as well as on the stage; what dramatic texts may reveal about their staging, and comparisons and contrasts between English and continental traditions. That drama evolved from rituals of ancient man is the most widely accepted. These rituals contained dramatic elements: WAR - to kindle bravery in warriors. STORY - to imitate events of hunt or battle and to preserve history. It took shape as early as BC. The oldest dramas are the 55 Pyramid texts BC and before, which were written on tomb walls - have plot, characters, stage directions. From BC - other plays developed: Coronation Festival - Performed at the coronation of each pharaoh. Abydos Passion Play - This play had a resurrection theme and was part of a religious festival. It was staged almost continuously from - BC as part of a religious festival that lasted several days. It was very elaborate. It included a mock water battle on Nile and a funeral procession in which the entire audience participated. The story of play - Set, god of evil, jealous of brother, Osiris. Set digs it up, dismembers body, and throws it over the earth. Isis collects the pieces and buries them again. There are only 45 plays in existence from this period by 5 playwrights. Originally audience sat on ground while chorus danced in a circular area. Gradually, better seating for audience evolved as well as permanent stages, separation of actors from chorus onto elevated stage. After the fall of Greece, Rome copied Greek drama, with minor changes. Only have plays from 3 Roman playwrights, two comedians--terence and Plautus--and one tragedian--seneca. These playwrights are important to us because during the Italian Renaissance, they were the most accessible plays to Italian playwrights intent on creating a new "classical" drama. Many pagan rites continued despite Church opposition. Some believe that the Church introduced its own dramatic activities to combat the appeal of the pagan rites. Easter was the first event to be dramatized. These tropes from the Latin, tropus, meaning added melody probably originally sung and responded to by 2 parts of choir. Performed Easter morning in introductory part of Mass. Drama Outside the Church Plays began to be given outdoors around Staged in spring, summer. From this point on, the church had little direct involvement with drama. The plays were staged by trade guilds on platforms that were set up at various places throughout the town. Pageant wagons rolled up to each platform in intervals and performed play example of intervals--plays were about 15 minutes long; started at 4: Special effects - called secrets. As time progressed, most towns moved to performing the cycle plays in a Cornish Round. Instead of setting the platforms up at various points in the town, they would be set up in a circle in a field. The audience would stand in the center of the platforms, and the pageant wagons would line up behind the platforms. As soon as one mystery play finished, the next one would begin. The group that had finished would move their pageant away from their platform and the next pageant wagon would move into place. In this way, each mystery play only had to be performed one time, and the action was continuous. Scenery and secrets, likewise, became much more elaborate. All of the Mystery plays in one cycle combined to tell the story of the Bible from the Creation to the Second Coming. Each play was complete yet connected as part of the larger religious story. Most of the Mystery plays still in existence are from 4 cycles: Dramatize spiritual trials of average man. This is a bridge between religious and secular drama. They are allegories about moral temptations average man faces. During the 16th c. Anyone could attend both; but the private theatres charged a higher admission. All were located in the northern suburbs or south bank of the Thames River. They varied in size, but we think the following were common characteristics: It may even have been on stage, perhaps the second level of the stage. It may have been recessed into the back wall of the stage or it may have been a raised pavilion that jutted out on stage, curtained on 3 sides. This room contained devices for raising and lowering actors playing angels, gods, etc. It also contained a cannon used during battle scenes. When a theatre had a performance that day, they raised a flag different colors indicated different kinds of plays to let people know. Performance time - mid-afternoon after workday was over, though. To get in, audience paid a gatherer one penny; this admitted to the pit. If Page 6

7 wanted to sit in the gallery - paid another gatherer another penny. Theatres closed in time of plague. The season for public theatres was May-Oct. Then toured, or later, played in private theatres. Lighting and Costumes Lighting - Public theatres - sunlight. For night scenes, brought on candles, torches, or lanterns to indicate that it was night. Costumes - little sense of history - basically contemporary dress. Company provided costumes this was a major expense. The apprentices could move up to older male roles when got older if wanted not many wanted to. The shareholders divided the profits of the company after expenses had been paid. The troupes played a repertory of plays that changed daily. John Shakespeare, his father - prosperous glover, became chief alderman in Good enough actor to prosper and become shareholder in leading company. Specialty - old men. Wrote 37 plays we think. In, bought fine house in Stratford and achieved coat of arms - a gentleman; restored family fortunes. Traveled back and forth to London until when he retired. As theorist evolved a set of guidelines for playwrights to follow, artists and architects design new theatres from seating arrangements to scene design to the mechanics of scene shifting. Women performed onstage for the entire period. As a result, the practice of allowing women to perform spread throughout Europe. The Renaissance did not dominate until the 16th c. A number of things brought about the Renaissance: The decline in feudalism, 2. Forms of Renaissance Drama - As the Renaissance began, there were 3 forms of drama: He followed the Greek formula. Orbecche 1st Italian tragedy performed, followed Senecan formula. A love story, featuring romanticized characters such as shepherds and shepherdesses, nymphs and satyrs, in an idealized rural setting. Development of the Italian Stage During the 16th c. These dukes were very competitive. The overall interest in the classical period extended to architecture. The discovery in the 15th century of a book by a 1st century B. The book contained a chapter on theatres no pictures, led to interpretations. The facade was at the back of a platform - acting space. It created the illusion of space and distance, a magical spectacle which the Italians loved. Conventionalized settings were employed: Other developments include several methods of changing scenery groove system, chariot and pole as well as the seating configuration that still exists today--box, pit, and gallery. Page 7

8 Chapter 4 : Medieval Theater Acting Styles Our Pastimes This is a somewhat eclectic, two-volume selection of papers presented to the Society for Renaissance Studies conference at the Globe theatre on September 12, While it is an impressively presented collection, highlighted by a series ofwonderfully reproduced illustrations and photographs, the selected papers offer few highlights. All medieval stage production was temporary and expected to be removed upon the completion of the performances. Actors, predominantly male, typically wore long, dark robes. Two major kinds of stages in the medieval theatre: These technical tricks would be more extensive on fixed stages. The mansion and platea were borrowed from the church services. Medieval Theatre came to life on two different stages: Heaven and Hell were the two opposite realms identified by the two opposite sides of the stage. Actors could be lifted and lowered off stage using what was then considered exemplary machinery such as trap doors, fire, and flying techniques. Their platforms could hold several actors as well as minimal props such as chairs and tables. Soon these stationary stages began to change. This new type of stage changed the number of people who could view the plays, instead of people having to travel to the church to see the play, the stage and the play could now come to them. The wagons often made cycles through towns or cities and would perform the acts multiple times so people could view them. The wagons would be dragged through the area and the actors would perform their roles over and over for the changing audiences. Each wagon would show a different scene from the bible and would be set up in a different way to match the play taking place within the wagon. These new performance areas were now being constructed by guilds, whose profession matched the story. These groups of men, who shared closely related professions, would get together and build highly elaborate stages. Usually these stages would have three different parts and would represent earth, heaven, and hell, usually with earth in the middle of the others. With the staging moved off catholic property the guildsman were able to get away with more. During the Italian Renaissance there was a new idea that revolutionized theatre. At this time artists were creating new fantastic ideas about painting and the view of art. These new ideas created an interesting new take on the possibilities for theatre. This idea allowed for the illusion of space and distance, basically creating a three-dimensional aspect to a painting on a flat surface. Italian Stage design With this revolutionary idea other artists began to create scenery which created a new understanding for acting. In this new model the front of the stage would be in direct contact with the floor while slowly inclining backwards towards the rear of the stage. These wings, although for the visual effects, also provided for covering the surrounding walls, rafters, the pulleys and ropes, and the back wall of the theatre. With this box design Serlio created a stage which not only provided the illusion of depth but created a realist view of a street and the area surrounding it. Serlio provided, in the book, detailed instructions on how to create each stage to fit the type of theatre in which the play was to portray. He wrote in detail on how to create a set for tragic, comedic, and satiric plays, each one with its own design and surroundings. His comic set consisted of a group of buildings and galleries in which windows were created to look similar to those in regular private dwellings surrounding a center road. Lastly his satiric set consisted of a more pastoral look, it was covered in trees, caves, hills and other things often seen in nature, and this stage also had a centered road. Serilo Tragic Scene design. Page 8

9 Chapter 5 : Renaissance Theatre download the renaissance theatre texts performance and design design image and actingacting in film an actors take on movie making the renaissance theatre texts pdf. What is the difference between a quartos and a folio? The quartos were small books 5"x6" which contained a single play. Nineteen scripts were published in quartos editions between and The folio was a large book 8. What is the difference between a good quartos and a bad quartos? The good quartos were those authorized publications based on the prompt books scripts held by the acting company. The bad quartos were those un-authorized publications based on the faulty memory of an un-happy actor who was no longer a member of the troupe. There were bad, or corrupt, versions of only 6 of of the 19 plays published between and When was the First Folio published? How many plays did it contain? Thirty six, including eighteen plays which had not been previously published. Pericles, which was printed in a quartos edition was not included in the First Folio. What was the difference between a private and a public theatre? Private theatres were the small capacity: The public theatres were the large capacity: In five public theatres -- the Globe, the Curtain, the Fortune, the Rose. What was the name of the first professional English playhouse? When the second playhouse opened, it was known simply as the Curtain, not the Curtain Theatre. Before the construction of the Theatre, acting companies performed in the courtyard of public "carrier inns" These inns were two or three storied structures which surrounded an open courtyard. When was it built? Why was it not built in the city of London? Because the city fathers would not permit the construction of a professional theatre within the city limits. Public playhouses were built either in the suburbs north and east of the city, or just south of the Thames River in area known as Bankside. Actors were considered, just a little above rouges and vagabonds. What was the relationship between the Theatre and the Globe? The Globe was built from the timbers of the Theatre. The Theatre was built on rented land. When the lease ran out, the landlord, Giles Allen, threatened to destory the structure. Richard Burbage and his acting company, dismantled the Theatre, took it through the city of London, and rebuilt it south of the Thames River in Bankside. When it reopened in it was renamed the Globe. From a contemporary source, in Elizabethan English: The second Globe, along with every other English playhouse was closed in It was dismantled in A small portion of the original site was excavated in the fall of The third Globe, built about yards from the original site opened in June See the the New Globe Web site for more information on this reconstruction. Point D is the location of the original Globe which was built in, burned in, was rebuilt and then dismantled in Site of the Original Globe The site of the excavation of the original Globe was in the parking lot behind the historical Anchor Terrace apartments D. The image on the right indicates the probable location of the original Globe. What did the Globe look like? The Globe was a 20 or 24 sided structure which closely resembled a circle. There was a courtyard also known as the yard or pit in the center surrounded by two or three levels of balconies or galleries. The stage or forestage was backed against one of the sides and jutted into the center of the courtyard. See the illustration on page What are the primary sources of information on the layout of an Elizabethan theatre? The stage directions in the texts of Elizabethan plays. The ground plan on page is based on this document. The archaeological excavation of a small portion of the historical site of the Globe. What was the yard or pit? The courtyard 8, where the audience stood to watch a performance. That part of the stage where most of the action occurred. The curtained discovery area 7 a small "stage" at the rear of the forestage. The upper discovery area 4 above the inner below on the second level. The roof 2 over the forestage. Who were the groundlings? The poorest members of the audience who paid 1 penny to stand in the pit. The wealthy paid an additional penny for the right to sit in the galleries. What did it mean when a flag was flown over the theatre? The flag 1 indicated that there would be a performance that afternoon. What type of theatre was Blackfrairs? An indoor private theatre. Where was it located? Within the walled city of London. Why was Blackfrairs under the control of the King? Between and, Blackfriars was their winter home and the Globe was their summer residence. Why was it Page 9

10 necessary for an Elizabethan acting company to have a patron? So they would not be a "rogue or vagabond. Page 10

11 Chapter 6 : Renaissance Theatre: England The Renaissance theatre: texts, performance, design ; papers presented at a Society for Renaissance Studies conference held Sept. 12,, Globe Theatre, London. 1, English and Italian theatre 7. by Christopher Cairns;. Medieval Theater Acting Styles By Margot Callahan ; Updated September 15, During the medieval period in English-speaking countries, styles of theater acting moved from amateur expressions of religious faith toward a technical craft practiced by professionals for public amusement and enlightenment. What had begun in the Roman Catholic Church early on the Dark Ages, around, would lead directly to the Renaissance artistry of Shakespeare and his players nearly years later. Some History Medieval drama and acting styles are inextricably linked to the Catholic Church. Themes were taken from the Old and New testaments. By, these dramatizations, enacted by amateur actors â altar boys, clerics and, on occasion, congregation members â became a common feature of church services. By, dramas were performed in the vernacular rather than Latin but were still almost exclusively located within church walls. As the secularization of theater continued, a class of professional, largely itinerant actors evolved. They were often protected by the private houses of the nobility even after the advent of commercial theater at the end of the Dark Ages. Saint Plays Saints played a huge role in religious life in medieval times. These plays and skits were not necessarily spiritual in nature but would have been performed as entertainment at community gatherings. Players were chosen for attributes that resembled the saint in question. The style was broad and melodramatic -- fitting for the various atrocities and miracles that were a feature of the lives of the saints. Passion Plays In the Catholic tradition, plays were performed for special holidays such as Christmas and Easter, first within the church and later outside the church in public halls, theater or outdoors, although always with church overview. The Passion Play is perhaps the best known and was a traditional part of devotions leading up to Easter. It is a dramatic and often bloodily realistic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ, his trial, suffering and death. This medieval tradition has persisted to modern times, and performing in the annual Passion play is generally awarded to the most respected members of a church congregation. Mystery and Miracle Plays Mystery and miracle plays were based on stories from the Bible such as the creation or the story of Noah. As these plays became more elaborate and secularized over time, the style and tone of their presentation became more raucous and comic to appeal to the masses. Elements of satire and political commentary also began to appear. This led to a backlash by church and other authorities and they were often banned. Acting was still usually done by amateurs, usually men of the community, with some women getting roles as the exception. But with the introduction of music and verse sequences, the acting requirements for these productions became more sophisticated. Plays were sometimes created in complex cycles, which sometimes toured from town to town with portable stages, known as "pageant wagons," and could take up to 40 days to complete a full performance cycle. Secular Theater Traditions Regional and local secular theater traditions persisted for the duration of the medieval era alongside religious theater. These included masques â dance and music interludes presented by skilled performers between the courses of banquets at royal courts or houses of nobility; town pageants presented to honor dignitaries or visitors and featuring verses and songs praising their attributes; farces with satires or parodies; and holiday mumming, in which members of a community dressed in elaborate costumes and traveled from residence to residence telling jokes and singing songs, a precursor to the Victorian and contemporary custom of caroling at Christmastime. By the lateth century, the Renaissance was in full effect across Europe and England, and the religious drama of the medieval period had fully lost its force to secular entertainments. Page 11

12 Chapter 7 : English Renaissance Timeline: Some Historical and Cultural Dates Great Writers Inspire Description: Theatre of the English and Italian Renaissance studies interrelationships between English and Italian Theatre of the Renaissance period, including texts, performance and performance spaces, and cultural parallels and contrasts. Connections are traced between Italian writers including Aretino, Castiglione and Zorenzo Valla and such. Some Historical and Cultural Dates by: For more information about the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre in England, check out the Renaissance Theatre section. Queen Elizabeth I is crowned, and Thomas Kyd is born. William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe are born. Northern England rebels on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots. Thomas Dekker and Ben Jonson are born. The Curtain theatre is built. James VI becomes King of Scotland. Francis Drake completes his circumnavigation of the globe. Thomas Middleton and John Webster are born. England is at war with Spain. Mary Queen of Scots is executed at the Tower of London. Theatre impresario Phillip Henslowe builds The Rose theatre. Christopher Marlowe is arrested at Flushing in the Netherlands for coining. Anti-alien riots break out in London. The theatres are closed due to plague. Ireland rebels against England. The Earl of Essex is executed. John Milton is born. England wars with Spain. England wars with France. The English Civil War commences, and the Puritan parliament bans the theatre and closes the playhouses. Page 12

13 Chapter 8 : Staging: Medieval Theatre â Theatrical Effects and Staging Introduction to Theatre - THEA Dr. C. Frederic. THEATRE HISTORY - Beginning through the Renaissance. ORIGINS OF DRAMA. There are many theories as to the origins of drama/theatre. Early Medieval theatre[ edit ] Hrosvitha of Gandersheim, the first dramatist of the post-classical era. Faced with the problem of explaining a new religion to a largely illiterate population, churches in the Early Middle Ages began staging dramatized versions of particular biblical events on specific days of the year. These dramatizations were included in order to vivify annual celebrations. These were extensive sets of visual signs that could be used to communicate with a largely illiterate audience. These performances developed into liturgical dramas, the earliest of which is the Whom do you Seek Quem-Quaeritis Easter trope, dating from ca. While surviving evidence about Byzantine theatre is slight, existing records show that mime, pantomime, scenes or recitations from tragedies and comedies, dances, and other entertainments were very popular. Constantinople had two theatres that were in use as late as the 5th century A. However, the true importance of the Byzantines in theatrical history is their preservation of many classical Greek texts and the compilation of a massive encyclopedia called the Suda, from which is derived a large amount of contemporary information on Greek theatre. Efforts were made in many countries through this period to not only convert Jews and pagans but to destroy pre-christian institutions and influences. Works of Greek and Roman literature were burnt, the thousand-year-old Platonic Academy was closed, the Olympic Games were banned and all theatres were shut down. The theatre itself was viewed as a diabolical threat to Christianity because of its continued popularity in Rome even among new converts. They were forbidden to have contact with Christian women, own slaves, or wear gold. They were officially excommunicated, denied the sacraments, including marriage and burial, and were defamed and debased throughout Europe. For many centuries thereafter, clerics were cautioned to not allow these suddenly homeless, travelling actors to perform in their jurisdictions. As such, most organized theatrical activities disappeared in Western Europe. While it seems that small nomadic bands traveled around Europe throughout the period, performing wherever they could find an audience, there is no evidence that they produced anything but crude scenes. Hrosvitha was followed by Hildegard of Bingen d. The anonymous pagan play Querolus, written c. Other secular Latin plays were also written in the 12th century, mainly in France but also in England Babio. There certainly existed some other performances that were not fully fledged theatre; they may have been carryovers from the original pagan cultures as is known from records written by the clergy disapproving of such festivals. It is also known that mimes, minstrels, bards, storytellers, and jugglers traveled in search of new audiences and financial support. One of the most famous of the secular plays is the musical Le Jeu de Robin et Marion, written by Adam de la Halle in the 13th century, which is fully laid out in the original manuscript with lines, musical notation, and illuminations in the margins depicting the actors in motion. Adam also wrote another secular play, Jeu de la Fueillee in Arras, a French town in which theatre was thriving in the late 12th and 13th centuries. High and Late Medieval theatre[ edit ] Stage drawing from 15th-century vernacular morality play The Castle of Perseverance as found in the Macro Manuscript. As the Viking invasions ceased in the middle of the 11th century A. Only in Muslim-occupied Spain were liturgical dramas not presented at all. Despite the large number of liturgical dramas that have survived from the period, many churches would have only performed one or two per year and a larger number never performed any at all. The festival inverted the status of the lesser clergy and allowed them to ridicule their superiors and the routine of church life. Sometimes plays were staged as part of the occasion and a certain amount of burlesque and comedy may have entered the liturgical drama as a result of its influence. The use of vernacular enabled drama to be understood and enjoyed by a larger audience. The Mystery of Adam gives credence to this theory as its detailed stage direction suggest that it was staged outdoors. Economic and political changes in the High Middle Ages led to the formation of guilds and the growth of towns, and this would lead to significant changes for theatre starting in this time and continuing into in the Late Middle Ages. Trade guilds began to perform Page 13

14 plays, usually religiously based, and often dealing with a biblical story that referenced their profession. These vernacular " mystery plays " were written in cycles of a large number of plays: York 48 plays, Chester 24, Wakefield 32 and Unknown A larger number of plays survive from France and Germany in this period and some type of religious dramas were performed in nearly every European country in the Late Middle Ages. Many of these plays contained comedy, devils, villains and clowns. For example, at Valenciennes in, more than roles were assigned to 72 actors. Often providing their own costumes, amateur performers in England were exclusively male, but other countries had female performers. The platform stage, which was an unidentified space and not a specific locale, allowed for abrupt changes in location. Morality plays emerged as a distinct dramatic form around and flourished until Though Everyman may possibly be the best known of this genre, it is atypical in many ways. Along the way, he is deserted by Kindred, Goods, and Fellowship - only Good Deeds goes with him to the grave. Secular drama was also staged throughout the Middle Ages, the earliest of which is The Play of the Greenwood by Adam de la Halle in It contains satirical scenes and folk material such as faeries and other supernatural occurrences. Farces also rose dramatically in popularity after the 13th century. The majority of these plays come from France and Germany and are similar in tone and form, emphasizing sex and bodily excretions. However, farce did not appear independently in England until the 16th century with the work of John Heywood â A significant forerunner of the development of Elizabethan drama was the Chambers of Rhetoric in the Low Countries. These masques were especially popular during the reign of Henry VIII who had a house of revels built and an office of revels established in All medieval stage production was temporary and expected to be removed upon the completion of the performances. Actors, predominantly male, typically wore long, dark robes. Medieval plays such as the Wakefield cycle, or the Digby Magdalene featured lively interplay between two distinct areas, the wider spaces in front of the raised staging areas, and the elevated areas themselves called, respectively, the locus and the platea. Scenery, stage machinery and costumes enabled a more realistic depiction of the message the play was trying to promote. First, the Protestant Reformation targeted the theatre, especially in England, in an effort to stamp out allegiance to Rome. In Wakefield, for example, the local mystery cycle text shows signs of Protestant editing, with references to the pope crossed out and two plays completely eliminated because they were too Catholic. However, it was not just the Protestants who attacked the theatre of the time. The Council of Trent banned religious plays in an attempt to rein in the extrabiblical material that the Protestants frequently lampooned. A revival of interest in ancient Roman and Greek culture changed the tastes of the learned classes in the performing arts. Greek and Roman plays were performed and new plays were written that were heavily influenced by the classical style. A change of patronage also caused drastic changes to the theatre. Finally, the construction of permanent theaters, such as The Theatre signaled a major turning point. Permanent theaters allowed for more sophisticated staging and storytelling. Contributions to modern theatre[ edit ] Many components of theatre that developed during the Middle Ages continue to be incorporated in productions around the world to this day, such as use of the vernacular, spectacle, stage direction and the use of farce. Performances that were spoken in the vernacular provided opportunities for larger audiences, who included members of lower socio-economic status, who would have otherwise been excluded from understanding the performances. In addition, it presented various actions on stage in time and space and presented a combination of the sublime with detailed realism. The spectacle of the later Medieval theatre made it necessary to have detailed stage directions. A sample of documented staging drawings and directions remain from the 15th-century morality play The Castle of Perseverance. The evolution to the dependence on detailed stage direction made possible the great Shakespearean stage. The surviving texts of this oral tradition were recorded in the 18th century, at a time when the industrial revolution began to break up the rural communities in which the plays were performed. Mystery plays[ edit ] Mystery Plays are still produced regularly throughout the United Kingdom. The local cycles were revived in both York and Chester in as part of the Festival of Britain, and are still performed by the local guilds. These productions differed from past performances in that women were cast in the title role, rather than men. Film adaptations of the version of the play appeared in and, with Page 14