R a c h e l H o l d e r6 t h P e r i o d

A HISTORY OF EUROPEAN THEATRE

Morality plays are religious dramas that taught a lesson along with the story.

The characters usually represented good and evil, and the plot normally involved a struggle for human’s soul.

Late 14 th Century-16 th Century.Preformed by traveling troupes in the streets. Became much less popular during the Protestant

Reformation. Most famous is Everyman (which is still preformed today).The main character, Everyman, is summoned by death. All

of his friends (Beauty, Kindred, and Worldly Goods) abandon him, except for Good Deeds.

In 1558, Elizabeth I ascends the throne and bans all religious plays (except in church).

MORALITY PLAYS

Emerged in Italy around 1560. First public professional theatre in Italy.Designed to make the common person laugh.Slapstick comedy. Preformed by troupes.Used stock characters, most of whom wore

masks.Spread through out Europe.Began to die out around 1776

COMEDIA DELL’ARTE

Harlequin

Il Capitano

Pantalone

In 1576, James Burbage builds the first commercial theater just outside of London. It is called “The Theatre.”

Over the next 18 years, three more theaters—The Curtain, The Rose, and The Swan are built.

In 1599, The Theatre is dismantled and moved across the Thames River.

It is rebuilt as The Globe.The development of commercial theaters meant

common people could enjoy drama. Prior to this point, theatre had been for the aristocracy.

Seeing plays became a regular form of entertainment for people of all classes.

COMMERCIAL THEATERS IN ENGLAND

The Globe

The Globe

The Rose

The Curtain

Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist.

His play, Tamburlaine the Great, introduces a blank verse that defines Elizabethan and Jacobean drama.

Edward II is the first play to dramatize English history as a conflict between real characters.

He died shortly before Shakespeare became popular.

His career in drama only lasted 6 years, and did not carry many works.

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

Christopher Marlowe

William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest playwright of all time.

His first plays to be preformed were the three parts of Henry VI.

Shortly after, London theatres are closed because of the plague, but his career accelerates afterwards.

He was a part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later granted royal favor by James I and renamed the King’s Men.

Some of his most famous plays are: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Othello, and Macbeth.

All together, he wrote 36 plays which were published by two of his colleagues in the First Folio (1623).

Shakespeare’s plays are still widely read and preformed today.

SHAKESPEARE

17 th Century Involved melodrama and

large gesturesOver-the-top scenery and

costumes Included the restoration

periodHad strict guidelines as to

how plays were to be written and how actors were to preform.

Important Works: Le Cid by Pierre Corneille Tartuffe by Moliere Andromaque by Jean Racine

NEOCLASSICAL THEATRE

In 1642, the Puritans close all English theatres.

In 1660, the theatres are reopened and the Restoration Comedy emerges.

The Restoration Comedy refers to the British comedies that were preformed in response to the reopening of the theatres.

They were known for their sexual explicitness, encouraged by Charles II.

This period also saw the first actresses and the first professional woman playwright, Aphra Behn.

RESTORATION COMEDY

A movement among German playwrights in the 18 th century

Translated as “Storm and Stress”Focused on Nature, feeling, and individualityA response to the rationalism of the enlightenment Important Works:

Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand by Goethe- first success

Die Räuber by Friedrich Schiller- last success

STURM UND DRANG

19 th CenturyDealt with everyday life, and used contemporary

settings. Involved science and human behaviorSocial problems were the main subjectA lot of feminist works emerged during this time

period. Important Works:

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen--- feminist themes; considered the father of realism

Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernand Shaw--- prostitution

Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov

REALISM

A Doll’s House

Mrs. Warren’s Profession

Three Sisters

Late 19 th to early 20 th century.Attempted to mimic reality.There were detailed sets, everyday speech, variety of

classes, normal characters and settings, and a lack of divine intervention.

More extreme version of Realism Important Works:

The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy--- banned in Russia until 1902

The Father by August Strindberg--- misogynistic themes Therese Raquin by Emile Zola--- "study temperaments and

not characters"

NATURALISM

Therese RaquinThe Father

Possibly the most famous acting theorist.

Began as an actor, and was sick of seeing mechanical and over acting.

Developed a system to help actors discover their characters

The inspiration for his method came out of the realist and naturalist periods.

Thought acting should be honest instead of over-the-top

His “system” is still widely used today.

CONSTANTINE STANISLAVSKI

Contrasted with Stanislavski’s method

Bertolt Brecht was the father of it

Thought that Stanislavski was providing an escape for the audience

The audiences of Epic Theatre performances always knew they were watching a play.

Characters often break the “forth wall”

EPIC THEATRE

Early 20 th century Began in Germany Deal with spiritual awakening and

suffering A popular theme was the conflict

between bourgeoisie values and established authority.

Not focused on reality, but emotions.

Important Works: Murderer, the Hope of Women by

Oskar Kokoschka--- first expressionistic play

The Beggar by Reinhard Sorge--- Bourgeoisie vs. government

Parricide by Arnolt Bronnen

EXPRESSIONISM

Parricide

A cultural movement that peaked around 1916-1922.

Involved the visual arts, not just theatre

Anti-war, anti- bourgeoisie, and anarchist.

Believed the ideology of the bourgeoisie had started WWI.

Some described it as “anti-art” because it was not aesthetically pleasing.

Important Works: The Gas Heart and Handkerchief

of Clouds(“ironic tragedy”) by Tristan Tzara

DADAISM

The Gas Heart

Began in 1920’sParis was the center of

the movementDeveloped out of DadaismSeeks to surprise the

audience by using unexpected juxtapositions.

Important works: Les Mamelles de Tiresias by

Guillaume Apollinaire--- first surrealist play

When Five Years Pass by Frederico Garcia Lorca

The Mysteries of Love by Roger Vitrac

SURREALISM

Les Mamelles de Tirestas

Came about because of World War II

Embodied meaninglessness of human existence

Abandoned traditional dramatic devices

Sought to convey the feelings of humans during and after the war.

Important Works: Bald Soprano by Eugene

Ionesco Waiting for Godot by Samuel

Beckett

THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Similar to the Theatre of the Absurd

Sought to “assault the audience with movement and sound”

Brought about an instinctive, rather than intellectual, reaction.

Again, this was in response to the violence of WWII

Important Works: Look Back in Anger by John

Osborne Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss-

class struggles

THEATRE OF CRUELTY

Marat/Sade

Mid 20 th centuryReaction to modernismThere is no definite truthEncourages the audience to

reach their own interpretationRaises questions instead of

supplying answers. Important Works:

Hamletmachine by Heiner Muller--- not a conventional plot

4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane--- No characters

A Mouthful of Birds by Cheryl Churchill--- No scenes, just vignettes.

POSTMODERNISM

A Mouthful of Birds

Theatre after World War I I took included many different styles from previous centuries.

Experimental theatre emerged in the 1960’s, such as the Polish Laboratory Theatre

The theme of many dramatic works focused on issues at the time

Popular themes included: women’s rights and gay l iberation

Important Works: Top Girls by Cheryl Churchill Bent by Martin Sherman Mean Tears by Peter Gill

OTHER THEATRE AFTER WWII

An English composerHe’s won seven Tony

Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe award, and many others.

Some of his famous works include Cats The Phantom of the Opera

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Cats

Phantom of the Opera

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