History of Drama

I. Origins

Western drama actually begins in ancient Ethiopia, with the development of the wooden threshing floor.

I. Origins

The concept of the stage gradually migrated to southern Greece, where the ancients Greeks fell in love with drama.

II. Greek DramaFirst, they built huge outdoor amphitheaters

II. Greek DramaNext, they added Changing Houses and rudimentary scenery

II. Greek Drama

• Basic Rules of Greek Drama– No females on stage– Very little scenery or props – Very little movement on stage– Costumes were togas and, occasionally, theater masks

II. Greek Drama

• Popularity of Greek Drama– Plays were hugely popular, mostly among

peasants who had little else in their lives in the way of entertainment or relief from their misery.

– Occasionally, members of royalty would attend.– By about 450 B.C.E., drama was so popular that

the Greeks would stage annual contests. The most frequent winner? Sophocles. The Prize? A stipend and a laurel bough.

II. Greek Drama

• The most impressive feature of ancient Greek amphitheaters???

The acoustics

II. Greek Drama

• Carnegie Hall– 1891, built by

William Burnet Tuthill

II. Greek Drama – The Poetics

• Aristotle– The Poetics– Written about 335 B.C.E.– Formalized the rules of drama

II. Greek Drama – The Poetics

• Tragedy1. High, noble characters2. Great fall from a great height, usually ending in

death3. Fall due to internal character flaw (Hamartía)4. Starts in order5. Becomes slowly chaotic6. Moment of catharsis (pity, fear)7. Ends in restoration of order

II. Greek Drama

• Comedy1. Deals with commoners2. Starts in order3. Becomes quickly chaotic4. Chaos due to masks, misunderstandings, and

mistaken identities5. Restoration of order, usually marriage

II. Greek Drama – The Poetics

• Aristotle’s Three Unities1. Time2. Place3. Action

II. Greek Drama – The Poetics

• Dramatic Progression1. Exposition2. Rising Action3. Reversal (Peripeteia)4. Recognition (Anagnorisis)5. Climax6. Denouement (falling action, unknotting)

III. The Romans

IV. The Dark Ages

IV. The Dark Ages

• Very little drama• Only clergy and royalty knew how to read &

write• Only plays written were Miracle and/or

Morality plays, usually based on Old Testament tales

V. The Renaissance

• Actually began in Florence in about 1400

• Lorenzo Ghiberti• The Gates of Paradise• Kinda looks like the

Tardis

V. The Renaissance

England• First theater built in 1576• It was called The Theatre (duh)• Other theaters soon followed, including:– The Rose– The Swan– Blackfriars, and . . .

V. The Renaissance

The Globe Theatre

V. The RenaissanceThe Globe Theatre

• First built in 1599 by carpenter Peter Street using timbers from The Theatre• Owned mostly by Richard and Cuthbert Burbage,

though Shakespeare had a small share• Lord Chamberlain’s Men• Still only male actors• Performed year round• Burned in 1613, rebuilt 1614, closed 1642

V. The Renaissance

Then one day in 1989 . . .

Ta Da!!!!!

Ta Da!!!!!

V. The Renaissance

Okay, it was actually only found in 1989, but fully rebuilt by 1998. But an interesting story . . .

V. The Renaissance

Shakespeare World Tour• Occasionally, Elizabethan acting troupes would

go on tour to put on performances in the outlying provinces since the poor rarely ever travelled more than five miles from home during their entire lifetimes. To help draw in crowds, the troupes would add . . .

V. The Renaissance

1. Bear Baiting

V. The Renaissance

V. The Renaissance

2. Cock Throwing

V. The Renaissance

Dramatic Difficulties1. Plagues2. The Clergy (Minister of Revelries)

VI. The End of Elizabethan Drama

• 1649, Charles II Overthrown & Beheaded

• Oliver Cromwell forms The Protectorate

• Cromwell dies 1658• 1660, the throne restored

by royalists and loyalists – Charles III

VII. 17th Century

• Charles III restores drama, but in a vastly different form1. Indoors2. Private residences (i.e., the wealthy)3. Masques, Occasional Drama4. Music now an integral part

VIII. 18th Century

Music became such a well-loved aspect of drama that most plays were now written without a spoken word –in other words, opera was born.

La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy

IX. 19th CenturyDrama finally achieves a foothold in America. Where?

IX. 19th Century

Okay, it didn’t really look like that at first. In fact, drama was very slow to catch on in the U.S.1. Low popularity2. Slowly spread via community theaters3. Ah! Universities!

X. 20th Century

Still, drama experienced fairly limited appeal until one play came along and changed everything.

One play to rule them all,One play to find them.

One play to bring them allAnd in the darkness bind them.

X. 20th Century

And that play was . . .

Fiddler on the Roof?

West Side Story?The Lion King?

Mama Mia???

X. 20th CenturyNo!!! It was . . .

X. 20th Century

Cats was the first megamusical, the first play with a million-dollar set, and the first play to earn a gazillion dollars, showing investors that plays could make them

rich rich rich!!!

X. 20th Century

So . . .what professional musical plays have you seen?