Introduction to Italian and English Renaissance Theatre

Introduction to Italian and EnglishRenaissance TheatreThe RenaissanceThe Modern Age in Europe begins with the Renaissance, which means rebirth (approximately 1350-1600 in Europe).Thinkers of the Renaissance began to generate new ideas regarding politicseconomics SocietyBegan to take new approaches to the arts Advocated for the maximum potential of human beings.

HumanismWriters and artists of the Renaissance were conscious about being in a new era with new values.Humanism stressed living in this world, human dignity, responsible citizenship and the acquisition of knowledge.

Renaissance English TheatreEnglish Renaissance DramaRoman plays were rediscoverd,read and performed inThe English were flexible regarding dramatic content. As a result, authors built native English content into classically-based dramatic works.

Flexibility of English DramaThe size and design of English theatres made possible a highly flexible drama the large, open acting surfaces were not restricted to a limited number of locales established by wagons, etc.The large and multi-levelled acting areas of Elizabethan theatres also made possible a wide variety of discovery scenes, bedroom scenes, and disappearance scenes through a trapdoor on the ground stage levelEnglish GenresEnglish sought to create dramatic works that reflected the spirit and interests of Englishmen of the day.One genre of drama that emerged during the Renaissance was the Chronicle History:a dramatic genre that recounted heroic events in English history.From the Chronicle History, dramatists began to break away from telling stories purely of historical fact and they developed the genre of Elizabethan tragedy.Although often historically-based, these stories were fictionalized and contained elements of the supernatural.

English Drama FormalizedEnglish theatre was controlled by the monarch and government.In England, acting became a legal profession in the 1570s, though not one that was well-respected.Acting troupes required noble patronage and eventually government licenses.With the existence of dramatic companies came the need for dramatic literature. As a result, English writers began writing scripts to sell to acting troupes. The University WitsThis was a group of university-educated, elitist authors who became popular during the 1500s.Their works were most associated with dramatic productions.They sought to incorporate both classical standards of drama as well as native English content to their works, generating new styles that would suit the developing contemporary stage. Impact of The University WitsAs well as combining classical and native content, The University Wits helped develop English drama by:Extending use of elegant prose and popularizing blank verse, iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets.Developing comedies that were embedded with romance.Devising complex protagonists and antagonists, focusing on the motivations of characters within human worlds (evidence of humanism).Theaters in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I were open-aired. (cross b/w baseball stadium and a Greek amphitheater.

The Globe1. Theater has four different areas:Below stage (hell; trap door for exits)Main stageBalcony (also housed musicians during performance)Attic area (heaven; also housed special effects)

2. Tiring house was directly behind the stage3. The pit was an open yard directly in front of the stage in the center of the theater.4. The gallery was the three-story seating area covered by a roof.Patrons dropped their money in a box at the entrance. (This was the origin of box office.)

3,000 people could watch the play in the audience (No patron was more than 60 ft. from the stage):Groundlings (poorer patrons) paid 1penny (about $0.60 today) to stand in the pit.Wealthier people sat on seats under the shelter. The more you paid, the higher your seat was.Lords and gentry paid the most at 1 shilling (about $7.00 today) to sit on cushioned seats on or above the stage.Plays were performed between 2:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon. (Enough sunlight but not enough to affect the actors or audience.)

It was illegal to advertise plays, but some playbills (posters) were put up.

A flag was raised about the theater to signal a performance that day. red flag historyblack flag tragedywhite flag- comedy.)

A trumpet would sound three times to announce the beginning of a play.Actors were all male (female parts played by pre-adolescent boys)

Sets were simple, if any. Costumes were colorful, elaborate, and expensive.Refreshments included beer, water, fruits, and nuts (many would be thrown at the actors by groundlings.)

James Burbage built the first playhouse in 1576 and called it The Theater. (Located in the city of London)

Local governments did not approve of playhouses morally or politically

Spreading the plague was also a worry. The playhouses were shut down twice during Shakespeares life due to the plague.

The Theater was a financial success and remained so until it was closed in 1598.Before the building could be torn down, they took the lumber and transported it across the river to Southward and re-created it as The Globe. The Globe was then owned by Shakespeare and several fellow actors.This new theater was an octagonal structure with an unroofed yard in the center. It was built of wood with a straw-thatched roof. (Nicknamed the Wooden O)

The Globe burnt down when a special effect sparked and caught the roof on fire.The Globe was rebuilt on the same site and lasted until 1644 when all the theaters were closed and torn down.