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Summary
Living Theatre: History of Theatreconveys the excitement and variety of theatre throughout time, as well as the dynamic ways in which our interpretation of theatre history is informed by contemporary scholarship.This edition opens with, "Theatre: Its Origins and Its History", which establishes a contemporary context for the study of theatre. Biographical sketches in each chapter bring theatre history to life through the stories of the people who lived that history. Developments in theatre are examined through the debates between scholars and historians, emphasizing the living nature of this vibrant history.A full-color illustration program includes over 100 new photos and revised timelines. New sections on postmodern theatre and non-text-based theatre expand coverage of global theatre throughout the book. Living Theatresets each period in context through an exploration of the social, political and economic conditions of the day, creating a vivid study of the developments in theatre during that time.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Theatre: Its Origins and its History
Theatre in Everyday Life
Imitation, Role Playing, and Storytelling
Popular Entertainment
Ceremonies and Rituals
Theatrical Aspects of Ceremonies and Rituals
The Abydos Ritual in Ancient Egypt
Indigenous Ritual in Latin America
Nontheatrical Elements of Ceremonies and Rituals
Efficaciousness
Methexis: Group Sharing
“Participatory” Theatre
Prohibition of Theatre
How Historians Reconstruct the Elements of Theatre
A Playing Space
The Audience
The Performers
Visual Elements
Texts
Coordination of the Elements
Social Requirements
The Study of Theatre History
Traditional Chronological Narratives
Recent Historical Approaches
Revisionist Historians
Feminist Historians
Deconstructionists
Multicultural Historians
Gay and Lesbian Theatre Historians
Semioticians and Iconographic Historians
Marxist and Class-Oriented Historians
Performance Studies and Theatre History
Why Study Theatre History?
How Do Scholars Study Theatre History?
Where Do Theatre Historians Present Their Work?
Theatre in History: Points to Remember
Summary
Part one: Early Theatres
Chapter 2 Greek Theatre
Background: The Golden Age of Greece
Origins: Greek Theater Emerges
Theatre in the Fifth Century b.c.e.
Greek Theatre and Greek Religion
Festivals and the City Dionysia
Debates in Theatre History: Did Women Attend Dramatic Festivals?
Greek Theatre and Greek Myths
Greek Tragedy
Tragic Playwrights
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
The Chorus
Aristotle and the Tragic Form
Aristotle
Climactic Drama and Greek Tragedy
King Oedipus
Antigone
Satyr Plays
Old Comedy
Aristophanes
Greek Theatre Production
The Theatre Building
Debates in Theatre History: The Greek Stage
Scenery and Special Effects
Acting in Greek Theatre
Costumes and Masks
Music and Dance
Theatre in the Hellenistic Age 49
Hellenistic Theatres
Hellenistic Acting
The Rise of the Actor
Social Position of Actors
Mimes
New Comedy
Menander
Summary
Chapter 3 roman theatre
Background: The Republic and the Empire
The Development of Roman Theatre: Popular Influences
Roman Comedy
Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus)
The Menaechmi
Terence (Publius Terentius Afer)
Roman Tragedy
Debates in Theatre History: Was Terence the First Black Playwright?
Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)
Dramatic Criticism in Rome
Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus)
Theatre Production in Rome
Actors and Acting Companies
Theatre Buildings and Scenic Elements
Popular Entertainment in Rome
The Decline of Roman Theatre
Summary
Chapter 4 Early Asian Theatres
Background: The Theatres of Asia
Indian Theatre
Sanskrit Drama
Kalidasa
Later Indian Drama
Chinese Theatre
Early Theatre in China
Theatre in the Yuan Dynasty
Important Plays from the Yuan Period
Theatre Production in the Yuan Period
Debates in Theatre History: Did playwrights in the Yuan period create tragedies?
Theatre in the Ming Dynasty
Li Yu
Later Chinese Theatre
Japanese Theatre
Early Theatre in Japan
Nō
Zeami Motokiyo
Characteristics of Nō Theatre
Producing Nō Theatre
Bunraku
Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Kabuki
Origins of Kabuki: Okuni of Izumo
Development of Kabuki
Producing Kabuki
Southeast Asia: Shadow Plays
Summary
Chapter 5 Medieval Theatres in Europe
Background: The Middle Ages
Byzantium: Popular Arts and Theatrical Preservation
The Middle Ages in Western Europe
Hrosvitha
Liturgical Drama
Development of Medieval Liturgical Drama
Debates in Theatre History: Why was Hrosvitha ignored for so long?
Producing Liturgical Drama 109
Debates in Theatre History: The origins of medieval theatre andthe role of quem quaeritis
Early Medieval Theatre in France 110
The Development of Religious Vernacular Drama 111
Mystery or Cycle Plays 112
The Second Shepherds’ Play 114
The Emergence of Episodic Form 115
Producing the Cycle Plays 116
Performers 116
Costumes 116
Pageant Masters 117
Stages 118
Processional and Stationary Staging 118
The Neutral Platform Stage 120
Secrets: Early Experiments with Technology 120
Music 121
Morality Plays 121
Everyman 122
Producing the Morality Plays 122
Secular Theatre in the Middle Ages: Popular Forms 122
The Decline of Religious Theatre 124
Summary
Part two Theatres of the Renaissance
Chapter 6 The Theatre of the Italian Renaissance
Background: The Renaissance in Italy
Italian Theatre
Drama
Tragedies and Comedies
Intermezzi and Pastorals
Debates in Theatre History: Adaptations as sources of drama
Opera
Commedia dell’Arte: A Popular Theatrical Form
Conventions of Commedia dell’Arte
Commedia Companies
I Gelosi
Influence of Commedia dell’Arte
Debates in Theatre History: Women performers in commedia dell’arte Italian Theatre Architecture
Theatre Buildings
Teatro Olimpico
The Theatre at Sabbioneta
Teatro Farnese and the Proscenium Stage
Audience Seating
Scene Design and Early Theatre Technology
Perspective in Scene Design
Sebastiano Serlio
Debates in Theatre History: What is the exact origin of the proscenium arch?
Advances in Scenic Techniques: From Serlio to Torelli
Giacomo Torelli
Special Effects and Lighting
Italian Dramatic Criticism
The Neoclassical Ideals
Decorum and Verisimilitude
The Unities: Time, Place, and Action
Genre and Other Rules
The Neoclassicists’ Influence
Issues of Dramatic Criticism
The Nature of Criticism: Descriptive and Prescriptive Criticism
The Nature of Drama: Should Theatre Be Didactic?
The Form of Drama: Neoclassical Structure
The Legacy of the Italian Renaissance
Summary
Chapter 7 The Theatre of the English Renaissance
Background: The Renaissance in England
The Early Drama of the English Renaissance
Elizabethan Drama
Elizabethan Playwrights
Marlowe and the Mighty Line
Christopher Marlowe
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Skill and Diversity
Elizabethan Theatres
Theatres and Production Practices: Problems of Research
Debates in Theatre History: Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays?
Public or Outdoor Theatres
Audience Seating in Public Theatres
The Stage in Public Theatres
The Tiring House
Influences on the Public Theatres
Private Theatres
Debates in Theatre History: The campaign to save the rose
Scenery and Costumes
Elizabethan Acting Companies
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
The Lord Admiral’s Men
Organization of Acting Companies
Acting Practices
Debates in Theatre History: Elizabethan acting style
Representation of Female Characters in Elizabethan Theatre
Jacobean and Caroline Drama
Ben Jonson
John Webster
Beaumont and Fletcher
Court Entertainment: The Masque
Inigo Jones
Summary
Chapter 8 The Theatre of the Spanish Golden Age
Background: The Spanish Golden Age
Religious Theatre in Spain 193
Religious Dramas: Autos Sacramentales
Producing the Autos Sacramentales
Secular Theatre in Spain
Lope de Rueda
Secular Dramas: Comedias
Spanish Dramatists
Lope Felix de Vega Carpio
Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Female Playwrights
Producing the Comedias
The Corrales
Scenery, the Stage, and Costumes
Debates in Theatre History: What was the appearance of the corral del principe?
Acting Companies
The Status of Actresses
Debates in Theatre History: A lost Spanish popular entertainment?
Summary
Chapter 9 French neoclassical theatre
Background: France in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries