Theatre appears to exist and have existed in all societies
in some form.
Some things have theatrical elements (parades, gameshows,
sports, dances, religious services, political campaigns), but they are
different from theatre, the art form.
Theatre as an
Institution:
Origins of Theatre -- Theories:
No clear evidence, so all theories are conjecture.
Aristotle suggested that mimesis (imitation)
is innate in humans; theatre probably came from the dithyramb,
a hymn sung or chanted before religious rituals in honor of Dionysus,
the god of wine, rebirth, and fertility. The word "tragedy' seems
to have come from the Greek words for "goat" and "song"--so
tragedy was a goat-song (whether sung to, by, or for the goat is anyone's
guess).
1. Storytelling -- pleasurable and natural, a narrator elaborates by impersonating.
2. Movement / Dance -- imitating physical behavior of
animals and humans, donning skins as garments -- eventually talking
was added.
3. Judicial System -- necessity to speak in court required
expansion, desire to perform and see performances.
4. Supreme act of an unidentified artist (Perhaps Thespis,
perhaps Aeschylus) -- a revolutionary discovery -- to
synthesize many other already existing elements.
5. Ritual Theory --This is the most pervasive and accepted
of theories, but much questioned.
--From primitive religious rituals usually connected with spring and the seasonal cycle, drama evolved--
--Few say that theatre came directly from ritual, but
that ritual influenced theatrical forms--
--Sir James
Frazer's theory (late 19th century) -- primitive cultures with
no written language performed rituals to win the favor of natural
forces, then it is formalized, then stories grew up to explain the
rituals -- people were impersonating gods, beings, or forces-- and
there resulted a developing dramatic sense--
--Eventually, rituals were abandoned or modified, but
myths / stories remain as oral tradition. A big step toward drama
occurs when these are acted out in simple drama.
--Aesthetic gradually overtakes the religious or utilitarian
aims of ritual.
Against ritual theory -- functionalists -- 1915 --
--Suggest the possibility that cultures develop differently
from one society to another-- they argue against the "cultural
Darwinism" which holds that all human institutions have developed
similarly-- and suggest that perhaps that not the case.
Theatre is a combination of many art forms, but when put together
equals more than the sum of its parts.
A. Theatre is a Literary Art : The Play
Perhaps the only concrete and lasting (permanent) element
of the theatre.
The other elements are ephemeral (non-permanent) [Except for
perhaps set and costume design, of which photos can keep a permanent record].
We have to look at the play in combination with its time and
place -- its context -- for better understanding.
What makes a good play?
Theorists throughout history have disagreed and bickered about
what makes a good play. Most base their arguments at least in part on
Aristotle or variations of Aristotle - the Poetics (334
BC)-disagreeing, agreeing, or reinterpreting.
Although there is not one coherent theory of a good play,
many basic premises have been determined by which we can evaluate a script
-- realizing, however, that our criteria may not necessarily be the same
as the criteria for a good play when the play was written - how the play
was looked at at the time.
Interpretations / evaluations are different based on different
ways of looking at the world, at people, at life, and at the nature and
purpose of the theatre.
By looking at various theories and examining playscripts of
different styles and periods, our ability to discern and evaluate aesthetic
elements of the drama will become more acute.
B. Theatre is a Performing Art: The
Production
The most ephemeral and immediate.
"The home of the now" (according to Cameron and Gillespie).
Robert Edmund Jones (early 20th century designer) -- "aware
of the now".
An art for everyone.
Acting, directing, design, construction, running crew (musicians,
singers, dancers).
An amalgam of all the arts -- making it either the least pure
or the most pure.
Needs talent and skill to plan and execute, from all elements
of the production.
Final product is a result of the efforts of many.
We can increase aesthetic and technical appreciation for the
individual arts going into make theatre and for the different styles and
periods of theatre.
C. Theatre is a Major Form of Entertainment:
Holds audience's attention-the primary form of public entertainment
until the advent of radio and movies.
Theatre is fun: theatre is play (work, food, exercise) for
the soul, for the mind, for the body.
All work and no plays would be boring.
Eric Bentley - suggested the concept of "eros" is essential
for theatre - actual sweating breathing human beings in front of us --
Perhaps we could look at the theatre in at least four ways:
-
as entertainment / art
-
as instrument of education
-
as weapon of social / political change
-
as document of history -the plays and the theatrical events of various periods can be seen as historical documents reflecting that period.
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