Patricia Candaza

BAMC – 3rd Year

Theater 10

History of Theatre

 The word theatre itself means a place for seeing, usually a building where a
dramatic performance is given but theatre is so much more than that.

 Theatre is more than just a building, it is the telling of stories and putting
on a show. It is turning a group of people into an audience and bringing
them together through performing arts.

PERIOD KEY STYLE KEY PLAYWRIGHTS

600BC – 600AD Advancement of the classical Aeschylus: The
CLASSICAL genres of Comedy and Oresteia
Tragedy. Euripides: The Trojan
Women, Medea
Aristotle : central purpose of Sophocles: Oedipus,
theatre- arouse strong Antigone
emotions from it’s audience. Aristophanes:
Lysistrata, The Frogs
Greek tragedies were based on
the probes between the
conflict between the
protagonist and antagonist.

The Greeks also developed

Satyr Plays more informal,
often crude, with phallic
imagery. The plays satirised or
were parodies of myths,
legends, historical figures &
tragedies. They combined
songs, dances & sketches and
laid the basis for the later
development of Burlesque &
Farce.

Roman Theatre- similar to the

Greek one. But it developed
new forms of theatre (i.e.
mime, spectacles and farce).

600-1500 Liturgical Drama Anon: Everyman

MEDIEVAL This type of drama developed Anon: The Mystery
in the monasteries and later Cycles
Patricia Candaza
BAMC – 3rd Year
Theater 10

spread to churches.

Mystery Plays – based on

episodes from the Bible
Miracle Plays – based on the
lives of the saints and martyrs
Morality Plays – political and
appealed to the oppressed
peasant class
1500 – 1650 Revenge Tragedy Shakespeare: Hamlet,
RENAISSANCE Titus Andronicus
Plots involved murder, death, Toureur: The
revenge.Plays often included Revenger’s Tragedy
nightmare visions of ghosts. Middleton/Rowley:
Complicated subplots. The Changeling
Unrequited or unacceptable Marlowe: Doctor
love. Faustus
Ford: Tis Pity She’s a
Whore
Webster: The Duchess
of Malfi

Elizabeth and Jacobean Shakespeare: MSND,

Comedy Much Ado, 12th Night
Shakespeare’s comedies were Jonson: Volpone
more into romantic comedies
and black comedies. While
Jonson’s focused on being
satirical, exposing the follies
and vices of society through
the use of humor.

Commedia Dell’Arte
Depicted conflicts between Goldoni: A Servant to
Master and Servant. It used Two Masters
physical humor such as
slapstick or lazzi as well as
acrobatic and juggling skills to
appeal to audiences.

1650 – 1700 Comedy of Manners: Moliere: The

RESTORATION It questions society. Comedies Hypochondriac
about the way that societies Wycherley: The
Patricia Candaza
BAMC – 3rd Year
Theater 10

were. Women are allowed to Country Wife

participate onstage. It was Goldsmith: She Stoops
mostly about the wit and to Conquer
banter of the aristocratic class. Congreve: The Way of
the World
Farquhar: The
Recruiting Officer
Behn: The Rover
Sheridan: The Rivals,
School for Scandal
1700-1800 Burlesque/Ballad Opera Gay: The Beggars
BAROQUE Uses caricature and distortion Opera
almost to a grotesque extent in
order to mock society. It also
used music as a form of
parody. It is based on puns and
humor of low-wit.
1800-1850 Melodrama Anon: Maria Marten
ROMANTICISM Good & Bad: characters were (The Red Barn)
either heroes or villains Anon: Sweeney Todd
Real life themes into theatre.
It uses a lot of visual elements.
Actors: large gestures & grand
voices. It had fast paced scenes
with plenty of action.

Romanticism Goethe: Faust

Theme of heroic individual’s Schiller: Mary Stuart
struggle to maintain ideals and
values in the imperfect world.

Themes: nature, oppression of

the poor, liberty, nationalism,
suicide etc.
2OTH CENTURY AND
BEYOND

REALISM AND It originated in Europe as a Hedda Gabler, A Doll’s

NATURALISM form to challenge the forms of House
theatre that preceded it. It Cherry Orchard, Three
depicts ordinary lives in Sisters
ordinary settings. Dialogue in Miss Julie, The Father
these plays used everyday Arms & the Man, Major
speech rather than verse and it Barbara
Patricia Candaza
BAMC – 3rd Year
Theater 10

sought to offer the illusion of The Lower Depths

reality. An Inspector Calls
Two Thousand Years,
Abigail’s Party
Road, Two, The Rise
and Fall of Little Voice
Sisterly Feelings,
Norman Conquests,
Confusions

Symbolism It challenged realism and Six Characters in

naturalism. It believed that Search of an Author
truth lay beyond mere Blood Wedding, Yerma,
appearances. Aimed to reflect The House of Bernarda
mental or spiritual life. Alba
Murder in the
Cathedral
Expressionism A movement in literature & art A Dream Play, Ghosts
which originated in Germany Woyzeck, Danton’s
before World War I and ended Death
in1920s. It was Erratic & Spring Awakening (The
explosive and it tried to Memory of Water)
destroy superficial ideas of
reality and explore deeper
meanings underneath.

Surrealism It is basically about the revised Ubu Roi

the definition of reality. La Machine Infernale
Concerned itself with accounts
of dreams, madness, the
subconscious and the non-
rational.

Theatre of the Absurd Characters share a pessimistic The Chairs, The Bad
view of the world in which Prima Dona, The
humans struggle with their Lesson
attempt to understand why
they are here. Conversations
go around and are usually
nonsense.
Patricia Candaza
BAMC – 3rd Year
Theater 10

References:

Theatre History Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2017, from

https://www.scribd.com/doc/37443001/Theatre-History-Timeline

Waterworth, O. (2016, September 19). A Short History of Ancient Theatre. Retrieved

August 26, 2017, from http://www.newhistorian.com/short-history-ancient-
theatre/7244/

Baroque theatres and staging. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2017, from
https://www.britannica.com/art/theater-building/Baroque-theatres-and-staging

Theatre History Timeline (n.d.) Retrieved August 28, 2017, from

https://prezi.com/z6o_-wsnnmce/theatre-history-timeline/