GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9

GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM

1. Drama.
It comes from the Greek word meaning “to do” or “
to act.” Drama is the specific mode of fiction Medieval Drama
represented in performance. •During the Middle Ages, theatre began a new cycle of
development that paralleled the emergence of the
2. Theater. theatre from ritual activity in the early Greek period.
It is associated with drama. A building where plays,
shows are performed on stage.

3. Theater Performers.
They interpret characters, express emotion and
display creativity through acting, singing and
dancing in front of
a live audience.

4. Mimicry.
The Play of Abraham and Isaac at an English estate in
In Aristotle’s view, Mimicry or Imitation is not
1482(Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
a mere photographic representation of the
surface of things,
Mystery Play. It was based on Holy
but it is a creative process.
Scripture.

5. Oriental Drama. It includes plays from the

• Morality Play. Characters are
Philippines, Japan, and China.
represented in abstract qualities, such as
vice, humanity, or death, and the tone is
generally philosophical.
DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA
• Secular Drama. Dealing with everyday
Ancient Drama
character such as lawyers, the merchant,
• Among the Egyptians of about 2000
the student, the young wife, and the old
B.C.E, drama existed in religious
foolish husband.
ceremonies for the worship of Osiris.
• But the drama, as known today, in
Renaissance Drama
distinct forms of tragedy and comedy
• Also known as early modern English theatre or
is in Greece, in the festivals of
Elizabethan theatre in England between 1562 and
Dionysus in the 5th and 6th centuries
1642.
B.C.E.
• The first time theatre truly freed itself
from religious ritual to become an art
form was in Greece in the 6th century
BCE when the dithyramb was
Developed.

Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, Italy; designed by Andrea

Palladio and completed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, 1585
(Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.).

Amphitheatre at the site of the ancient city of Epidaurus,

Greece (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)

 GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9
GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM

ago rejected realistic presentation involved of

abstraction and symbolism.

Drama of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries PHILIPPINE DRAMA

In England, in the middle of Duplo and Karagatan

18th century, the theater was
briefly revived by the comedy • Duplo was a poetical debate held by trained
of manners. men and women in the ninth night, the last
night of the mourning period for the dead.
• French drama emerged in the • Karagatan, was also a poetical debate like
17th century, from its medieval duplo, but its participants were amateurs
and religious influences, with
the classical tragedies. In the
19th century, romantic drama
flourished throughout Europe.

Cenakulo.
Modern Drama
• A very heavy drama shown in relation to the life
Credit should be given to
sacrifices and death of Jesus Christ. There
Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian dramatist,
are two kinds of presenting the
For the development of modern drama.
Ibsen’s influence on modern
● Cenakulo: Ablada (oral)
drama was immense
● Kantada (song).

Henrik Ibsen, 1870 (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)

Moro-Moro
Oriental Drama
•Dramas from Asian countries. The • It’s a cloak-and-dagger play depicting the wars
drama is originated as elaboration of between the Christians and
liturgical practices. Asian actors long Muslims with the Christians always
on the winning side.
 GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9
GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM

• The first Moro-Moro was written by

Fr. Jeronimo Perez and was staged in
Manila in 1637, to commemorate
Governor General Consuera’s victory
over the Muslims of Mindanao.

Ati-Atihan

• Dubbed as the Mother of All

Philippine Festivals
• It is a pagan ritual which has
become an annual affair
Comedia or Moro-Moro, a folk drama based on that the natives look
battles between Christians and the Muslim Moro, forward to with great
Philippines (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.). expectation.

Zarzuela

• It is a melodrama with songs and dances that

have a three-in-one-act play. It is intended to
make the mass feeling towards love, fear, grief,
sorrow, or any emotional
reactions sublime. The Modern Philippine
Drama

• was rejuvenated upon

the establishment of the
Repertory Philippines on
June of 1967 which was
founded by Zenaida
“Bibot” Amador and Baby
Barredo.
Moriones

• Morion festival is Lenten

ritual that is as colorful as it
is unique.
• Morion means mask or
visor which is the top part of
the medieval Roman armor
covering the face.
• The climax of the festival is
the pugutan ceremony held
at noon of Easter Sunday.
 GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9
GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM
Japanese Drama
Noh Play
• Oldest Japanese drama
developed in the 1300s.
Joruri Play
A puppet drama.
Founded in Osaka in
1864.
Kabuki Drama.
• Most popular form of
traditional Japanese
drama.
• Originated at the end of
16th century. It focuses
on the visual aspects of
theater, heavy make-up,
exaggerated acting, and
special effects.
Chinese Drama
• Vun Pan Shi. The oldest form and it
focuses on patriotism
and filial devotion. Music and action are
meant to play on
the audience’s emotion.
• Sin Pan Shi. It presents civil and military
conditions. It
differs from the Vun Pan Shi in the manner
of singing
certain roles and in the acting.
• Vun Min Shi. The modern play.
Colloquial dialects are
allowed instead of Mandarin.
Basic Styles of Theater
Presentational style. The actors seem to be
shameless in expressing their strong feelings.
Representational style. Creates illusion on
stage.
Eclectic style. Combination of the two styles
plus the influence from naturalism,
expressionism, symbolism, surrealism, and
other “isms.”
Functions of Theater
To effect change in the
audience.
• It is a platform for propaganda.
• To entertain.
• It is for profit and pleasure.
• It challenges the mind and
touches the heart.
Historical Survey of Theater.
•Prehistoric Time.
•Greek Theater.
•Roman Theater.
•Medieval Theater.
•Romantic Theater.
 GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9
GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM

personal, or “propstume“) props like

•Renaissance Theater. purses or belts as a subcategory.
•Modern Theater. .
Set Props
•Post Modernism Theater.
• Set props include
all the furniture
Elements of Theater on stage, and any
other “objects”
Performers. The inhabiting which are
characters.
a part of the set
Audience. The essence of a theater .
is the interaction between the
performers and the audience. • It also includes
Furniture -like objects, such as
Director. The person who rehearses rocks which are sat on
the performers.
Trim Props
Director
Trim props hang on the
• He analyzes the text. walls, like curtains,
• He discovers the meaning & intention of blinds, or pictures.
playwright
• He works with the actors & actresses, supervis Visual Effect Props
rehearsals & guiding their
performances. • These are the illusions or
• He selects an actor/actress for each role. visual tricks used in the
• He works closely with scene, costume, a film, television, theatre,
lightning. to simulate the imagined
• He works on the over-all artistic quality of events in a story or
production. virtual world.

•Theater Space/Set. It is a place where spectators Sound effect props

either stand or sit
•Designing Elements. Include costume, make-up
properties, lightning and sounds.
HAND PROPS
Hand props are any props manipulated
by one or more actors on stage.
• Hand props can be consumable or
perishable prop, which means they need
to be replaced every night, such as food
which is eaten or a letter which is torn
up.
• We can also look at costume (or
• Older props shops still have the
various crash-boxes, thunder
sheets, and wind machines that fall
under this category. You can see
pictures of some of the machines
that created stage sounds in one of
my previous posts.
• Scene Design. Stage production. It
helps set the tone and style of the
production and establishes the
locale and period.
• Costume Design. It helps establish
 GE7 NOTES WEEK 8-9
GE7(3966);2022-2023_1STSEM-1ST TERM

the tone and style. It indicates the

historical period and the nature of
individual. There are four elements
of costume design: line, color,
fabric, and accessories.
• Sounds and Lights. It helps create
the mood and style of the play.