DRAMA AND

THEATER
Definition of terms
Development of
Drama
 Ancient Drama
• Among the Egyptians of about 2000
B.C.E, drama existed in religious
ceremonies for the worship of Osiris.
• But the drama, as known today, in
distinct forms of tragedy and comedy
is in Greece, in the festivals of
Dionysus in the 5th and 6th centuries
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.

Amphitheatre at the site of the ancient city of Epidaurus,

Greece (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
 Medieval Drama • During the Middle
Ages, theatre
began a new cycle
of development
that paralleled the
emergence of the
theatre from ritual
activity in the
early Greek
period.

The Play of Abraham and Isaac at an English estate in 1482(Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
 • Mystery Play. It was based on Holy
Scripture.
• Morality Play. Characters are
Medieval represented in abstract qualities, such as
vice, humanity, or death, and the tone is
Drama generally philosophical.
• Secular Drama. Dealing with everyday
character such as lawyers, the merchant,
the student, the young wife, and the old
foolish husband.
Renaissance Drama

• Also known as early modern

English theatre or
Elizabethan theatre in
England between 1562 and
1642.

Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, Italy; designed by Andrea Palladio and completed by

Vincenzo Scamozzi, 1585 (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.).
 (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.).

Drama of the 17th, 18th,

and 19th Centuries

• In England, in the middle of

18th century, the theater was
briefly revived by the comedy
of manners.
• French drama emerged in the
17th century, from its medieval
and religious influences, with
the classical tragedies. In the
19th century, romantic drama
flourished throughout Europe.
Modern Drama

• Credit should be given to

Henrik Ibsen, a
Norwegian dramatist, for
the development of
modern drama. Ibsen’s
influence on modern
drama was immense

Henrik Ibsen, 1870 (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)

Oriental Drama
•Dramas from Asian countries. The
drama is originated as elaboration of
liturgical practices. Asian actors long
ago rejected realistic presentation in
favor of abstraction and symbolism.
PHILIPPINE DRAMA
Duplo and Karagatan
• Duplo was a poetical debate held by trained
men and women in the ninth night, the last
night of the mourning period for the dead.
• Karagatan, was also a poetical debate like
duplo, but its participants were amateurs
 KARAGATAN DUPLO
Came first Replaced Karagatan
Includes old people, men and Involves 2 men fighting
women
One strategy of playing Can be performed in many
ways
Both use saying, riddles, parables, creative language, and verses
from literatures.
Both helped in the growth of the Filipino language.
Cenakulo.

• A very heavy drama

shown in relation to the
life sacrifices and death
of Jesus Christ. There
are two kinds of
presenting the
Cenakulo: Ablada (oral)
and Kantada (song).
https://www.hellotravel.com/events/senakulo
 Moro-Moro
• It’s a cloak-and-dagger play depicting
the wars between the Christians and
Muslims with the Christians always
on the winning side.
• 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.
Comedia or Moro-Moro, a folk drama based on the battles between Christians
and the Muslim Moro, the Philippines (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.).
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.
https://thestageandthestudio.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/phili
ppine-zarsuela/
 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/marinduque/events/
moriones-festival/a/poi-fes/1195156/1338215

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.
Ati-Atihan

• Dubbed as the Mother of All

Philippine Festivals
• It is a pagan ritual which has
become an annual affair
that the natives look
forward to with great
expectation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ati-Atihan_festival
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.
Japanese Drama
Noh Play

• Oldest Japanese drama

developed in the 1300s.
A puppet drama.
Founded in Osaka in
1864.

Joruri Play

https://taiken.co/single/ningyo-joruri-the-greatest-puppet-show-on-
earth/#:~:text=Ningyo%20Joruri%20is%20a%20500,puppet%2C%20and%20Joruri%20means%20narrative.
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.
https://travel.gaijinpot.com/kaho-gekijou-kabuki-theater/
Chinese Drama
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.
 Presentational style. The actors seem to be
shameless in expressing their strong feelings.

Basic
Styles of Representational style. Creates illusion on
stage.

Theater Eclectic style. Combination of the two styles

plus the influence from naturalism,
expressionism, symbolism, surrealism, and
other “isms.”
 • To effect change in the
audience.
• It is a platform for propaganda.
Functions of • To entertain.
Theater • It is for profit and pleasure.
• It challenges the mind and
touches the heart.
 •Prehistoric Time.
•Greek Theater.
Historical •Roman Theater.
Survey of •Medieval Theater.
Theater. •Romantic Theater.
•Renaissance Theater.
•Modern Theater. .
•Post Modernism Theater.
 Performers. The inhabiting
characters.

Elements of Audience. The essence of a theater

Theater is the interaction between the
performers and the audience.

Director. The person who rehearses

the performers.
 Director

• He analyzes the text.

• He discovers the meaning & intention of the playwright
• He works with the actors & actresses, supervising rehearsals & guiding their
performances.
• He selects an actor/actress for each role.
• He works closely with scene, costume, and lightning.
• He works on the over-all artistic quality of the production.
•Theater Space/Set. It is a place where spectators
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
personal, or “propstume“) props like
purses or belts as a subcategory.
Set Props • Set props include
all the furniture
on stage, and any
other “objects”
which are a part
of the set.
• It also includes
furniture-like
objects, such as
rocks which are
sat on.
Trim Props
Trim props hang on the
walls, like curtains,
blinds, or pictures.
Visual Effect Props

• These are the illusions or

visual tricks used in the
film, television, theatre,
to simulate the imagined
events in a story or
virtual world.
Sound effect props
• 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
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.