ancient Greek theatre, its characteristics, and its evolution over the years

 ancient Greek theatre, its characteristics, and its evolution over the years

Introduction

Theater refers to a form of collaborative performance that feature live performers (actresses or actor)

The performers present either an imagined or real event to a group of live audiences in a stage or other specific space.

From the ancient Greek period to the current modern era, amphitheaters have been the epicenter of many live performances. They are open-air venues commonly used in live performances, sports, and other entrainments.

The paper is a detailed look into the ancient Greek theatre, its characteristics, and its evolution over the years.

Background Information on Greek Theatre

Thespis, an ancient Greek performer, is one of the performer credit for his dramatic impersonation of other people. In 534B.C He won a competition that entailed the imitation of Dionysus, a Greek god.

Greek theatre took a central role in the political and social organization of the community. Most of these performances were held in hillside amphitheaters that could accommodate more than twenty thousand people.

Some of the playwrights that dominated Greek theaters such as tragedians, Menander, and Aristophanes. These playwrights had significant impacts for over 200 years.

Elements of Early Greek Theater

Sophocles trilogy in work Oedipus Rex, capture the common features of Greek theatre. Choruses were used to enhance the interplay among different actors in the performances.

Menander and Aristophanes are credited for the growth of Greek comedies. Most of their works were staged during winter festivals as opposed to the spring festivals that hosted the tragedies.

The decreasing appeal of tragic plays provided room for the growth of comedies in Greece. Comedy was seen as a perfect outlet for the high number of frustrations in society. It was common towards the decline of the Greek government.

Theatre during the Medieval Period

After the decline of the Greek government, the Romans borrowed significant elements from Greek art. These elements were used to develop Roman theatre, which was a reflection of the social trends, norms, and values.

Roman theater often conflicted with the Church as it was seen to retard the growth of religious groups in Rome.

The bent to comedy and other forms of arts meant that theatre was more appealing as compared to the Church.  The trend contributed to its disfavor by many religious groups in the country.

Despite the opposition and decline of Roman theatre, it is the Church that kept the art alive during the medieval period.

Contribution of the Early Church to the Growth of Theater

The desire by the Church to establish itself among the community members saw it shift to supporting theatre and other forms of entertainment.

The Church complied with the social pressures and planned its activities in line with the seasonal festivals. Most of the festivals by the Church hosted miracle plays, passion plays, and morality plays.

Although there were rampant conflicts between the Church and the actors, the collaboration allowed for the spread of the art across Europe, and these elements were later incorporated into both the 19^th and 20^th-century arts.

The 19^th Century Theatre

The 19^th Century was a period marked by the intense industrial revolution. These changes had profound impacts on social structures such as entertainment. There were equal changes in how people lived as well as work.

One of the major changes was the introduction of gaslighting in the early 18^th Century. It was used in the Dury Lane Theatre. It allowed for the detailed control of lighting lights.

The poor lighting has in the past contributed to the growth of melodrama. Under melodrama, more attention is placed on the spectacle and action as opposed to acting and the contents.

 Theatre in the 20^th Century

During the 20^th Century, two major fights largely centered on contradicting ideologies. Movements such as symbolism, realism, anti-realism, and impressionism impacted on the theatres.

There was similar advancement in the growth of commercial theater. There was the growth of music plays such as the Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma, and Showboat. With greater technological advancements, there was the introduction of the Phantom of the opera as well as Miss Saigon.

After the end of the Second World War, there was a shift in how tragedies were presented in the theatre. Elia Kazan oversaw these changes through the introduction of an actor’s studio. There were similar improvements in the art of writing plays.

Liveness in Theatre

Realism had profound impacts on the staging of plays.  Realism saw the replacement of drop sets and wings with box sets. It also led to the introduction of stage floors, revolving stages, rolling platforms, and stagehands.

The introduction of electric lights meant that there was better illumination in stages, thus offering a more authentic look. Realism called for the introduction of greater scenic impressions.

Although the plays were still melodramatic and romantic, there was the incorporation of many realism ideas to make them more appealing to the audiences.