Notes for Theatre Test 2 - Notes for Second Theatre Test...

Notes for Second Theatre Test:
Greek Theatre:
Plays staged in amphitheatres.
Circular playing space called the Orkestra.
Entrance Exit isles called parados.
Audience sat in the theatron.
Orkestra = Thrust stage.
Skene = Scene house.
Chiton: flowing garment worn as outer costume by greek actors.
Kothornous: large platform shoes.
Artists of Dionysus, first guild.
Roman Theatre:
During the Punic Wars, at th height of roman power, rome came into contact wiwth greek
culture and borrowed heavily from the greek plays.
Romans prefferred popular entertainments and spectacles to the long and philosophical
plays of the greeks.
240 BC: Ludi Romani begins. Festival devoted to Jupiter.
They invented mime (juggling, singing, tumbling, etc.) and pantomime (similar to
modern balet).
Seneca (4 BC- AD 65) in his plays the chorus takes a very reduced role. His plays were
rife with violence and supernatural beings. Influenced hamlet.
Horace wrote the Ars Poetica, philosophical theories on dramatic technique. Argued that
tragedy and comedy should not be mixed.
The Dominus was the head of a roman troupe and the leading actor. Acted as the
producer for roman festivals.
Roman actors could only play their particular stock characters.
Scaena
Platea- raised area behind orkestra
Orchestra.
Auditorium
Vomitorium
Persona- name for a mask used to represent a character.

398 AD- Council of Carthage. Edict by catholic church which banned theatrical
performances.
Fall of Rome in 476 AD.
Roman Comedy:
Plautus based his plays on Greek New Comedy, focused on the pitfalls of romance. Used
stock characters.
Miles Gloriosus was a character of his, the basis for Shakespeare’s Falstaff.
Pseudolus inspired the modern, “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum.”
The Twin Menaechmi- action centers on mistaken identity. Influenced Shakespeare’s
Comedy of Errors.
Medieval Times: around the years 500-1000 are Dark Ages.