Theater HistoryA Very Brief Overview

Why is it important to look at the past?

Have you ever looked at an old photo albums?

You probably have and seen:

..Old pictures of your family look kind of funny

I mean…you look cooler than they did

Learning from the past-you can learn a lot about yourself by looking at your past

-the same goes for theater

Prehistory:From out of the primordial ooze….

Drama as a process of social

development…….eventually becomes theater as performance

Primitive TheaterStorytelling

NO SPOKEN WORD

Theater’s Slightly Less Older Roots

Ceremony/Pseudo-Religion

To educate & enlightenTo pay homageCeremony/ritual = theater

NO WRITTEN WORD

Theater as RitualThree ConcernsPleasure - entertainmentPower – influencing controlling eventsDuty – to please the gods and teach about culture

EgyptDealt mostly with religion

Egyptian TheaterTECHNICALLY “written” (hieroglyphics)

-plays to honor the Pharoah at his coronation

-plays to heal the sick

-plays to celebrate Epyptian religious beliefs

-All plays performed by PRIESTS

Abydos Passion Play

About 2000BC

Stone tablet, preserved in German museum

Click icon for video

ChinaClick video to play

More ritual-involved music & dance

-dramatized occupations & the accompanying sensations of

working

joy

fatigue

contentment

Ritual StorytellingNot written down

Oral TraditionEroded by written media

Fun FactThe Story of Scherherazade in the Muslim Tradition

Fictional but shows prominent role women in storytelling tradition (rare in theater)

Oldest Storytelling Tradition: Griot

West African oral historianEmployed by kings/wealthyBecame a living archiveSome became tutors to young princesTradition survived from LACK of written language

Art of the GriotClick icon for video A MAJOR community

eventFocal point of festivals, etc.Drums, percussionCharacters, movement, sound effectsMusic integralAudience participationNearly dead by 20th century

Egungan ApidanGroup version of GriotTraveling group of up to 1518 scenes

Female chorusOrchestra of drums

common topics:Included:Entire village was their stageOften connected to ancestor worship

SIMILAR in North AmericaUsually established in the tribe, not travelersHeavier on masksStarted adding propsLIVELY audience participationTo entertain & impresssome in a special hut and just for the menOthers in flat, treeless area for women/children

NA Theater Prezi