Living Theatre Chapter 9
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Davenant
-
-theatrical producer during commonwealth period & formerly a court playwright;
-circumvented Puritan restrictions on theater;
-produced “The First Day’s Entertainment at Rutland House†and “The Siege of Rhodesâ€, which used a proscenium arch & wing-and-shutter set, is considered the first English opera, and first used actresses - Killigrew
- Killigrew stayed with royal family in France during exile
- Devenant & Killigrew
- D&K granted patent on London theater by Charles II in 1660; divided their company into Davenant’s Duke’s Company of younger actors and Killigrew’s King’s Company of older actors
- John Dryden
- most notable author of Restoration tragedy; “All for Love†= transformation of “Antony & Cleopatra†into neoclassical tragedy;
- heroic tragedy
-
serious drama of the Restoration period,
extraordinary characters undertaking extraordinary deeds; themes of love & honor - Aphra Behn
-
-very successful writer of comedy of intrigue during English Restoration;
-first woman English playwright;
-also first to earn a living as the writer;
-"The Forced Marriage†= first play;
-bawdiness;
-“The Town Fop†and “The Roverâ€;
-tragicomedies of intrigue, very contrived, influenced by Spanish theater and Italian commedia; - comedy of manners
-
-focuses on the fashions and foibles of the upper class (gossip, adultery, sexual escapades);
-poke fun at social conventions and period norms;
-satirize upper-class preoccupation with reputation;
-importance of language (wit, repartee, sexual suggestion);
-influenced by Moliere;
-dramatic structure combines French & Italian neoclassical theater with Elizabethan theater (crisis & episodic forms);
-stock characters with names describing traits; fop = common character;
-“The Country Wifeâ€, “Love in a Tubâ€, etc - William Wycherly
-
-comedy of manners;
-satirized elegant society and was also a member of it;
-wrote only a few plays, hobby not profession;
-borrowed material from Moliere and Terence;
-master of sexual humor;
-sponsored at court by King’s favored duke;
-“The Country Wifeâ€,
-in later years, fell out of favor in court - William Congreve
-
-another Restoration dramatist;
-wrote 4 comedies, including “The Way of the Worldâ€, later considered best Restoration comedy;
-“The Way of the World†bridged bawdy Restoration comedy & 18th century sentimental comedy - Nell Gwynn
-
-best-known theater personality of Restoration era;
-famous for comic performances, dancing, and liaison with Charles II;
-began as orange girl at Theater Royal in Drury Lane;
-became mistress of leading actor, Charles Hart;
-known for singing, dancing, charm, beauty, and wit;
-specialized in breeches roles; - Christopher Rich
- most successful theatrical business man of Restoration; controlled patents issued to both Davenant and Killigrew; exploitive lawyer who managed the finances of the United Company; bad financial practices led to revolt of actors
- breeches roles
- dramatic device instated after women began performing on English stages in 1660; parts that required women to dress as men; ex. “The Country Wife
- contract system
-
–replaced sharing plan system;
-actors hired for a specific period of time at a set salary;
-marked decline of actors’ control over theater in London (companies outside London continued to use sharing plan);
-included use of benefit performances - Thomas Betterton
-
-finest actor of the Restoration;
-member of Davenant’s Duke’s Company (shareholder and leading actor);
-also noted for performances in Shakespeare’s plays;
-attention to detail, self-discipline, restraint;
-model of English oratorical style until mid-18th century;
-esp. noted for Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, though had a wide range for both comedy & tragedy;
-married leading actress in Duke’s Company;
-became co-manager after Davenant’s death;
-studied French theater innovations in Paris;
-headed United Company after merger of Duke’s and King’s Companies;
-led revolt of actors against Rich & company management, set up rival company, eventually collapsed due to financial instability - Drury Lane
-
– theater in London still existing;
-first built by Killigrew in 1663, known as Theater Royal, descriptions vary;
-simple, classical, elegant;
-seated 650 ppl; pit, box, gallery arrangement; 34ft deep platform stage, back half framed by proscenium & held scenic elements;
-Killigrew & Davenant's companies' homes
-patent passed to Christopher Rich, bankrupted & closed in 1709
-18th century gentleman ghost - Dorset Garden
-
-third major theater in London during Restoration
-evidence to suggest it was used primarily for plays with extensive scenic effects - drame bourgeois
-
-dramatic form championed by Denis Diderot;
-any serious play that did not fit the neoclassical definition of tragedy and featured middle-class protagonists;
-also middle-class or domestic tragedy;
-themes of middle-class morality;
-sentimental and melodramatic, i.e. openly emotional and good vs. evil;
-ex. “The London Merchant†- sentimental comedy
-
popular dramatic form in England;
-similar to Restoration comedy, but reaffirms middle-class morality (virtue rewarded, wickedness punished);
-comedies of manners = satirize socials norms and conventions;
-in France, featured emotional & virtuous characters beset by misfortune, but ends happily;
-ex. “The Rivalsâ€, “The School for Scandal†- ballad opera
-
-English parody of Italian opera;
-popularized in 1730’s by “The Beggar’s Operaâ€;
-no sung dialogue (recitative);
-spoken dialogue alternated with songs set to popular melodies;
-lower class characters;
-social & political satires - opera comique
-
-evolved from French pantomime-like entertainment;
-printed cards displayed text in rhyming couplets, action was mimed by performers;
-spectators encouraged to sing dialogue;
-characters drawn from commedia;
-became increasingly like ballad opera as legal restrictions eased;
-by mid-century, less satirical & comic, more sentimental with recognizable French characters - R.B. Sheridan
-
-best-known writer of sentimental comedy;
-also theater manager and politician;
-“The Rivalsâ€, “The Duenna†(long-running ballad opera);
-became part-owner of Drury Lane;
-“The School for Scandalâ€, “The Criticâ€;
-restricted unlicensed theaters;
-spectacle and pantomime; - Denis Diderot
-
-“Discourse on Dramatic Poetry†defined drame bourgeois;
-greater realism on stage (acting and scenic);
-wrote plays to illustrate ideas, ex. “The Illegitimate Son†and “The Father of the Familyâ€; “The Paradox of Acting†supported case for a studied rather than emotional actor;
-concept of “fourth wall†- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
-
responsible for important innovations in German theater;
-theater director, critic, playwright, and philosopher;
-involved in “storm and stress†movement;
-first important play = “Goetz von Berlichingenâ€;
-believed theatre should transcend the ordinary;
-intensive rehearsals, ensemble company, rehearsal rules;
-believed actors should address audience;
-routine blocking patterns, but careful stage compositions;
-“Rules for Actors†addressed personal behavior to improve social status;
-established “stage German†dialect;
-oversaw sets and costumes;
-historical accuracy;
-regulated audience reactions - Sturm und Drang
-
“storm and stressâ€, Germany;
- rejection of dramatic rules;
-not uniform in playwriting techniques, some imitated Shakespeare’s episodic structure;
-“Goetz von Berlichingen†and “The Robbersâ€;
-Goethe & Friedrich Schiller;
-radical in style and subject;
-forerunner of 19th century romanticism - Covent Garden
-
-opened by John Rich, 1732;
-extravagant pantomimes and revivals;
-one of two theaters licensed by the 1737 act;
-theater enlarged twice, ultimately to 3000 seats;
-site of first historically accurate production of “King John†in 1824; - The Licensing Act of 1737
-
issued by Parliament;
-restricted the presentation of drama to the Drury Lane and Covent Garden theaters;
-made the lord chamberlain responsible for licensing plays, rather than the master of revels;
-stipulated against profit and particular list of presentations - Carlo Gozzi
-
-sought greater antirealism in commedia;
-noble, but impoverished Venetian family;
-began writing as a young man;
-thought realism made commedia mundane & boring;
-mixture of prose & poetry;
-planned action & improv;
-25-year association with Venetian acting company;
-10 fantasy plays based on Western & Asian myth;
-“The King Stagâ€, “The Green Birdâ€;
-all elements should emphasize the fantastic - Carlo Goldoni
-
-sought greater realism in commedia;
-middle class of Venice;
-house dramatist for theater in Venice;
-attempted comic interludes, tragedies, tragicomedies, opera librettos;
-house dramatist for another theater;
-moved commedia from scenarios to full scripts;
-discouraged masks and improv;
-“The Venetian Twinsâ€, “The Mistress of the Innâ€;
-created plays with oriental theme;
-wrote in Paris late in life;
-took stock characters towards sentimentality - boulevard theaters
-
-located on Boulevard du Temple;
-catered to popular tastes;
-invented many types of musical entertainments to avoid monopolies of government theaters;
-developed from popular fair entertainments such as comic opera, pantomime, and melodrama;
-all eventually put under control of Opera in 1784 - ground rows
- silhouette cutouts along the stage floor
- act drops
- curtains at the front of the stage
- melodrama
- emerged in boulevard theaters at end of 18th century; spectacular effects, violent action, moral lessons; good vs. evil
- local color
- the inclusion of places audience members will recognize from their own community; re-creating recognizable locales
- the Bibiena family
-
-most influential Italian designers and theater architects of the 18th century;
-three generations, 7 family members; 3 innovations: baroque art in scene designs, vast scale and ornamentation of settings, and angle perspective (several vanishing points);
-settings extend beyond proscenium arch;
-established style of scene design on a grandiose scale - Charles Macklin
-
-attempted to utilize historically accurate costumes;
-best known for sympathetic, tragic portrayal of Shylock in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Veniceâ€;
-strolling player before acting at Lincoln’s Inn Field;
-later became member of Drury Lane Theater;
-considered primarily comic performer;
-many lawsuits; natural performance style rooted in observation and mimicry;
-method described in John Hill’s “The Actorâ€; dismissed from Drury Lane after actors’ strike;
-later became playwright - David Garrick
-
-oversaw entire production process = early director;
-surprisingly natural style;
-acting based on observation;
-equally skilled in comedy & tragedy;
-became a patent holder at Drury Lane Theater;
-championed natural acting style, development of character traits through preparation & research;
-long rehearsal periods;
-strict disciplinarian;
-banished spectators from stage;
-experimented with historical accuracy - Caroline Neuber
-
-formed troupe with husband in 1725;
-German actress and actor-manager who attempted to reform popular theater;
-introduced neoclassical dramatic forms;
-focused on rehearsal and staging;
-initially eliminated some comic, clown characters;
-insisted on memorization of lines;
-performed Gottsched’s model repertory;
-eventually broke with critic;
-most acclaimed as comic actress