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    Introduction To Theatre

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    Gerald Getalado
    Theatre began as a way to preserve culture, pay tribute to gods, and entertain. The ancient Greeks established many theatre conventions still used today such as building theatres into hillsides so large audiences could see and hear plays. Greek dramas fell into tragedy and comedy categories. Aristotle identified key theatre elements including plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. Theatre differs from film and television in its live nature which allows for unique audience experiences but limits technical elements. Stages come in proscenium, thrust, and arena styles and actors use stage areas and positions to best engage audiences.

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    Introduction To Theatre

    Uploaded by

    Gerald Getalado
    528 views30 pages
    Theatre began as a way to preserve culture, pay tribute to gods, and entertain. The ancient Greeks established many theatre conventions still used today such as building theatres into hillsides so large audiences could see and hear plays. Greek dramas fell into tragedy and comedy categories. Aristotle identified key theatre elements including plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. Theatre differs from film and television in its live nature which allows for unique audience experiences but limits technical elements. Stages come in proscenium, thrust, and arena styles and actors use stage areas and positions to best engage audiences.

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    Introduction to Theatre

    Original Title

    Introduction to Theatre

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    Theatre began as a way to preserve culture, pay tribute to gods, and entertain. The ancient Greeks established many theatre conventions still used today such as building theatres into hillsides so large audiences could see and hear plays. Greek dramas fell into tragedy and comedy categories. Aristotle identified key theatre elements including plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. Theatre differs from film and television in its live nature which allows for unique audience experiences but limits technical elements. Stages come in proscenium, thrust, and arena styles and actors use stage areas and positions to best engage audiences.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    528 views30 pages

    Introduction To Theatre

    Uploaded by

    Gerald Getalado
    Theatre began as a way to preserve culture, pay tribute to gods, and entertain. The ancient Greeks established many theatre conventions still used today such as building theatres into hillsides so large audiences could see and hear plays. Greek dramas fell into tragedy and comedy categories. Aristotle identified key theatre elements including plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. Theatre differs from film and television in its live nature which allows for unique audience experiences but limits technical elements. Stages come in proscenium, thrust, and arena styles and actors use stage areas and positions to best engage audiences.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 30

    Introduction To Theatre

    Introduction to Theatre

    Theatre: Dramatic literature or its performance;


    drama
    While elements of theatre date back thousands of
    years, the Greeks truly established theatre and
    drama as we know it today.
    Why would theatre begin?
    1. Preservation of culture
    2. Payment to the gods/God
    3. Entertainment
    Theatre of Dionysius - Athens
    Ancient Greek Theatre

    The theatres were built in to hillsides and


    designed so everyone could hear and see the
    play
    Ancient Theatres sat roughly 12,000 14,000
    spectators (The United Center seats 22,00)
    Greek Drama

    Greek Drama fit in to 2 main concepts


    1. Tragedy a play that ends in a funeral
    2. Comedy a play that ends in a wedding
    Greek Drama

    Aristotle wrote a piece known as Aristotles


    Poetics
    In his writing he identified the six elements
    of Theatre that are still applied today
    6 elements of theatre

    1. Plot
    2. Character
    3. Thought
    4. Diction
    5. Music
    6. Spectacle
    Plot
    Def: The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama
    There are seven elements to a plot line
    Similarities and Differences in
    Television, Theatre, and Film
    Television Film Theatre

    Prerecorded and edited Prerecorded and edited Viewed Live

    Intimate Medium Large Casts Both

    Viewed in small and Large screen suited for Actual presence of


    often private settings mass audiences and actors helps establish
    spectacle unique audience/ player
    relationship
    Television Film Theatre

    Special effects can Special effects can Special effects are


    appear realistic appear realistic limited

    Requires least audience Requires some audience Requires the most


    commitment commitment audience commitment

    Mobile cameras enable Mobile cameras enable Settings limited and


    the settings to be the settings to be audiences sightlines
    realistic and in great realistic and in great must be considered
    detail detail
    Television Film Theatre

    Can be filmed on Can be filmed on N/A


    location location

    Actual lighting, weather, Actual lighting, weather, Lighting must


    and environmental and environmental approximate time and
    conditions can be conditions can be conditions
    recorded recorded

    Flashbacks can be Flashbacks can be Flashbacks are harder


    shown immediately shown immediately to convey
    Television Film Theatre

    The slightest movement, The slightest movement, Voice and gestures may
    gesture, or sound is gesture, or sound is be exaggerated
    easily recorded by the easily recorded by the
    camera camera

    Use of canned laughter Use of canned laughter N/A


    stimulates the audience stimulates the audience

    Computer graphics can Computer graphics can N/A


    be used to create be used to create
    illusions illusions
    The Performance Space
    Types of Stages
    Proscenium Stage:
    Like a picture frame.
    The audience sits on one side to
    watch the action through the
    frame (also known as the fourth
    wall).
    Often, curtains hide the scenery
    until the play begins.
    Continued

    Arena or In-the-round Stage:


    The audience sits all around
    it. The actors enter and exit
    from the aisles or sometimes
    from tunnels under the
    audience.
    Thrust Stage:
    A combination of the arena and proscenium
    stages.
    The actors enter and exit through the
    audience as in an arena stage and also
    through doors in the rear-wall scenery as in
    a proscenium stage.
    Stage and Body Positions
    STAGE POSITIONS ARE FROM THE ACTORS
    POINT OF VIEW!!!

    THE AUDIENCE
    THE STAGE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS
    ACROSS.

    THE AUDIENCE
    THE STAGE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS FROM FRONT TO BACK. UPSTAGE
    IS AWAY FROM THE AUDIENCE AND DOWNSTAGE IS TOWARD THE AUDIENCE.
    THE ACTOR COMES DOWN TO THE AUDIENCE.

    THE AUDIENCE
    THE ACTING AREA BECOMES A GRID
    OF 9 AREAS.

    Up Right Up Center Up Left

    Right Center Center Left Center

    Down Right Down Center Down Left

    THE AUDIENCE
    Actors Body Positions
    Full Back

    Right Left

    Profile Profile
    Right Left

    Right Left
    Full Front

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