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Serge Sudeikin's poster for the Bat Theatre
(1922).This article is about the field of performing arts. For the structure
theatre is performed in, see theatre (structure). For other uses, see Theatre
(disambiguation).
Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) (from French "théâtre", from
Greek "theatron", θέατρον, meaning "place of seeing") is the branch of the
performing arts defined as simply as what "occurs when one or more human beings,
isolated in time and/or space, present themselves to another or others."[1] By
this broad definition, theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of
human tendency for story telling. Since its inception, theatre has come to take
on many forms, often utilizing elements such as speech, gesture, music, dance,
and spectacle, combining the other performing arts, often as well as the visual
arts, into a single artistic form. Modern Western theatre is dominated by
realism, although many other forms, including classical and experimental forms,
as well as Eastern forms, are frequently performed.
Contents [hide]
1 Overview of theatre
2 Genres of theatre
3 Theatre venues and styles
4 Notable theatre festivals
5 Awards in theatre
6 Technical theatre
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
[edit] Overview of theatre
New York State Theater,
Lincoln CenterDrama (literally translated as action, from a verbal root meaning
"To do") is the branch of theatre in which speech, either from written text
(plays), or improvised is paramount. And the companion word drama is also Greek,
dran meaning to do. The first theatre, the Theatre of ancient Greece, created
the definition of a theatre: an audience in a half-circle watching an elevated
stage where actors use props staging plays. Musical theatre is a form of theatre
combining music, songs, dance routines, and spoken dialogue. However, theatre is
more than just what one sees on stage. Theatre involves an entire world behind
the scenes that creates the costumes, sets, and lighting to make the overall
effect interesting.
There is a long tradition of political theatre, which aims to educate audiences
on contemporary issues and encourage social change. The Catholic church took
advantage of the entertainment value of theatre to create passion plays, mystery
plays, and morality plays.
The Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre from the province of Kerala, is one of the
oldest living theatrical traditions in India. It is traditionally performed in
the Kuttampalams, theatres located in Hindu temples. The Kutiyattam goes back
more than 2000 years and represents a unique synthesis of Sanskrit classicism
and local traditions of Kerala (particularly the comic theatre in the Malayalam
language).[2] Artist Guru Māni Mādhava Chākyār as Ravana in KutiyattamAn
overview of the traditional theatres of India suggests that multiple systems of
communication are ordered into hierarchies that vary from theatre to theatre.
Abstract masks and song-less mime dominate the Seraikella Chhau of Bihar, while
the shifting use of municipal space flavours the grand Ram Lila at Ramnagar in
Uttar Pradesh. In the Kuchipudi theatre (Andhra Pradesh) and the Bhagavatamela (Tanjore
district, Tamilnadu), elaborate dance and stylised hand gestures prevail.
Spectacular headdresses, costumes, and colour-coded makeup distinguish both the
Kathakali theatre of Kerala and the Yakshagana of Karnataka.[3]
There are a variety of philosophies, artistic processes, and theatrical
approaches to creating plays and drama. Some are connected to political or
spiritual ideologies, and some are based on purely "artistic" concerns. Some
processes focus on a story, some on theatre as event, and some on theatre as
catalyst for social change. According to Aristotle's seminal theatrical critique
Poetics, there are six elements necessary for theatre: Plot, Character, Idea,
Language, Song, and Spectacle. The 17th-century Spanish writer Lope de Vega
wrote that for theatre one needs "three boards, two actors, and one passion".
Others notable for their contribution to theatrical philosophy are Konstantin
Stanislavski, Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, Orson Welles, Peter Brook, and
Jerzy Grotowski.
The most recognisable figures in theatre are the directors, playwrights, and
actors, but theatre is a highly collaborative endeavour. Plays are usually
produced by a production team that commonly includes a scenic or set designer,
lighting designer, costume designer, sound designer, dramaturg, stage manager,
and production manager. The artistic staff is assisted by technical theatre
personnel who handle creation and execution of the production.
Some[weasel words] theatre theorists argue that actors should study all of the
commonly-taught acting methods to perfect their craft (though many others
disagree), such as the Meisner, Stanislavsky, Strasberg, and Hagen acting
methods. Theater, overall, encompasses people, ideas, and the works of art that
result from their collaboration.
[edit] Genres of theatre
There are a variety of genres that writers, producers, and directors can employ
in theatre to suit a variety of tastes:
Musical theatre: A theatrical genre in which a story is told through the
performance of singing (with instrumental music), spoken dialogue, and often
dance.
Natya: Sacred classical Indian musical theatre that includes natya proper (mime)
and nritta (pure dance).
Nautanki: A diverse Indian form of street plays consisting of folklore and
mythological dramas with interludes of folk songs and dances.
Theatre for social change: Theatre that addresses a social issue and uses
performance as a way of illustrating injustice to the audience.
Comedy: Comes from the Greek word komos which means celebration, revel, or
merrymaking. It does not necessarily mean funny, but can focus on a problem that
leads to some form of catastrophe which in the end has a happy and joyful
outcome.
Farce: A comic dramatic piece that uses highly improbable situations,
stereotyped characters, extravagant exaggeration, fast pacing, and violent
horseplay.
Pantomime: A form of musical drama in which elements of dance, mime, puppetry,
slapstick, and melodrama are combined to produce an entertaining and comic
theatrical experience, often designed for children.
Romantic comedy: A medley of clever scheming, calculated coincidence, and
wondrous discovery, all of which contribute ultimately to making the events
answer precisely to the hero's or heroine's wishes, with the focus on love.
Comedy of situation: A comedy that grows out of a character's attempt to solve a
problem created by a situation. The attempt is often bumbling but ends up
happily.
Comedy of manners: Witty, cerebral form of dramatic comedy that depicts and
often satirises the manners and affectations of a contemporary society. A comedy
of manners is concerned with social usage and the question of whether or not
characters meet certain social standards.
Commedia dell'arte: Very physical form of comedy which was created and
originally performed in Italy. Commedia uses a series of stock characters and a
list of events to improvise an entire play.
Black comedy: Comedy that tests the boundaries of good taste and moral
acceptability by juxtaposing morbid or ghastly elements with comical ones.
Melodrama: Originally, a sentimental drama with musical underscoring. Often with
an unlikely plot that concerns the suffering of the good at the hands of the
villains but ends happily with good triumphant. Featuring stock characters such
as the noble hero, the long-suffering heroine, and the cold-blooded villain.
Tragedy: A drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or
terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. The word "Tragedy"
comes from the Greek word "Tragos" which is translated to "Goat". The original
meaning may come from the mystery plays of the cult of Dionysos, which centered
on the god being killed and his body ripped to pieces, and with a goat or other
animal as a proxy for the bloodshed.
Tragicomedy: A drama that has a bitter/sweet quality, containing elements of
tragedy and comedy.
Domestic drama: Drama that focuses on the everyday domestic lives of people and
their relationships in the community where they live.
Fantasy: The creation of a unique landscape on which a hero goes on a quest to
find something that will defeat the powers of evil. Along the way, this hero
meets a variety of weird and fantastic characters.
Morality play: A morality play is an allegory in which the characters are
abstractions of moral ideas.
Opera: A theatrical genre in which a story is told and emotion is conveyed
primarily through singing (with instrumental music).
Rock opera: Concept albums and stage works performed in a dramatic context
reminiscent of opera, except that the musical form is rock music.
Physical theatre: Theatrical performance in which the primary means of
communication is the body, through dance, mime, puppetry and movement, rather
than the spoken word.
Theatre of the Absurd: Term coined by Martin Esslin to refer to playwrights in
Europe and the United States after World War II whose work reflected a sense of
being adrift in a world where known values had been shattered. No playwrights
ever dubbed themselves "Absurdists," although it has become commonplace to refer
to Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Harold Pinter, and Jean Genet, among others,
by this term. It can be seen as related to the philosophy of existentialism.
Meta-Theatre: A genre of theatre made popular with mostly modern audiences,
although it did start back in the Elizabethan Era. Meta-Theatre is when a play
often completely demolishes the so called "fourth wall" and completely engages
the audience. Often about a group of actors, a director, writer and so on. It
usually blurs the line between what is scripted and what goes on by accident.
Grand Guignol: Now broadly used to refer to any play with on-stage violence, the
term originally referred to the bloody and gruesome melodramas produced at the
Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris, France.
Total Theatre: Most frequently invoked in reference to Richard Wagner's concept
of a Gesamtkuntswerk, or "Total Art Work," in which music, drama, and dance
operate together. It has also been used by artists such as Steven Berkoff, who
created a style where the actors become both characters and set, often using
just one prop throughout the entire play. The style uses features of Greek
theatre (eg. a chorus or didactic message), exaggeration and surrealism.
Poor Theatre: Jerzy Grotowski coined the phrase "poor theatre" in reference to
the work he was doing with his theatre troupe in Poland. Grotowski's style of
poor theatre consisted of many important fine points. For one, there was not a
separate stage and place for the audience; instead the actors and the audience
shared the same space. There were no sets, props, lighting, music, or any other
technical features. The actors were paramount, although their costumes were
simple. Grotowski had his actors go through physical training, and even would
spend many months rehearsing a play. Some of these poor theatre plays would only
be performed once, to a small audience. This theatre style was very popular
during the 1960’s and 70’s, and later on, was used by many acting troupes around
the world.
[edit] Theatre venues and styles
Broadway and the West End
Commedia del Arte
Community theatre
Dinner theatre
Fringe theatre
Improvisational theatre
In-yer-face theatre
Kabuki
Kutiyattam
Light opera
Musical theatre
Noh theatre
Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Opera
Opera house
Off West End
Pantomime
Persian theatre
Physical theatre
Playback Theatre
Postmodern theatre
Proletcult Theatre
Reader's Theatre
Regional theatre
Repertory
Street theatre
Summer stock theatre
Temple dance
The Guthrie Theater
Theatre of the Absurd
Theatre of the Oppressed
Touring theatre
[edit] Notable theatre festivals
Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá.
Edinburgh International Festival.
Golden Mask Festival (Russia).
Galway Arts Festival (Galway Ireland)
Project06 (Galway Ireland).
Natyanjali Classical Indian musical theatre festival in the Hindu temples of
South India.
Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, California).
Festival Internacional de Artistas de Rua da Bahia - Brazil. (Street artists).
Curitiba Theater Festival - Brazil.
Stratford Festival- Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
[edit] Awards in theatre
European Theatre Award (Europe)
Molière Award (France)
Sangeet Natak Academy Award (India)
Golden Mask Award (Russia)
Masks (Quebec, Canada)
Hans-Reinhart-Ring (Switzerland)
Evening Standard Awards (United Kingdom)
Laurence Olivier Awards (United Kingdom)
London Critics' Circle Theatre Awards (United Kingdom)
Manchester Evening News Annual Drama Awards (United Kingdom)
Drama Desk Award (USA)
Elliot Norton Awards (Boston, MA, USA)
Joseph Jefferson Award (USA)
Lucille Lortel Award (USA)
Obie Award (USA)
Tony Award (USA)
New York Innovative Theatre Awards (USA)
Helpmann Award (Australia)
Green Room Award (Australia)
Matilda Award (Australia)
Musical Awards Gala (Netherlands)
Naledi Theatre Awards (South Africa)
[edit] Technical theatre
Main article: Stagecraft
Professional Stagehands (IATSE)
LDI (USA)
United States Institute for Theatre Technology
[edit] See also
Bouffon
Break a leg
Censorship
Chinface
Culinary theatre
Digital theatre
Dramatist
Epic Theatre
History of theatre
Irish theatre
List of early-modern women playwrights (UK)
List of Irish dramatists
List of playwrights
List of playwrights by nationality and date of birth
List of theatre directors
Mask Sound & Dance Theatre
Movie theater
Opera house
Puppet theatre
Scenic design
Showcase theatre (performing arts group)
Stagecraft
Suspension of disbelief
Theatre for development
Theatre in India
Theatre in the United States
Theatre technique
Theatrical style
Tableaux Vivant
Theatre in architecture
Theatre consultant
Theatre theory
Māni Mādhava Chākyār
[edit] References
^ Bernard Beckerman, head of Hofstra University's department of drama, in his
book, Dynamics of Drama
^ UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity : "Kutiyattam,
Sanskrit Theatre"
^ Hansen, Kathryn. Grounds for Play: The Nautanki Theatre of North India.
Berkeley: University of California Press, c1992 1992. pp208-209
[edit] Further reading
Chākyār, Māni Mādhava. Nātyakalpadrumam, Sangeet Natak Academi, New Delhi, 1975
AussieTheatre.com Australia's premier theatre website
Post-Theater is an academic journal specialising in post style theatre.
New York Times Theater section Theater reviews.
Theatre terms dictionary
University of Bristol Theatre Collection
Theatre.com - info on London theatre and shows
Internet Broadway Database
BroadwayWorld.com - extensive theatre site with news, photos, forums and more...
New York Theatre Guide Broadway and Off Broadway show info
Theatre Archive Project (UK) British Library & University of Sheffield
American Society of Theatre Consultants
United Stages
UK Theatre Network
NewPlays.org.uk - Popular new plays and theatre directory.
Theatre Wikia - An editable database dedicated to all aspects of theatre.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre"
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