fact

fact or bluff

Theater means
“place of seeing”.
 fact
fact or bluff

The theater building

was called theatron.
BLUFF
fact or bluff

Audience is large circular or

rectangular area at the
center part of theater.
BLUFFfact or bluff

Orchestra is a group of
individuals who get together for
a purpose of seeing a
performance.
fact
fact or bluff

Masks are used

in Greek plays.
 WESTERN
CLAsSICAL
PLAYS/OPERA
History of the Theatrical Forms
and Their Evolution
Theater means ―place of seein, but it is
more than the buildings where performance
take place. To produce theater, a playwright
writes the scripts, the director rehearses
the performers, the designer and technical
crew produce props to create the scenes,
and actors and actresses perform on stage.
Then it will only be a true theater act when
an audience witnesses it.
 3 Types of theater stage:

ARENA: Earliest
type of theater, the THRUST: The
PROSCENIUM:
audience surrounds audience in only in
all sides of the The audience is
three sides of the
stage. stage. only on one
side.
GREEK THEATER (700 B.C.E-410
C.E)

It started at about 700 B.C., honoring their many gods with

festivals. The theater were large, open air structures
constructed on a slope of a hill.
 The Orchestra

a larger circular/
rectangular at
the center part of
the theater where
all acts took
place.
It is consisted to 3 main elements:

The Theatron, it is
known as the
viewing place.
Skene, the stage in
the theater. Last is
the Parados or the
side entrance.
The theater of ancient Greece consisted of three
types of drama: Tragedy, Comedy and the Satyr
play.
Tragedy
is a compound of two Greek words,
―trago or "goat" and ― (ode)
meaning "song, referring to goats
sacrificed to Dionysus before
performances, or to goat-skins worn
by the performers.
In Greece, tragedy was the most
admired type of play. It dealt
with tragic events and have an
unhappy ending, especially one
concerning the downfall of the
main character. Thespis was the
first actor and introduced the
use of masks and was called the
"Father of Tragedy” .
 comedy
Comedy plays were derived from
imitation; there were no traces of their
origin. Aristophanes wrote most of the
comedy plays. Out of these 11 plays,
Lysistrata survived, a humorous tale
about a strong woman who led a female
coalition to end war in Greece. Cyclops
was an adventurous comedy by
Euripides.
Satyr Play
Satyr Play contains comic elements
to lighten the overall mood or a
serious play with a happy ending.
The satyr play was a short,
lighthearted tailpiece performed after
each trilogy of the tragedies. It is an
ancient Greek form of tragic comedy.
It featured choruses of satyrs, based
on Greek mythology, and with
pretended drunkenness, bold
sexuality (including phallic props),
tricks, and sight jokes.
ROMAN THEATER

The Ancient Theatre of Rome began in the 3rd century BC. Roman
Chariots – usual themes for Roman theater plays. The Triumvir
Pompey was one of the first permanent (non-wooden) theater in
Rome.
Greek theatres had a great
influence on the Roman’s
theater, too. The Triumvir
Pompey- was one of the
first permanent (non-
wooden) theatres in Rome,
whose structure was
somewhat similar to the
theatron of Athens.
The usual themes for Roman theater plays were chariots races, gladiators,
and public executions. The Romans loved a good spectacle. They loved to
watch combat, admired blood sports and gladiator competition. The more
realistic the violence, the more it pleased Roman audiences. The Christians
however opposed the barbaric themes of the plays and closed down all
theaters.
Medieval Theater 500 C.E.-1400
During the Medieval era, theater
performances were not allowed
throughout Europe. To keep the
theater alive, minstrels, though
denounced by the Church,
performed in markets, public
places and festivals. They
travelled from one town to
another as puppeteers, jugglers,
story tellers, dancers, singers, and
other theatrical acts. These
minstrels were viewed as
Churches in Europe started staging
Churches in Europe started
their own theater performances
staging their own theater
during Easter Sundays
performances during Easter with biblical
stories
Sundaysand events.
with biblicalEventually,
stories and
some plays
events. were brought
Eventually, outside
some plays
were
the brought
church dueoutside theportrayal
to their church of
due to their portrayal of the
the devil and hell. An example of devil
and hell. An example of this kind
this kind of play is the ―Mystére
of play is the ―Mystére d‟Adam”
d‟Adam” or "The Mystery of
or "The Mystery of Adam. The
Adam.‖ The story revolves
story revolves around Adam and around
Adam andends
Eve and Evewith
andtheends with the
devil
devil capturing
capturing and bringing
and bringing them tothem
Renaissance Theater: 1400-1600
Renaissance theater arts
were characterized by a
return of Classical Greek
and Roman arts and
culture. During Middle
Ages, mystery plays
formed a part of religious
festivals in England and
other parts of Europe
during the Renaissance
period.
One of the most prominent
supporters of this theater was
Queen Elizabeth I. The players
that performed on the Elizabeth
stage were called “
professionals”. The theatre
buildings were round, square,
or octagonal, with attached
roofs covering the structure
surrounding an open courtyard.
The famous actor and poet who
emerged in this period was William
Shakespeare. He was baptized on April
26, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616.
He was an English poet, playwright
and actor and regarded as the
greatest writer and dramatist in the
whole world. Shakespeare was often
called England's national poet and the
"Bard of Avon". His works consist of
about 38 plays. Some of these plays
were well-loved Romeo and Juliet and
Hamlet.
Innovations of the Stage:
1. Proscenium was developed. This is
the area of a theater surrounding the
stage opening. Arches frame and
divide the stage from the audience.
2. Backdrops for scenery were
popularized by the art of painting
clothes.
3. Commedia dell‟arte or ―Comedy
of the Profession‖ was developed. It
was quick-witted performance of the
characters/players
Baroque Theater 1600-1750
The theater of the
Baroque period is marked
by the use of technology
in current Broadways or
commercial plays. The
theater crew uses
machines for special
effects and scene
changes which may be
changed in a matter of
seconds with the use of
The use of theatrical
technologies in the
Baroque period may
be seen in the films
Vatel (2000), Farinelli
(1999) and in the
different stage
productions of
―Orpheu by Claudio
Neoclassical Theater 1800-1900
The
Neoclassical
period was a
movement
where the
styles of
Roman and
Greek societies
influenced the
theater arts.
During the Neoclassical period, the theater was characterized by its grandiosity. Costumes and
sceneries were highly elaborate. The main concepts of the plays were to entertain and to teach
lessons. Stages were restyled with dramatic arches to highlight the scenes. Multiple entry points on the
stage were evident in many plays. Lighting and sound effects intensified the mood and message of
each scene, enhancing the dramatic experience. The idea of changing scenery and backdrops become
more noticeable, particularly with the invention of pulley systems that allowed parts to move more
quickly across the stage.
The concept of
decorum
(meaning right
and proper
audience
behavior) was
applied in this
period which
means
classical
concepts and
appropriate
social behavior
must be
This period officially established just two types of plays, tragedy
and comedy. They never mixed these together, and the
restriction led to the use of the now well-known pair of happy
and sad masks that symbolize the theatrical arts.
Three playwrights achieved a
significant amount of success.
Pierre Cornielle (1606 –
1684) was often called
the father of the French
tragedy, writing scripts
for more than four
decades. One of these
was “The Cid”.
Three playwrights achieved a
significant amount of success.
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin,
better known as
Molière (1622 – 1673)
was known for his
comedies, “Tartuffe and
The Missanthrope was
one of his works.
Three playwrights achieved a
significant amount of success.
Jean Racine (1639 – 1699)
was a tragedian beloved
for his simple approach to
action and the linguistic
rhythms and effects he
achieved. ―Andromache
and Phaedra” was one of
his scripts.
TRIVIA about the Neoclassical
Theater:
1. The first
"spotlight" was
used in the U.S.
during this period
and was called the
"Limelight.
TRIVIA about the Neoclassical
Theater:
2. The Theatre Regulation Act
of 1843 banned drinking in
legitimate theaters. Many
tavern owners took
advantage of the situation
and renovated their
establishments to
accommodate live
performances.
Romantic Theater 1800-2000
Romantic Playwrights:
During Romantic period,
melodrama and ―operas
became the most popular
theatrical forms. Melodrama
originated from the French word
“melodrame”, which is derived
from Greek ―melos”, music, and
French drame”, which is derived
from Greek ―dran” to peform.
 MELODRAMA
Melodrama can be also be
described as a dramatic work
that puts characters in a lot of
danger in order to appeal to the
emotions and in which orchestral
music or song was used to
accompany the action.
 OPERA
Opera, in the other hand, is an art
form In which singers and musicians
perform a dramatic work combining text
(called a libretto) and musical score.
Such as acting, scenery, and costumes
and dance were important elements of
theater. It is usually performed in an
opera house, accompanied by an
orchestra or smaller musical ensemble
ROMANTIC PLAYWRIGHTS
Victor Marie Hugo was born on February
VICTOR MARIE HUGO 26, 1802 and died on May 22, 1885. He
is considered one of the greatest and
best known French writers. He was a
poet, novelist, and dramatist of the
Romantic movement. Hugo's literary
fame comes from his poetry, novels and
his dramatic achievements. Among his
works that stand out all over the world
are “Les Contemplations , La Légende
des siècles, Les Misérables, and Notre-
Dame de Paris” which is known as the
Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
 There are several playwrights that had been
known in this period such as:
Charles Nodier Heinrich von Kleist
Ludwig
Uhland

George Sand
ROMANTIC COMPOSERS
This French composer was a
GEORGES
pianist and best known for his
BIZET operas. Carmen is the most
popular among his works. Bizet
composed the title role for a
mezzo-soprano in the character
of Carmen. The opera tells the
story of the downfall of Don José,
a naïve soldier who is seduced
by the charms of the sizzling
Gypsy, Carmen.
Title of Play: Carmen
When it was first performed, it
was immediately hailed as a
junior masterwork and
became one of the great
performances during the
Romantic period. It was an
impressive work of a
seventeen-year-old boy. Bizet
made a name as a French
composer and pianist of the
Romantic era. He was
TheatricalElements:
Genre: Opéra-Comique (with musical numbers
separated by dialogue)
TheatricalElements:
Main Characters:
• Carmen (soprano) • Frasquita (mezzo-soprano)
• Don Jose (tenor) • Mercedes (mezzo-soprano)
• El Dancairo • Micaela (soprano)
(baritone) • Morales (bass)
• El Remendado (tenor) • Zuniga (bass
• Escamillo (baritone)
TheatricalElements:
Brief History:
Carmen is one among the best Western operas of all
time. It was first performed in Paris in France on March
3, 1875. The opera is composed of four acts with music
written by the French composer Georges Bizet. Henri
Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote the libretto part.
Carmen’s plot was based on a novel of the same name
by Prosper Mérimée.
TheatricalElements:
Music “Toréador Song” and “Habanera”
Staging:
:
The story is set in Seville, Spain and the surrounding hills, in
1820. The opera tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a
naïve soldier who was captured by the charms of the flaming
and independent gypsy, Carmen. No man could resist Carmen’s
charms. The opera is a fascinating drama of love and jealousy,
filled with famously alluring melodies and captivating dancing.
The story has been the subject of many screen and stage
adaptations.
 Western
Classical
Plays/Opera:
Greek
SOPHOCLES Sophocles (sofəkliːz); c. 497/6 BC 406/5
BC) is an ancient Greek tragedian. His
contemporary playwrights were
Aeschylus, and Euripides. Sophocles
wrote 123 plays, but only seven have
survived in a complete form:
• Ajax,
• Antigone,
• The Women of Trachis,
• Oedipus( Ee dih - pus) the King,
• Electra,
• Philoctetes and
• Oedipus at Colonus.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles were Oedipus and Antigone: they were
known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a different
tetralogy. Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly
by adding a third actor. And he developed his characters to a greater importance
than the chorus in the presentation of the plot.
Oedipus Rex( Ee-dih – pus Rex):
(Sophocles-Playwright)
Main Characters:

Oedipus - the king of Thebes

Creon - Oedipus brother-in-law
Eurydice - Creon’s wife
Apollo - god or oracle of Delphi
King Laius - father of Oedipus
Jocasta - mother and wife of Oedipus
Polynices and Eteocles – sons of Oedipus
Tiresias - the blind prophet
Polybus - Oedipus foster father
Merope - Oedipus foster mother
Antigone and Ismene – the daughters of
Oedipus
Haemon - Antigone’s lover
Sphinx- the half-human half lion that
symbolizes plague and misfortune
TheatricalElements:
Genre: Tragedy
Number of Characters per Play: 1 to 3
characters only, but they can portray other
characters.
The Chorus: consists of twelve (12) members,
all of whom wore identical masks since they
were supposed to be of like mind and opinion
TheatricalElements:
Masks:
The use of masks acts to advance the
universality of the themes and the dramatic
impact of the events and to keep the
audience from beingdistracted by the actual,
physical attributes of the actors.
Oedipus: a gold mask with
exaggerated deep empty eyesockets
Jocasta: was the wife of Laius and
mother of Oedipus, the expression of
her mask depends on the scene of
the play.
Antigone and Ismene : white face,
dark under the eyes and sad-
Creon : brother in-law of Oedipus,
mad or angry facial expression, with
crown
TheatricalElements:
Gestures and Movements:
Facial expression
was of no
importance to Greek
actors, since they
were always
masked.
TheatricalElements:
Music:
Sophocles also used the Chorus at the
beginning of the play to help tell the
audience the given circumstances of the
play. Choruses did a lot of lamenting of
terrible events.
TheatricalElements:
Costumes:
Men wore loose floor
length poncho with
pleated shoulder while
Females wore draped
robes.
TheatricalElements:
Staging:
The Parthenon’s facade,
has the design of Ionic
order columns with cornice
and moldings on the top,
and elevated by 5 step-
risers at the center, and
has a platform in front
near the audience.
 Elements/Principles of the
Greek Play:

Actors: Festivals: Voice:

Lenaia and The delivery:

3 Actors in
tragedy Dionysia declamatory
(Add 5 actors in
comedy)
 Elements/Principles of the
Greek Play:

Facial Expression Movements: Music:

Facial expression Cconventionalize The musical

d, stylized or accompaniment
is not important
symbolic for drama is
because of the gestures like played on a
masks they those in mimetic flute.
wear. dance
 Elements/Principles of the
Greek Play:
Audience::
Venue :

Auditorium on Audience: the spectators standing

the slope of or seated on the slope of
Acropolis which Acropolis; the audience could
is panoramic expresses their opinion noisily; The
high points of each festival: the
landscape.
awarding of prizes.
 Western
Classical
Plays/Opera:
RENAISSANCE
 WILLIAM Was born and baptized on April 26 1564 and
SHAKESPEARE died on April 23 1616. Shakespeare was born
and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At
the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway,
with whom he had three children: Susanna,
and twins Hamnet and Judith. He was an
English poet and playwright, widely known
as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's pre-eminent
dramatist. He’s been known also as the
"Bard of Avon". His existing works consist of
about:
• 38 plays,
• 154 sonnets,
• two long narrative poems
Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful
career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner
of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's
Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to
have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49,
where he died three years later. With the exception
of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's most famous
tragedy and one of the world's most enduring love
stories, William Shakespeare's early plays were
mostly histories written in the early 1590s.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early
period:
• A Midsummer Night's Dream Later Works:
• Merchant of Venice
Tragedies and
• Much Ado About Nothing
Tragicomedies
• As You Like It and
• Hamlet
• Twelfth Night
• Titus Andronicus
• King Lear
• The Comedy of Errors • Othello
• The Taming of the Shrew and
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona
TheatricalElements:
Staging for Romeo andTheJuliet:
stage itself was divided into
three levels:
• a main stage area with doors
at the rear and a curtained
area at the back for
"discovery scenes";
• an upper, canopied area
called "heaven", for balcony
scenes; and
• an area under the stage
called "hell," which could be
accessed through a trap door
 There is no curtain in the front of the stage, which
meant that scenes had to flow into each other, and "dead
bodies" had to be dragged off. There are dressing rooms
located behind the stage.
The performances during the renaissance period
took place during the day, and the open plan theater
allowed for the use of natural light. Since there could be
no dramatic lighting and there was art direction (scenery
and props), audiences relied on the actors' lines, dialogue,
movements, and stage directions to tell the time of day
and year, same as the location, mood and weather.
But today, new media technology/gadgets like the
laptop, computer, mixer, sensitive microphones, fogs
machine, loud speakers and the like are available.
These new technology are used in many performances,
to make the play more realistic, creative, and
spectacular. Backdrops for every scene can be seen
through the use of computers. Props are created much
more easily and are more colorful. There is a greater
impact and satisfaction not only to the audience but
also to the performers in using the innovations in the
plays.
TheatricalElements:
Props:
Props in this play
may vary depend
on the scene/act
the learners are
going to perform.
Here are lists of
props one may
use for the play.
• Dagger • Drums
• Shovel • Champagne Glasses/Champagne
• Laundry Basket with • Scarves(Shawls)
Clothing Small Tree w/ Bulb • Champagne Glass
• Garbage • Fireworks/Poppers/Bubbles
• Montague Sword • Handkerchief
• Capulet Broadsword • Basket/collecting device
• Grocery Bags w • Scarf
• Vendor Cart/Tray • Small Bouquet of Flowers
• Items for Cart/Tray • Sheet for Lovers to wrap themselves
• Women's Handbag in
• Broom, Shovel • Vial of Potion
• Garbage Can • Invitation
• Sheets, Pillow for bed. • Party Invitation
• Mirror or Mirror Frame • Torches/Lamps (Flashlights)
• Banners
TheatricalElements:
Characters:
Montague’s Family:
Romeo — sole heir to the Montague fortune
Lord Montague — Romeo’s father
Lady Montague — Romeo’s mother
Benvolio — Romeo’s cousin
Balthasar — Romeo’s faithful servant
Abraham — Montague servant
TheatricalElements:
Characters:
Capulet’s Family
Juliet — sole heir to the Capulet fortune
Lord Capulet — Juliet’s father
Lady Capulet — Juliet’s mother
Tybalt — Juliet’s cousin
The Nurse — Juliet’s faithful Nurse
Peter — Capulet servant
Sampson — Capulet servant
Gregory — Capulet servant
TheatricalElements:
Other Characters:
Friar Lawrence — friend and advisor to Romeo and Juliet
Mercutio — Romeo’s best friend; Prince’s kinsman
Prince Escalus — Prince of Verona; kinsman to Mercutio and
Paris
Paris — Loves Juliet
Rosaline — Romeo’s first love who never actually appears in
the play
Friar John — Friar Lawrence’s friend
Apothecary — Romeo’s acquaintance in Mantua
TheatricalElements:
Costumes:
The costumes are based on the style and design of dresses
worn during the renaissance period.
PRINCES
PRINCE
KING S
QUEEN
TheatricalElements:
Knight
Costumes: Friar
Peasant/ Peasant/
Servant Servant
Man Girl
Famous Filipino
Playwrights
FRANCISCO BALAGTAS Y DE LA CRUZ

FRANCISCO BALAGTAS Y DE
LA CRUZ also known as
Francisco Baltazar. “Florante at
Laura” is one of his best-
known work. He learned how
to write poetry from Jose de la
Cruz also known as Huseng
Sisiw.
SEVERINO R. REYES (A playwright)
• Also known as the Father of Tagalog
Zarzuela. One of the giants of Tagalog
Literature.
• In 1923, he co-founded the Liwaywa, it is
a Tagalog literary that published a series
of fairy tales titled “Mga kwento ni lola
Basyang”.
• “WALANG SUGAT” is one of my
masterpieces, the story is about the cruel
fate love of Tenyong and Julia mixed with
humor and song. Tenyong was forced to
join the Katipunan meanwhile Julia’s
mother pressures her into marrying
Miguel.
DR. RICARDO G. ABAD (A Director)
An actor/director in over 120 productions. He
also directed and acted for professional
companies like Teatro Pilipino and Tanghalang
Pilipino of the CCP as well as the Metropolitan
Theater.
Many of his theater works were based on the
classics of western drama. But he added a
Filipino and Asian taste of emotions in his
works.He won the Aliw Award for Best Director
in a nonmusical production in 2008 for his work
the “The Death of Memory”. And another award
in 2013 for his landmark “Sintang Dalisay” and
his third award in 2016 for a production of
SALVADOR F. BERNAL
(Father of Theater Design in the
Philippines)
The father of theater design in the
Philippines. He was the first to
develop theater design as a
profession. He design more than
250 productions in ballet, theater,
and film.
He also received the highest award
given in the country,the National
Artist award for theater design.