Have you ever seen a movie or play and thought to yourself “Man, that is so cool. I wonder what the past behind all these actors and plays are”? The history of acting and theater has evolved greatly since its creation, and has a long and in-depth past. The history of acting and theater is comprised of many components, including Greek/Roman Theater, Middle Ages Theater, European/Renaissance Theater, Elizabethan Theater, and Modern Theater.
The history of acting started out in Ancient Greece and Rome, where its deepest roots come from. In 700 B.C., the first dithyramb , which are songs that tell a story and to honor the gods, are composted in Athens, Greece. (“History”) The dithyramb, which was made up of men and young boys, would tell a story through various narrations by singing and dancing. (“History”) In 600 B.C., the Festival of Dionysius was founded in Athens, and plays are performed there to honor the gods. (“History”) After the plays were over, prizes and gifts were awarded to the best play that was performed by the actors, who were only narrators at this period of time (“History”) In 530 B.C., the first actor was added to the chorus assembly. This is also the first time an actor is on stage as a character, not as a narrator. (“History”) A second after is added by Aeschylus, the great tragedian, and wins numerous awards in 474 B.C. (“History”) In 468 B.C., Sophocles adds a third actor to the theater, and writes many influential plays, one being -Oedipus Rex. (“History”) Actors also had a different name, which was the word “hypocrites”. (“History2”) Originally, in the 5th century B.C., there was not a selection process for choosing actors. (“HIstory2”) The play-write Sophron begins using mimes, which became a very popular an...
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Larque, Thomas. "Elizabethan Theatre - A Lecture - by Thomas Larque (2001)." Elizabethan Theatre - A Lecture - by Thomas Larque (2001). N.p., 2001. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
This source provided information about the Elizabethan Theater era of acting.
Robinson, Scott R. "European Drama in the Middle Ages." European Drama in the Middle Ages. N.p., 01 May 2002. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
This source provided information about European Theater.
"Theatre in the Middle Ages." The Finer Times: War, Crime and History Resource. The Finer Times, 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
This information provided information about theater in the Middle Ages.
Trumbull, Eric W. "Introduction to Theatre -- Medieval Theatre." Introduction to Theatre -- Medieval Theatre. N.p., 16 Nov. 2008. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
This information provided information about Medieval Theater.
Theorists and scholars have often examined when the art of theatre first came into existence. There is a great amount of emphasis on the idea that the act of mimesis or an imitating impulse first came to be in a ritual setting dating way back to the beginning of mankind. However, the first civilization that shows evidence of a fully formed and functional theater is found during the ancient Greek civilization.
The Arden Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Theatres and the Effects of Performance. London: Arden Shakespeare, 2013. Print.
In each and every culture theater exists. However, they are not always portrayed in the same way and could take up many different forms. What differ them from others is influenced by the convention of what governs them. What happen on stage depends on the conventions of the theater. Convention is define as “Rules governing a given style of theater, such as fourth-wall verisimilitude or bare stage. These rule should not be violated, but often are, as when actors “break” the fourth wall by delivering a line directly toward the audience” (Altshuler and Janaro 208). The condition governing the staging and performance are known as theatrical conventions, in which what the audiences agree to accept as what is real (Altshuler and Janaro 173). In comparing an Elizabethan and a modern theater to each other there are many differences and similarities between the two. By comparing William Shakespeare “Hamlet” to Lorraine Hansberry “A Raisin in the Sun”, we can see that there is a major difference between the two
"Elizabethan Theatre Audiences." Elizabethan Theatre Audiences. Strayer University, 16 May 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Kernan, Alvin. “Othello: and Introduction.” Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1964.
"Medieval Literature." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2012.Student Resources in Context. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
For the Elizabethan society, the theater represents a very powerful place. The theater was used as a tool for advertising and drawing the public attention to whatever is being performed. While we may consider Hamlets
According to “The Art of the Actor: The Essential History of Acting, from Classical Times to the Present Day” by Jean Benedetti, “Acting is a way of showing our understanding of the world and passing it on to other people” (1). Such affirmation has proven itself to be true if history is taken into consideration. One of the oldest forms of art and career throughout history, acting has established itself as one of the most prominent and yet unstable careers of all times. Its vast history provides anyone who dares to become an actor with a great understanding of the different societies throughout the years and profound meaning to why, despite all adversities, it is still one of the most wanted careers. More than only a job, and differently from many work fields, acting is about passion and the ability to transmit reality within fantasy. But why acting? Because it is a career related to every other existing one; and being successful in it requires more than what one would think.
The letter to my future selves writing process, was quite different of that than my normal process that I usually follow. Normally, I have to take multiple breaks between my points of writing because if not I will stray off topic. However, during this letter I did not stray off topic at all, and I found myself getting invested within this assignment. The reason I feel that I became so invested within this assignment is because I got to write something that relates to myself, so the content came very natural because it was my own thoughts and opinions. Also, I thought the whole idea of this assignment was very unique because when I was thinking about what points I wanted to cover, I had to think about where I wanted to be at in the future. Upon
Logan, Thad Jenkins. "Twelfth Night: The Limits of Festivity." Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama. N.p.: Rice University, 1982. 223-38. Vol. 22 of Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. Rpt. in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Greek and Elizabethan theatre, while similar in some respects, had a few large differences. The Greeks believed in a certain unity of theme, which was prevalent throughout the production. Greek plays were often drawn from myth or of historical significance, so it seems that only ki...
Actors are more than just people who portray dramatic characters on a movie screen, stage, and television. Professional actors tend to make more money than most other careers. Actors bring joy to the people who watch them perform, and take them out of the real world and into the creative world of visual communication. Performers can show more than just joy, they can also bring happiness, sorrow, fear and even comedy. Acting can be a very versatile profession. It is way for many people to refine themselves. Performing is not only about getting into a role but understanding the extent of one’s imagination. There is a lot of preparing that goes into a performance than just reading a few lines. Acting is a paradigm. Acting is very different now compared to when it first started. In todays world acting is a fast growing career and well respected. but over 200 years ago it was not that way.
The medieval age also saw some of the greatest contributions to theater. The biggest influence on later theater was the changing of the language used in the plays from Latin to the vernacular. This was crucial in spreading drama as it allowed the lower classes to understand the performances and contributed to the expansion of theater across Europe in the R...
Deliyannis, Deborah Mauskopf. "Middle Ages." World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
Over the 200 years from Thespis’ first accomplishments to the death of Sophocles, Greek Theater thrived. However, all good things eventually come to an end. The golden age was ending as Athenian culture was overrun in 404 BC by the Spartans. Theater of course evolved over time and is now a school subject, hobby and profession. Today it wouldn’t hurt to look back over some historically recorded plays and appreciate what the ancient Greeks created for us… drama.