Theater Essay Example For Students

Theater Essay TheaterGreek TheaterAlthough theaters developed in manyparts of Greece, it was in Athens, where the most dramatic styles the worldhas known was formed. Ancient Greek theaters were built in naturalopen air sites on conveniently shaped hills. This allowed a greatmass of people to enjoy a show at one time(The Ephesus could hold 56,000people) Unlike later dramas, which could be endlessly duplicated,Greek manuscripts existed as a single, fragile piece. Many of themhave been destroyed over time, and the few that have survived are treasured,and said to be priceless. Due to the immense size of the audience,actors placed emphasis on exaggerated action and speech. And, colourfulsymbolic masks and costumes where used. Medieval TheaterMedieval Theater started in churches the reason why medieval plays were about bible stories. At first,it became customary for priests to act out brief scenes during Christmasand Easter. These acts attracted large crowds, and more elaborateversions were created, when crowds increased so much, that seating extendedout onto the steps and streets. Finally the church refused to allowedpriests to partake in any such events again, so ordinary people began theseperformances outside. Performances were set in the town square,with several stage settings around the square. This was as such,because there were no proper theaters, or areas large enough to hold theentire stage. Elizabethan TheaterEnglands theater developed rapidlyin the years following the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The dominantfeature of Elizabethan theater was the stage. There were three partsto the stage:1 The fore stage, which jutted outinto the audience a fare way, this was used for outside scenes. 2 The inner stage, this was usedfor scenes inside a building. 3 An upper stage or balcony, whichwas used for miscellaneous purposes. There were three parts to the stage,as there were no scene changes, or breaks during the play. Very littlescenery was used, so the actors had to create the illusions of a scenethrough there voices and dialogue. This lead to a more poetic script,and poets became the main source of script writing. Restoration TheaterThe restoration theater had itstragic dramas, but the majority of the plays were comical. Many elaboratemachines, were used to create the scene. The stage was a very clever idea,in that on the sides of the stage, large back shutters were painted withthe scene. The stage slightly jutted out, but not into the audience. It was at the front of the stage were most of the acting took place. Modern TheaterModern theater has developed throughoutthe years, incorporating several aspects from the different theaters Ihave talked about. The theater is behind the proscenium arch, whereall the acting takes place. The acting space can be closed off bya curtain, this allows for scene changes. The emphasis is on creatingthe scene through lighting, and music. The acting, and dialogue depictsreal life, and is not exaggerated in any way.