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Introduction to Theater Concepts
Oct 17, 2024
Crash Course Theater Episode 1: Introduction to Theater
Welcome and Overview
Host: Mike Rugnetta
Topics to cover in the series:
Tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, and more.
Explore the history of theater and how to analyze it.
Significant plays and performances.
Defining Theater
Theater
:
A place where plays are performed (Greek origins: "the seeing place").
Can be varied in setting: big/small, indoors/outdoors, purpose-built or improvised.
Includes performances in unconventional spaces (parks, sidewalks, homes).
Refers to performance of plays and related literature/documentation.
Includes closet dramas (not meant for performance) and improvisational performances.
Basic Definition
: Requires at least one actor and one audience member.
Actors can be human, robots, laptops, animals, or puppets.
Extended Definition
: John Cage's perspective - theater takes place everywhere, facilitated by art.
Narrow Definition for series:
Deliberate performance by live actors for a live audience, typically scripted.
Spelling of Theater
The spelling "theater" (E-R) is chosen for consistency.
Both R-E and E-R are acceptable.
Theories on Origins of Theater
Lack of Consensus
: No unified origin story exists.
Theories to Explore
:
Ritualism
:
Theory linking theater to religious rituals (6th/7th century BCE).
Ritual as a means of mediating between human and supernatural.
Ritual reenacts significant events (births, marriages, etc.).
Mircea Eliade: Ritual makes past events present.
Cambridge Ritualists
:
Scholars like James Fraser viewed theater as evolving from rituals.
Involved anthropological approach, but often Eurocentric.
Example from Herodotus about Egyptian ceremonies demonstrates the ritualistic origins.
Functionalism
:
Myths explain and rationalize the world.
Bronislaw Malinowski: Myths justify existing social orders.
Some early Greek dramas have origins in myths that serve this function.
Clown Theory
:
Theater as derived from clown figures in early societies.
Clowns as secular shamans who critique authority.
Ludic Impulse
:
Suggests theater arises from human playfulness and games.
Mimetic Impulse
:
Proposed by Aristotle: humans' innate desire to imitate leads to theater.
Importance of Theater
Why does theater matter?
The impact of theater throughout history will be discussed in the series.
Quote from Percy Bysshe Shelley: Theater aims to teach the human heart about itself through sympathies and antipathies.
Production Information
Produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.
Filmed in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Supported by patrons on Patreon.
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