Overview
This lecture introduces the study of theater, defining what theater is, exploring its origins through various scholarly theories, and considering its significance.
Defining Theater
- Theater is a space where plays are performed, derived from the Greek meaning “the seeing place.”
- It includes both the building, the performance, and the related literature or documentation.
- Theater can occur in traditional venues or unconventional spaces like parks or homes.
- Some plays (closet dramas) are meant to be read, not performed.
- Theater can be scripted, improvised, or even wordless.
- Minimal definition: theater requires at least one live actor and one live audience member.
- Debate exists about what counts as an actor or audience (humans, robots, animals, puppets).
- For this course: theater is a deliberate live performance by actors for a live audience, usually with scripted language.
"Theater" vs. "Theatre"
- Both spellings are acceptable; "theatre" is more common outside the US.
- No significant difference other than regional preference; this series uses “theater” for consistency.
Theories on the Origins of Theater
Ritualism
- Early theater likely evolved from religious rituals, which mediates between humans and the supernatural.
- Mircea Eliade: Rituals “re-present” significant events, similar to how theater reenacts stories.
- Rituals are sacred, with audience participation; theater is usually secular and audience observes.
- James Frazer and the Cambridge Ritualists theorized that theater emerged from the evolution of ritual to myth to performance.
- Example: Herodotus’ description of an Egyptian festival illustrating ritual becoming performance.
- Critique: This theory assumes all societies develop like Western civilization (positivism) and often ignores non-Western realities.
Functionalism
- Functionalists argue myths explain societal structures, and theater, developed from myth, helps explain the world.
- Bronislaw Malinowski: Myths justify current societal orders by referencing primeval reality.
- Not all theater originates from myth; e.g., Aeschylus’s “The Persians” is based on history.
Other Theories
- Theater may stem from clowning or the shaman's secular role, mocking leaders and traditions.
- The concept of the “ludic impulse” suggests theater arises from human playfulness.
- Aristotle’s “mimetic impulse” theory states humans naturally imitate, leading to theater.
Why Theater Matters
- Theater teaches the human heart about itself through emotional engagement (sympathy and antipathy), as per Percy Bysshe Shelley.
- The role and impact of theater will be further explored throughout the series.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Theater — Place or process where plays are performed for a live audience.
- Closet Drama — A play intended to be read rather than performed.
- Ritual — Religious or cultural ceremony re-enacting significant events.
- Ritualism — The theory that theater evolved from religious ritual.
- Functionalism — The theory that myths (and thus theater) serve to explain and justify society.
- Ludic Impulse — The innate human desire to play.
- Mimetic Impulse — The human drive to imitate or act out.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the main theories of theater’s origins for next class.
- Prepare to discuss Greek drama in the next episode.