History Test Flashcards
Origin of Greek theater.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle recognized the basic human tendency to imitate an organized a chorus.
Define Shamanism.
A priestly figure who communicates directly with the gods through elements of performance such as characterization, dialogue, music, song, dance, illusion, clowning, ventriloquism, and hypnotism.
Golden Age of Greece
The Greeks of Athens invented Western drama. Playwrights used myths and legends and shaped them to contemporary ideas. 500-400 B.C.
Date of decline of Western theater.
In 692 A.D. a church council passes a resolution intended to forbid theatrical performances.
3 types of Medieval theater.
- Mystery: depicts Bible stories
- Miracle: dealt with the lives of saints and martyrs
- Morality: presented personified virtues and vices in dramas depicting the mortal struggle of the soul
Define Noh Drama
Noh actors wore masks an employed highly stylized dance and poetry to tell stories of ghosts, deemed love, and revenge.
Define Commedia Dell’Arte
A professional form of theatrical improvisation with stock characters, and standard comic routines, or Lazzi.
Kabuki Theater
Kabuki was popular around the 1600s when a female dancer named Okuni combined Buddhist and contemporary performances
Shakespeare
A famous English playwright
French Neoclassical Theatre
Influential throughout Europe in the 1600s, French Neoclassical Theater was based on critical theories of Aristotle and the Roman poet Horace.
Restoration Theatre
Popular after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Arrival of the first women to act.
Who was Moliere and his plays?
Moliere was a playwright and actor. His plays include “The Imaginary Invalid!” and “Tartuffe”, which were always controversial.
Davis Garrick
The greatest British actor of the 1700s. He introduced closely supervised rehearsals, three-dimensional stage settings, and concealed stage lighting.
When was the 1st playhouse in America?
The first playhouse was in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1716.
Ballad Opera
Popularity of Italian opera in England in the early 1700s produces, ballad opera. The most popular ballad opera was John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera”.
