1. The BIG Review Part 1 of 2

2. Pre-Civilization Hunting tribes showed what happened on their journeys
First dramatic play
Used animal skins and hides for “costumes”
Later used as teaching tool
Good luck rituals

3. Ancient Greece Discovered genres of comedy and tragedy
Built first theaters
Remember! Theater = space, Theatre = art form
Solo male speaker
Wore masks to discern different characters
Chorus
Many speakers moving in unison
Stood in orchestra

4. Ancient Rome Followed Greek theatre Discovered mime Pantomime followed
Acting without words
Pantomime followed
Evolved from mime, uses masks and sound effects
Mime spread to Southern Europe (France)
Pantomime spread to UK

5. Middle Ages Medieval Ages or Dark Ages Religious overpowering
Theatre thought to be vulgar
Became part of church services
Tropes (short religious plays) created, then abandoned
Moved to outside teams
Cart stages = parades

6. Renaissance Rebirth of music and theatre
Italy championed pantomime and commedia dell’arte
Many famous playwrights
Marlowe
Shakespeare
Lope de Vega
Moliere

7. Today
After Renaissance and Romantic era, many plays are reused in pop culture
Broadway becomes home to over 40 major theaters
Theatre elements make up many industries
Film
Video games
Dance
Television

8. Blocking Stages used to be slanted Now, audiences are seated at angles
Stages divided into sections
Upstage
Downstage
Left
Right
Center

9. Characters
It’s important to understand characters so you can predict their actions
Flat – boring, one or two traits
Round – complex, many different traits (that’s you!)
Stock – stereotype
Static – unchanging
Dynamic – changes throughout story

10. Dramatic Structure How we pace stories
Exposition – setting + characters
Rising Action – conflict
Climax – most intense event
Falling Action – leading to end
Denouement (Resolution) - ending