How Has Physical Theatre Changed Over Time Essay

When people think of theatre they usually think of acting, directing, and maybe script writers. They would correct, all of those disciplines are part of theatre but there's more to theatre than just that; however, due to personal interests those specific disciplines will be exactly what this essay is about. What most people don't think of when they think of theatre is how much thought is put into it. The different type of methods, not just for acting but, for directing, and script writing as well. Everyone has a different method of running a show but this paper will discuss some of the legendary people that have influenced theatre the most.

The set used for Vernon God Little was highly symbolic and simplistic; when we walked into the theatre we could visually see that there were flowers, cards and memorable items attached on the audiences seats above our heads, which already created a sombre atmosphere around the theatre.

Theatre is a collaboration of various forms of fine art which utilizes live performances presenting before the audience on a stage at a specific place within a scheduled time (Dugdale 10). The message is communicated through a combination of various channels like songs, speech gestures or dances. Stagecraft skills are combined with elements of art to make the performance more physical and near to real life experience. Theatre is categorized broadly into drama, musical theatre, comedy, tragedy and improvisation. Any form of these accepts integration of various production modes and collective reception to influence the artwork being presented. As a result of this cooperation of items in the theatre

One of the ways in which theater in Europe has changed between the medieval period has primarily during progressive times and no longer required events of religious influence. For example, medieval plays took a secular approach and introduced French music from Adam de la Halle (Carlson 2014: 13). Throughout the time between the medieval period and the 20th century, changes in European theater varied from additions to performance spaces to the actual content of the plays. During the 16th century, tragedy and comedy plays were kept separate but also incorporated ideas from both genres into stories such as the works of William Shakespeare (Carlson 2014: 17). The 17th-century theater in Europe continued to be influenced by French culture into the 18th century when the focus of plays was shifted to the French drame (Carlson 2014: 19-21). These early periods of theater built the foundation for how theater would be interpreted and influenced in the times later to come.

Theatre has been a prevalent form of entertainment for centuries. As time has progressed, the meaning behind theater has shifted to adapt with society appropriately. Different genres of theater have been emerging all throughout history and continue to emerge even today. There are so many different genres of theatre that any individual can relate to it. One can easily recall the major genres of theatre: drama, comedy, musicals. However, it is the sub-divisions within these major genres that evoke unique performances and experiences.

Qu1. – Theatre allows one to express emotions, escape from reality and fantasise over desired endings. Theatre re-enacts past events in an over-exaggerated, dramatic form. It is considered living art. Theatre performances require a scriptwriter, sound designer, costume designer, lighting designer, director, scenic designers, actors, technicians, dramaturges, historians and audiences. The performance can be entertaining and/or educational. For example theatrical performances are based on previous events (history), which is both visually pleasing and educational.

Realism provides only amoral observation, while absurdism rejects even the possibility of debate. (Frances Babbage, Augusto Boal). The cynicism of this remark reflects the aberrant attitude towards absurdism, yet there is truth to it. Theatre of the absurd is an esoteric avant-garde style of theatre based on the principles of existentialism that looks at the world without any assumption of purpose. Existentialism and Theatre of the Absurd became identified with a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s, after the Second World War. The idea that man starts with nothing and ends with nothing is a common theme amongst most absurd plays. Despite this strange philosophy, Theatre of the

Pantomime have been a express art form in theater for centuries. There is debate on where its origins lie, but nonetheless either in Rome or england the pantomime has survived the test of time to become a widely known art form.

Something else that I never thought about to be utilized in theater were puppets. The line the designers used that really caught my attention in the video was that, “A puppet struggles to live and breathe through a show.” That line really changed how I thought of puppetry. Before I thought they were a type of effect used as props, but they are more than that. A puppet is part of the cast. Right when the puppet enters the stage, it is present in the moment, struggling to stand up, to breathe. Puppets can also make the show more animated and goofy or it could make it look real and professional, depending on the show. What really made this style

Throughout theatre history performances have changed to become more than the mere spectacles for audience to go and mindlessly observe, there have been many different factors effecting this change either through environmental, political or economic circumstances which has resulted in theatre becoming more meaningful whilst providing a wide range of genres. However in this essay I will be discussing the importance of feminism in modern theatre through the beginning and height of modernism, and how waves of feminism have influenced theatre today.

In the words of Gay McAuley, “for an activity to be regarded as a performance, it must involve the live presence of the performers and those witnessing it…” (McAuley, 2009, cited in Schechner, 2013, pp.38). This statement recognises the importance of both the actor and the audience for something to truly function as a performance. In addition, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones highlights the significance of the theatrical space and how it can influence an audience stating that “on entering a theatre of any kind, a spectator walks into a specific space, one that is designed to produce a certain reaction or series of responses” (Llewellyn-Jones, 2002, pp.3). The relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space is no less important today than it was at the time of theatre during the Spanish Golden Age and the creation of Commedia dell’arte in Italy. Despite being very close geographically with theatre thriving for both in the same era, sources that explore the social, cultural and historical context of these countries and the theatre styles will bring to light the similarities and differences. This essay will analyse the staging, the behaviour of the audience as well as the challenges the actors faced, and how this directly influenced the relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space.

The above example illustrates not only how the theatrical performance affects the audience, but also how the audience influences its dynamics, development and the characters within it. The actors feel a certain level of acceptance from the viewer, who demands a certain way of depicting the character. Theatre is not just entertainment, itís something much more than that ñ itís education. Theatre should always represent things, rather than

Starting off my group tried to use the list of movement vocabulary. That didn’t work out so instead we decided to focus on what our theme or story would be. Eventually we settled on two topics, unrequited love and love at first sight.

Once upon a time, theater productions were basic. They had the actors and characters that could tell a story. The props were created with lights, wood, and paint. They were on wheels for easy portability on the stage. They could be moved easily on and off when they were needed. There were also, in some cases, large pictures that would drop down from the ceiling or rise up from the floor. Everything on the stage looked real, but it was all simple in design.

The history of theatre in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries is one of the increasing commercialization of the art, accompanied by technological innovations, the introduction of serious critical review, expansion of the subject matters portrayed to include ordinary people, and an emphasis on more natural forms of acting. Theatre, which had been dominated by the church for centuries, and then by the tastes of monarchs for more than 200 years, became accessible to merchants, industrialists, and the less privileged and then the masses.