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Name: Stefannie Fransisca Halim 2A1 & 1C1

Margaretta

Vonda Vionika

Hendry Wijaya

Ari Wiseno

M. Nazarudin

Subject: English Drama

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Theatre as a Building

Theatre is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, in which the actors perform
live for an audience. The word theatre comes from the Greek (thatron),
transliterated to the Roman alphabet as theatron, which means a place for
viewing, especially a theatre. (Rebbeca Schneider, Theatre & History, 2014).
Thus, originally, theatre referred to both a place as well as to a particular form of
sense perception. Today, the concept of theatre can refer to: (1) a building; (2) an
activity (going to or doing theatre); (3) an institution; and, (4) more narrowly,
an art form. (Cambridge University Press, Introduction to Theatre Studies,
Christopher B. Balme, 2008). The word theatre refers to everything involved in
putting on a performance from the techniques used by actors to give a good show
to the building and making of the sets. It is the art of today, a performance taking
place tomorrow but seeking to be the same as one that took place yesterday, acted
by people who have changed and who perform in front of a new audience. (Anne
Ubersfeld, Reading Theatre, page: 3, 1999).

The term drama, coming from the Greek word darn, meaning to do?. Although,
theatre is the art of making human action worth watching (Paul Woodruff, The
Necessity of Theatre: The Art of Watching and Being Watched, page 27, 2008),
theatre is something seen and done whether people and ideas combine to form the
art of theater. In The Politics of Performance Baz Kershaw gives significant space
to John McGrath's achievement in creating a model of theatre that could convey a
political message in an entertaining way to a range of communities (pp.146-167).
Less than a decade later, in The Radical in Performance, Kershaw displays a
concern about the nature of theatre itself, especially when defined purely as a
building. for him a theatre building, viewed from the perspective of the 1990s, it's
not so much the empty space of the creative artist, nor a democratic institution of
free speech, but rather a kind of social engine that helps to drive an unfair system
of privilege performances in theatre buildings are deeply embedded in theatre as a
disciplinary system (p.31). Theatre buildings are institutional, commercially run,
turning theatre (even if radically or subversively intended) into a commodity and
audiences into passive, submissive (and unwitting) consumers. In effect to be
entertained within a theatre building, according to Kershaw, is to succumb to the
forces of consumers capitalism. Theatre is the place where the life of a society that
is show in public to that society, where that society's assumptions are exhibited and
tested, its values are scrutinized, its myths are validated and its traumas become
emblems of its reality. It is a public event, and it is about matters of public concern
(p.83). (Jim Davis, Theatre Entertainment, 2016). As a result, the theatre is called
for the place where the drama is played, related with the personification of a drama
on a stage (stage management).

There are certain elements common to all theatre. These elements are present
whenever a theatre event takes place; without them, an event ceases to be theatre
and becomes a different art form and different experience. To sum up, the
following are the major elements of theatre, according to the book Theatre, The
Lively Art by Edwin Wilson and Alvin Goldfarb.

1. Performers
People onstage are presenting characters in dramatic action. The audience
is coming to see a performer pretend to be someone else. When the actor or
the actress is on stage, they must be believable as the character they are

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 portraying. If they are not believable, then the audience will be less
interested in the production.
2. Audience
The essence of theatre is the interaction between the performer and
audience. Theatre needs to be experienced live. A call and response
atmosphere cannot be witnessed in a movie theatre. In a live theatre
experience, when the audience laughs aloud, or cries, then the actors
respond to that energy. In a movie also, there is no connection between the
actors and audience, only a reactions from the audience.
3. Director
The director makes certain that the performers understand the text and
deliver the script excitingly and appropriately. The director also makes sure
the blocking, costume designs, set designs and other aspects of the show
blend together to make a production that works together. All the aspects of
the theatre should complement each other, and the director oversees all
these things.
4. Theatre Space
Another necessary element of theatre is the space in which performers or
audiences come together. It is essential to have a stage, or some equivalent
area, where actors and actresses can perform. It is also essential to have a
place for audience member to sit or stand.
5. Design Aspects
There are two aspects on design aspects, visual aspects including costumes,
lighting, and some form of scenic background; no visual aspect includes
sound.
6. Text
A final element essential to theatre is the text that is performed, and it must
be present for theatre to occur. Another name for the text is script. One key
of element for writing is conflict. The characters should have a goal to
reach, but to reach that goal they must go through a series of conflict.
Without conflict, the story would be bland and boring.

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There are a historic drama literature that refers to theatrical performance in the
period during the Greek and Roman Theatre, Medieval Theatre, Renaissance
Theatre, Theatre from 1660 to 1875 Restoration and 18th Century. (Wilson and
Goldfarb, Theater: The Lively Art, 4th edition: Introduction)

1. Greek and Roman Theatre

Greek mythology is the legends and stories behind the Greek gods. The
earliest Greek dramas, especially those by Aeschylus (525-456 BC), drew
their plots and characters from these myths. There were four major
celebrations, in honor of the Greek god. Dionysus. The first tragic dramas
were performed in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, fertility and
revelry, at the City Dionysia. It was held at Athens, in the early spring
(March). A Roman theatre has a stage (pulpitum) on one side of the
orchestra and the audience (cavea) on the other. The last Roman
performance given in the sixth century. 533 AD, 1066 years after Thespis
won the first Greek Tragedy Contest.
2. Medieval Theatre
The Medieval Theatre is related with The Christian church, from the stories
of the Bible. The actors in that era were the Priests. As the plays became
longer and more complicated, it became more and more difficult to stage
them indoors. There was also the feeling that the action in some of the
plays, such as the Slaughter of the Innocents from the Ordo Rachelis, an
Epiphany Play, was too violent, too non-Christian, to be presented within
the church. When the dramatic production moved out doors, the plays were
presented (spoken, not sung) in the vernacular (the language of the people)
by nonprofessionals. Although the dramas were still religious, they were no
longer a part of worship. There were Mystery play, Miracle play, and
Morality play. Mystery play, the plot and characters were drawn from the
books of the Bible. It was the major form of medieval drama. For the
example, The Second Shepherds Play (mid 15th century).Miracle play,
built its plot around the lives and the works of the saints. They were usually
performed on the saints feast day. Some of scripts were biblical, others

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 were not. For the example, The Floury Play-Book (mid 13th century
France).Morality play, these dramas were based on the spiritual trials of the
average person. They formed a bridge between the medieval religious plays
and the secular dramas of the Renaissance. The plays were allegories about
the moral temptations, which beset every man. The location was every
mans soul. The action of the drama was the battle between good and evil
to posses mans soul. For the example, Everyman (late 15th century).
3. Theatre from 1660 to 1875 Restoration and 18th Century
English Restoration was stand since 1660 to 1700, from English crown
Charles II (reign: 1660 to 1685). The characteristics of a Restoration
Comedy of Manners are, The Ideal Gentleman was well born, dressed well,
was poised and witty, skilled in love making, was able to conduct several
affairs simultaneously, never boasted of his affairs, was always discreet,
and never fell in love. If he was married, he could not be jealous if his wife
took a lover. In addition, the Fashionable Young Lady was familiar with the
world of intrigue, but did not become involved in it. If she was a widow,
she could take a lover, as long as she was not finding out, if she was
married, she should not expect constancy in her husband.
4. Renaissance Theatre
Is start from 1550 to 1700, and The Commedia the comedy of professional
artist, was the popular theatre of Renaissance Theatre. There were no
scripts that being use. All of the dialogue and much of the business was
improvise. Its make the theater different from other theater groups. There
is type of comedy did the Commedia perform; there are Farce, Low
comedy, Comedy of pain, and Slapstick. Those are the four names for the
same type of humor. The scenario is the plot outline posted back stage
Lazzi.. Bits of comic business, performed by the actors, which were insert
into the play. The specific Lazzi to be performed was often indicated in the
Scenario, but most of commedia Lazzi not be used today. The reason was
that most of these bits, especially those dealing with bodily functions would
be considered obscene, or at least in bad taste, by a modern audience. They

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are attempting to recreate an "authentic Greek tragedy." They knew from
Aristotle that music was a major part of Greek drama. However, they did
not know what ancient Greek music sounded like, so they created their
own, which was probably more Renaissance than Greek was. The earliest
surviving opera is Peris setting of Rinuccinis Euridicewhich was perform
for the marriage of King Henry of Navarre to Marie de Medici at the
Medicis Palazzo Pitti on October 6, 1600. Unlike Dafne, the score for
Euridice was publishing in 1601. The most music historians consider the
first opera composer is Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), a court composer
from Mantua. His first opera, Orfeo (1607), like both 'Dafne and Euridice
were adaption of Greek legends Theatro olimpico 1580 - 1584), a 3000 seat
"academic" theatre, is the oldest surviving Renaissance playhouse. It is a
combination of the old a classical Roman facade. designed by Andrea
Palladio (1508-1580) and the new -- a perspective vista of the seven road to
Thebes -- designed by Palladios student: Vincenzo Scamozzi (1552-1616).
It is located at Vicenza.

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 References

1) Rebbeca Schneider, Theatre & History, Palgrave, 2014.

2) Cambridge University Press, Introduction to Theatre Studies,
Christopher B. Balme, 2008.
3) The Theatre According to the Sanskrit: , Nyastra of
Bharata, 2009.
4) Paul Woodruff, The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and
Being Watched, page: 27, 2008.
5) Anne Ubersfeld, Reading Theatre, page: 3,1999.
6) Wilson and Goldfarb, Theater: The Lively Art, 4th edition:
Introduction, pages 1 through 14, 2015.
7) Jim Davis, Theatre Entertainment, 2016.