Theatre History

Use your feedback clues from Ms.B. to correctly place these theatre history and related events through time, spanning from 600 B.C. to 1975.

Theatre History Timeline Research Project

General Historical Resources:

Western theatre | artWestern theatre: Western theatre, history of the Western theatre from its origins in pre-Classical antiquity to the present. For a discussion of drama as a literary form, see dramatic literature and the articles on individual national literatures. For detailed information on the arts of theatrical performance and

Image Resources:

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Western theatre (art)Western theatre, history of the Western theatre from its origins in pre-Classical antiquity to the present. For a discussion of drama as a literary form, see dramatic literature and the articles on individual national literatures. For detailed information on the arts of theatrical performance and

Project Directions

Theatre History Timeline Research Project

600 B.C. Origin of Theatre: Greek Drama

Amphitheatre at the site of the ancient city of Epidaurus, Greece.

© Martin D. Vonka/Shutterstock.comUrl: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/142492

Ancient Greek TheatreGreek theatre began in the 6th century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays. The two types of Greek drama...

https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Theatre/

The Origins of Theatre - Lionheart TheatreRead on to learn more specifically about how modern theatre has come into being from its not-so-humble origins.

Theatre design - HistoryTheatre design - History: Nearly all modern theatre design can be traced back to the theatrical traditions established by the Greek-speaking peoples of the Mediterranean starting in the 6th century bce. Records exist concerning independent traditions in the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas before the arrival of Europeans, but too little is known about these to be able to confidently track their development or possible influence, and ambiguity exists as to the definition of “theatre” in some of these places. It seems to be true, however, that whenever theatre is introduced into a culture, spaces that already exist for the gathering of people

458 BC: 1st Stage Machinery

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/glossary/glossary.htm#s

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/glossary/glossary%20images/periaktoi.jpg

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/glossary/glossary.htm#s

Periaktoi: an ancient solution that still worksA recent post in the Educational Theatre Association’s (www.schooltheatre.org) open forum got me thinking about periaktoi. Back in school we thought they were really cool, like revolves, para…

Deus Ex Machina: Depicting Cranes and Pulleys in the Ancient WorldWithin ancient theater, the phrase ‘deus ex machina’ actually referred to a crane called a μηχανή (the Greek term from whence we get our “machine”) used to suspend and then …

Theatrical Effects: DevicesDeus Ex Machina: Stage machinery, devices designed for the production of theatrical effects, such as rapid scene changes, lighting, sound effects, and illusions of the supernatural or magical. Thea…

kotsanas.com/gb/exh.php?exhibit=0901001

https://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/glossary/glossary%20images/deus%20ex%20mechane.jpg

449 BC: 1st Acting Competition

The Greek Theater and Its Drama

A Short Introduction to the Ancient Greek Theater

Acting and Greek Theatre: Honoring Dionysus – Ancient History et ceteraOver the last few centuries, acting has developed into visual art that entertains people around the world in the form of stage plays or, in recent times,

435 BC: Theatre of Dionysis

Theatre of Dionysus | theatre, Athens, GreeceTheatre of Dionysus: Theatre of Dionysus, prototype of Greek theatres, situated on the south side of the Acropolis in Athens, in which all extant classical Greek plays were first presented. Development on the site began with the creation of the orchestra, a circular floor of earth 60 feet in diameter with an altar at

Pompey’s Theatre | theatre, Rome, ItalyOther articles where Pompey’s Theatre is discussed: Rome: The lower east bank: …been built into and around Pompey’s Theatre, the first stone theatre building in Rome. Inspired by the Greek theatre of Mytilene, in which Pompey the Great had been so spectacularly entertained, it had a portico of 100 columns that was equipped to be a community centre almost as much as…

63 BC: Pantomime Introduced

BBC Arts - BBC Arts - Where does pantomime really come from?A look at the quintessentially British festive art form

www.glencoe.com/theatre/Timeline/timeline_content.html

www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/e/early-pantomime/

www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/features/pantomime/

55 BC: Rome Builds Theatre

penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Theatrum.html

Remains of the Roman amphitheatre at Leptis Magna, Libya.

© Pascal RATEAU/FotoliaUrl: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/201142

200 AD: India's Sanskrit Theatre

en.unesco.org/silkroad/silk-road-themes/intangible-cultural-heritage/kutiyattam-sanskrit-theatre

Sanskrit Dramas | | Asian Traditional Theatre & DanceIndia also has an old and long-lasting tradition of full-length poetic plays, which are called Sanskrit Dramas because they were written mainly in Sanskrit. In fact, however, they combine both classical Sanskrit with Prakrit or different forms of vernacular languages. The tradition was maintained for nearly 1 200 years, which makes it the longest continuous performing tradition of any drama texts in the world. The tradition of performing Greek tragedies, for example, lasted only about half a millennium, while the continuous performing tradition of Shakespearean dramas lasted less than a century. The earliest Sanskrit plays were written in the early centuries AD and they gradually ceased to be performed at some time during the 15th century, when Sanskrit was no longer a living, spoken language, and the Muslims had invaded northern India, where the tradition had been thriving. Playwrights and their Works As has already been mentioned, the earliest Sanskrit dramas date from the early

http://www.glencoe.com/theatre/Timeline/timeline_content.html

History of Indian TheatreSanskrit Theatre Main article: Sanskrit drama See also: Koodiyattam The earliest-surviving fragments of Sanskrit drama date from the 1st century CE.[7] The wealth of archeological evidence from ear…

600 AD: Shadow Puppetry

www.oregonshadowtheatre.com/whatis.html

Chinese shadow puppetryKnown also as shadow play, Chinese shadow puppetry is one of the earliest animated techniques in world

chinese-shadow | HistoryA comprehensive information website about Chinese shadow puppetry

Chinese performing artsChinese performing arts: Chinese performing arts, the dance and the theatre arts of China, tied from the earliest records to religious beliefs and customs. These date to 1000 bce, and they describe magnificently costumed male and female shamans who sang and danced to musical accompaniment, drawing the heavenly spirits down

618 AD: Theatre in China Develops

https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-performing-arts

The Early History of Chinese Theatre | | Asian Traditional Theatre & DanceAs elsewhere in the world, it is also in China that the origins of the theatrical arts seem to lie in early religious rituals, in China most probably in shamanistic rites. China has always been an exceptionally history-conscious culture with a long continuity, and the Chinese system of writing was invented very early. Thus it is no wonder that a relatively substantial amount of written evidence of the theatrical tradition exists from the early periods. It gives enlightening, yet fragmentary, information about the development of early performance traditions. It is known that during the Shang dynasty (c. 1766–1066 BC) hunting dances as well as dances imitating animals were performed. As has been already discussed on several occasions, the dances imitating animals and employing the so-called "animal movements" have been common in most cultures. In fact, animal movements still form an integral part of many martial art, dance and theatre traditions today. The so-called chorus dances were

chinese-shadow | HistoryA comprehensive information website about Chinese shadow puppetry

925 AD: Medieval Theatre Develops

Medieval drama and the mystery playsThe mystery plays and morality plays of the 15th and 16th centuries were very different from modern drama. They were performed in public spaces by ordinary people, and organised and funded by guilds of craftsmen and merchants. Hetta Howes takes us back in time to show how these plays portrayed scenes from the Bible, conveyed religious doctrine and encouraged their audiences to lead Christian lives.

Staging: Medieval TheatreStaging in the Medieval Age Medieval theatre refers to theatrical performance in the period between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D. and the beginning of the Renaissance…

1325: Japanese NOH Drama Begins

Description_Noh.pdf

Noh Theater | PBS LearningMediaNoh Theater is a form of Japanese drama performed in masks and costumes. Noh performances are traditionally all day and feature a play from each of the five categories; God, Warrior, Woman, Deranged, and Demon. Each category has a specific mask and costume. The shite performs the main role. The waki plays supporting roles. And the kyogen kata role is to explain the play to the audience. Noh plays are performed on a square stage with four pillars at its corners and a simple pine tree painted on the back of the stage. A chorus of up to eight members sits at the right side of the stage and the instrumentalists sit at the back of the stage.

Noh_Mask_Making_.pdf

1350: British Theatre Develops

Break a leg: A history of British theatre

An introduction to 18th-century British theatreAndrew Dickson charts the growth of 18th-century theatre, looking at the new venues, stage technology, audiences, playwrights and great actors of the age.

www.vam.ac.uk/page/t/theatre-history/

The V&A's Theatre and Performance collections chart the history of theatre in Britain from the middle ages to today. From early dramatics forms such as mystery plays and court masques, to the alternative and 'in yer face' drama of the late 20th century.

1490: Spanish Drama

Theatre - Developments of the RenaissanceTheatre - Developments of the Renaissance: Just before 1500, Italian amateur actors were performing classical comedies on stages with no decoration except for a row of curtained booths. By 1589, complex painted scenery and scene changes were being featured in production in Florence. And by 1650, Italy had developed staging practices that would dominate European theatre for the next 150 years. In the beginning of the Renaissance, there were two distinct kinds of theatrical productions. The first was of the type presented by the humanist Julius Laetus at the Accademia Romana, a semisecret society he founded in the mid-15th century for the purpose of reviving classical

www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/culture-magazines/renaissance-theater-spain

www.outofthewings.org/theatres/goldenage/index.html

www.outofthewings.org/theatres/goldenage/index.html%20http://www.outofthewings.org/theatres/modernspain/index.html

Theatre in the Spanish Golden Age

https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1281290896&disposition=inline

1500: Commedia dell' Arte

Commedia Dell'ArteStaging was extremely minimalistic, as it was the actors that brought the scenarios to life. The scenes normally took place outdoors in public squares, using very little props and backdrops, though...

Italian Renaissance Scenic DesignThe façade then gave way to use of painted scenery and flats, which replaced walls in scenery, allowing the ability to shift scenes. This change enhanced the proscenium arches popularity, giving the...

commedia dell’arte | History, Characters, & FactsCommedia dell'arte: Commedia dell’arte, Italian theatrical form that flourished throughout Europe from the 16th through the 18th century.

www.factionoffools.org/history

Commedia dell'arte-BritannicaEncyclopedia.pdf

Commedia dell’arte | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art“Because the mask partially or entirely obscured facial expression, emphasis was placed on dialect and exaggerated gesture to convey emotion and intention.”

1537: Linear Perspective

www.op-art.co.uk/history/perspective/

" The first known picture to make use of linear perspective was created by the Florentine architect Fillipo Brunelleshi (1377-1446). Painted in 1415, it depicted the Baptistery in Florence from the front gate of the unfinished cathedral. "

Perspective scenery | theatrePerspective scenery: Perspective scenery, in theatre, scenery and the scene design technique that represents three-dimensional space on a flat surface, creating an illusion of reality and an impression of distance. Developed during the Italian Renaissance, perspective scenery applied the newly mastered science of

Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, Italy; designed by Andrea Palladio and completed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, 1585.

© travelview/FotoliaUrl: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/124098

1599: Globe Theatre Built

Globe Theatre Facts:

The above model was made from details found from historical etchings and prints of the original Globe Theatre. This required quite a bit of research as there were actually three Globe Theatre buildings, and inaccuracies abound. This model represents the Globe as it probably looked around the time that Shakespeare's plays were presented there (1599-1608).

When the lease ran out on James Burbage's Theatre in 1598, members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men took most of its timbers across the Thames to a south-bank site close to Henslowe's Rose, where they built the new Globe Theatre. It was polygonal with a three-tiered gallery surrounding an open yard. The stage was 40 to 50 feet wide and the seating capacity was nearly 3000. Shakespeare was among the six "houekeepers" and from 1599 to 1608 most of his finest plays were first publicly performed there. It passed hands to a group known as the Blackfriars Theatre from 1608 to 1609. It was destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt and remained active until 1642. It was demolished in 1644. Excavation was begun in 1989. More historical information is available at the Shakespeare's Globe Research Database.

https://www.papertoys.com/globe.htm

the_globeTheatre.pdf

PaperGlobe-color.pdf

Celebratory performance marking the opening of the Globe Theatre in London, June 12, 1997.

ROTA/AP ImagesUrlhttps://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/100187

More Info:

https://www.playshakespeare.com/study/elizabethan-theatres

Shakespeare globe theatre model diagramTIME: 24.05.2012 nick: congfiter Shakespeare globe theatre model diagram Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - Paper Cutouts by PaperToys.com SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE . Send this to your friends. To print: place. Globe Theatre Facts: The above model was made from details found from historical. Theatre / Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare’s Globe welcomes back...

Globe TheaterMrs. Guehne's English page

1600: Japan Develops Kabuki

An Introduction to Kabuki TheaterKabuki was one of the three most popular dramatic forms of Japan, the other two being Noh drama and puppet theater (bunraku)...

knowitall.org/document/kabuki-theater-1600-ad-kids-work

www.japan-guide.com/e/e2090.html

Kabuki | Japanese artsKabuki: Kabuki, traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and dancing performed in a highly stylized manner. A rich blend of music, dance, mime, and spectacular staging and costuming, it has been a major theatrical form in Japan for almost four centuries. The term kabuki originally suggested the

1642-1660: London's Theatres Closed for 18-Years

www.bardstage.org/globe-theatre-puritans.htm

www.glencoe.com/theatre/Timeline/timeline_content.html

Victoria and Albert Museum

The world's leading museum of art and design

www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/0-9/17th-century-theatre/

History of the Elizabethan Theatre

www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/history-of-the-elizabethan-theatre.htm

london-plagues-1348-1665.pdf

www.museumoflondon.org.uk/application/files/5014/5434/6066/london-plagues-1348-1665.pdf

Shakespeare's playhousesFrom the open-air Globe to the candlelit Blackfriars, Professor Eric Rasmussen and Ian DeJong explore early modern playhouses.

Sovereign and the sick city in 1603Learn about Shakespeare’s England in 1603, when a deadly outbreak of plague coincided with the arrival of a new monarch.

http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/library/83392203-orders-thought-meete-by-his-maiestie-and-his-priuie-counsell-to-be-executed-throughout-the-counties-of-this-realme-in-such-townes-villages-and-other-places-as-are-or-may-be-hereafter-infected-with-the-plague-for-the-stay-of-further-incr/page/3

Dated on A2v: 30. of Iuly. 1603. . A reprint of "Orders, thought meete by her Majestie, and her privie Councell, to be executed throughout the counties of this realme, in such townes, villages, and other places, as are, or may be hereafter infected with the plague, for the stay of further increase of the same

1716: 1st American Theatre

Theatre in Colonial Virginia

www.arcadiapublishing.com/navigation/community/arcadia-and-thp-blog/july-2018/how-american-theatre-has-prevailed-through-history

1881: 1st Theatre Lit with Electricity

Lighting the stage: a history of early theater lighting technologyTheater lighting design heavily influences the mood of a scene & the audience's experience, & its early history was defined by significant tech developments.

Stagecraft - Stage lightingStagecraft - Stage lighting: The classic Greek theatron (literally, “a place of seeing”) was built in the open air, usually on a hillside, and placed so that the afternoon sunlight came from behind the audience and flooded the performing area with light. The larger Roman theatres were also outdoors, but the added luxury of a coloured awning stretched over the spectators softened the glare of the sun. Later, in the Middle Ages, miracle plays and mystery plays were primarily performed outdoors on the front steps of the church and the adjoining square, although the first dramatized biblical scenes were performed as part of, or

1914: 1st Theatre Degree Program in U.S.

History - CMU - Carnegie Mellon UniversityCMU — now a global research university — began when Andrew Carnegie famously stated, "My Heart is in the Work," and founded Carnegie Technical Schools in 1900.

Educational Theatre

1st Theatre Degree

1925: Harlem Renaissance

A New African American Identity: The Harlem RenaissanceThe Great Migration drew to Harlem some of the greatest minds and brightest talents of the day, an astonishing array of African American artists and scholars. Between the end of World War I and the mid-1930s, they produced one of the most significant eras of cultural expression in the nation’s history—the Harlem Renaissance. Yet this cultural explosion also occurred in Cleveland, Los Angeles and many cities shaped by the great migration. Alain Locke, a Harvard-educated writer, critic, and teacher who became known as the “dean” of the Harlem Renaissance, described it as a “spiritual coming of age” in which African Americans transformed “social disillusionment to race pride.”

Harlem Renaissance | Definition, Artists, & Time PeriodHarlem Renaissance: Harlem Renaissance, a blossoming of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, from about 1918 to 1937.

www.ushistory.org/us/46e.asp

The Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in 1926 was The Place and Lindy Hop was The Dance!

Smithsonian Search Collection for Harlem Renaissance

Smithsonian Images of prominent People during the Harlem Renaissance

The Drury Lane Theatre, London, watercolour by Edward Dayes, 1795;

in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.Courtesy of the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, CaliforniaUrl: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/5296

1935: Federal Theatre Project

Poster for a WPA Federal Theatre Project presentation of George Bernard Shaw's On the Rocks at Daly's Theatre, New York City, 1939.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Work Projects Administration Poster Collection (digital file no. 3b49060)Url: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-theatre/images-videos/media/849217/100817

The WPA Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939

The following text includes extracts from and paraphrases of material in documents in the Federal Theatre Project Archives. https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fedtp/ftwpa.html

The Federal Theatre Project was the largest and most ambitious effort mounted by the Federal Government to organize and produce theater events.

It was an effort of the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to provide work for unemployed professionals in the theater during the Great Depression which followed the stock market crash of October 1929.

The Federal Theatre Project was one five arts-related projects established under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created through Executive Order No. 7034 issued on May 6, 1935.

The FTP was administered from Washington, D. C., but its many companies stretched the full breadth of the Nation. It functioned from 1935 to 1939 when its funding was terminated. In that brief period, it was responsible for some of the most innovative staging of its time.

While the primary aim of the FTP was the reemployment of theater workers on public relief rolls, including actors, directors, playwrights, designers, vaudeville artists, and stage technicians, it was also hoped that the project would result in the establishment of theater so vital to community life that it would continue to function after the FTP program was completed.

Origins and Chronology of Drama Relief in New York City - 1934 to January 1937

As might be expected, the single largest center for the activities of the Federal Theatre Project was New York City. The initial activities of a developing drama project took place in December 1933. The Roosevelt administration requested Mrs. Charles E. Sabin (later Mrs. Dwight Davis), Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the New York State Civil Works Administration, to develop a project that would create jobs for unemployed professionals, especially women.

Federal Theatre Project Loan and Coordinating Project

The Loan and Coordinating Project of the Federal Theatre Project was established in New York City at the beginning of February 1937. Its purpose was to build and maintain a high standard for out-of-town Federal Theatre Projects through the loan of qualified professional personnel. Actors were usually loaned for a period of three months, with extensions granted when the merits of the individual cases warranted.

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