THEA 2200: History of Theatre and Performance

Fall 2016 Keyword shortlist

1.

Dionysus

It was in connection with the god of wine and fertility, Dionysus. According to Greek
mythology, he is the son of Zeus and Semele. He was raised by satyrs. Hera arranged for his
murder, but Dionysus was resurrected by another goddess. He lived upon Mt Olympus.
Character within The Frogs
2.

City Dionysia

Five day religious festival was held every spring in Athens. Visitors came from all over
Greece to attend (important religious and politically). Athens used this opportunity to show
its wealth, culture, politics. It was an excellent way to boost Athens esteem.
3.

Theatre of Dionysus

Festival began with a parade of the statue of Dionysus in Athens. They would then arrive at
the temple of Dionysus with a ceremony, finally leading to the theatre of Dionysus. Romans
came and introduced their own architecture to the area.
4.

Choregos

Wealthy citizens in Athenian society, funded shows during the festival.

They were also responsible for arranging the chorus and paying for all needed (the
costumes, training, etc.) 12 15 members in tragedy, 24 in comedy. Chorus members
usually had military training.
Actors were appointed and paid by the state, were already trained. Playwrights were
initially responsible for casting their own play, but after 449 BCE when the prize for acting
was introduced, it was no longer possible for playwrights to cast their own actors due to
disputes.
Playwrights had to apply to the archon for the ability to have a chorus within the play, this
often relied on being in good favour with the archon.
Sometimes, playwrights would direct (didaskalos: teacher or producer.)
5.

Theatron

Seeing place, where audience sat while watching theatre, ritual, or performance.
6.

Dithyramb

Dithyramb is an hymn to god Dionysus, a choric song accompanied by flute. The worship of
Dionysus was characterized by many eastern elements and influences from Thrace. As the religion
was descending South, some elements of mysticism and orphism are being observed in it.
As part of the choric poetry Dithyramb had a chorus. The members of the chorus were disguised in

animals (goats) and they were called Satyrs. The Satyrs were daemons of the woods and at first they
had no relation to Dionysus. But as his religion was expanding in the South of Greece, they attached
to him. It is most possible that this meeting of the northern Dionysian religion with the Arcadian
Satyrs took place in Peloponnesus.

7.

ekkyklema

A wheeled-platform used to reveal tableaus.

This was a small, wooden platform, rolling upon wheels. which was kept inside the stage-buildings.
When it was required to be used, one of the doors of the background was thrown open, and it was
pushed forward on to the stage. Upon it was arranged a group of figures, representing in a sort of
tableau the deed or occurrences which had just taken place inside the building. It was mostly used in
cases where a murder had been committed.
The Attic Theatre: A Description of the Stage and Theatre of the Athenians ...
By Arthur Elam Haigh
8.

mechane

A crane used to raise and lower actors, often used for gods and goddesses. It was used when
the characters of the play had to appear or disappear in a supernatural manner. By its means a god
or hero could be lowered from heave down to earth, or raised up from earth or heaven, or exhibited
motionless in mid-air. [] It was powerful enough to support two or three people at the same time.
9.

Aristotle (The Poetics)

Aristotle's approach to the phenomenon of poetry is quite different from Plato's. Fascinated by the
intellectual challenge of forming categories and organizing them into coherent systems, Aristotle
approaches literary texts as a natural scientist, carefully accounting for the features of each "species"
of text. Rather than concluding that poets should be banished from the perfect society, as does Plato,
Aristotle attempts to describe the social function, and the ethical utility, of art.
10. pity and fear

arise most of all when events happen contrary to expectation but in consequence of one
another.
Tragic hero: a person who is neither perfect in virtue and justice nor one who falls into
misfortune through vice and depravity: but rather, one who succumbs through some
miscalculation.
11. Katharsis

12. deus ex machine

Medical term, releasing passions that effect them negatively

Moral effect about purifying the body
Intellectual or aesthetic effect, deeper appreciation or understanding
of flaws

Literally god in the machine, usually the character intervention of a God, enabling a cathartic
ending.
13. happy idea

Complete fantasy, a what if?

Prologue introduction to happy idea
Parados introduction of the chorus
Agon Struggle, competition; central debate or fight about merits of happy idea.
Parabasis Chorus speaks in the voice of the playwright, the message
Episodes - Costume switch, status switch between slave and master
Komos final scene
Exodos exit of the chorus
^ Structure of comedy
14. agon

Agon Struggle, competition; central debate or fight about merits of happy idea.
15. Parabasis

Parabasis Chorus speaks in the voice of the playwright, the message

16. New Comedy
Comedy shifted away from politics and into the domestic sphere, usually about a young man
attempting to seduce woman and overcome an obstacle (usually his father) with the aid of a wily
slave. This is during Rome.
17. Ludi Romani
Roman festival, civic holiday held in honour of Roman gods. Similar in style or idea of City Dionysia.
18. Tertullian
Wrote De spectaculis, theatre is a lure and used to trap men into worshipping false gods. Opposed to
actors shaving their faces or having them wearing large boots due to it changing their physical nature
(going against what God gave them). He specifically despised male actors playing female actors.
19. Augustine

20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.

anti-theatricalism
vernacular drama
quem quaeritis trope
Feast of Corpus Christi
guilds
mystery plays
hell mouth
morality plays
allegory

29.
30.
31.
32.
33.

Zeami
hashigakari
mirror room
Diana Taylor
missing link

False belief that there is a figure between ape + human; often portrayed in sideshows like PT Barnum; in
1890s Caliban was portrayed as the missing link.
34. archive
35. repertoire
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

absolute monarchy
divine right of kings
le roi soleil
LAcadmie Franaise
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin

Playwright, better known under the name Molire; wrote Tartuffe, studied with Scaramouche, some critics
deemed his work a copy, friendly with King Louis 14th
41. Cardinal Richelieu
Cardinal to France, ruled alongside King Louis XIII, incredibly powerful, go-between of church and
monarchy, had his own theatre, supported the arts, aided in the rise of popularity/legitimacy of theatre
42. three unities

1. unity of action: a play should have one action that it follows, with minimal subplots.
2. unity of time: the action in a play should occur over a period of no more than 24
hours.
3. unity of place: a play should exist in a single physical space and should not attempt
to compress geography, nor should the stage represent more than one place.
Supported by Richelieu, based on Aristotle,
43. regicide
Killing of the king or royal, 1625: Charles I crowned; wanted to rule as the absolute monarch, period of
intense religious strife. Cavaliers vs. Roundheads, theatres are closed for a number of years. In 1649,
Charles I is accused of treason, tried and condemned; beheaded.
44. Stephen Gosson (School of Abuse): Puritanical book on anti-theatricalism
45. Drolls

Theatre endures in drolls staged in private homes, inns, etc.

46. Restoration

a. Charles II returns When Cromwell dies, he hands his power

over to his son Richard who does not have the same military
support that his father did, 1660: Charles ii (the Merrie
Monarch) returns from exile in France in his 30th birthday, he
maintains a relatively stable relationship with parliament in
order to avoid the conflict his father faced. His court rejects
the puritanical values of the previous years.
b. Theatrical innovations Charles II adopted the French
practice of assigning monopolies to theatre companies:
Thoman Killigrew (Kings Co.) at Theatre Royale, Drury Lane +
William Davenant (Dukes Co.) at Lincolns Inn Fields.
Perspective painting used and introduction of flats. Use of
perspective establishes a social hierarchy within the theatre
seating section.
47. Nell Gwynn
Nell Gwynn was one of the first female actresses to appear on the English stage. English theatres had been
closed by Oliver Cromwell during the interregnum/ Commonwealth period, after the regicide of Charles I,
because Cromwell, a puritan accused the theatre of being an immoral place where women could get
unwanted advances by men and the boy actors playing female roles were considered an abomination of
religious morality at that time. Therefore, theatre were banned and closed for 19 years, until Charles II
returned from France importing all of France culture and traditions as he had been influenced by Louis
XIVs lavish and extreme lifestyle. Charles II respected the theatres, allowing women to perform this time,
in order to make performance more believable. Nell Gwynn a notorious prostitute became kings mistress
giving him two children. That established a new era in the English theatre, where female actresses were
mostly of low origins-prostitutes-, and men started going to the theatre either to see their mistresses or to
gain one. This created large scandal in the English society because theatre became an immoral place to go,
as it devalued and objectified women. In fact, they were seen sexual objects and since legs were an
important erogenous zone for that culture, they were usually wearing a type of pants called breeches, that
gave the name to kinds of roles- breeches roles- where women showed their figure- especially their legs-for
mens entertainment and pleasure.
48. breeches roles
Roles for women in theatre in which they dressed as men; most often as a disguise, not in the style of
Shakespeare and without the intent to fool the audience. Often had a more lewd intention by playwrights,
these roles allowed for many to see the female figure outside of dresses, resoration period, 17 th century
france
49. Jeremy Collier
16th century theatre critic, wrote Short View of the Immorality and Profanness of the English Stage,
critiqued the theatre:
Thebusinessofplaysistorecommendvirtue,anddiscountenancevice;toshowtheuncertaintyofhuman
greatness,thesuddenturnsoffate,andtheunhappyconclusionsofviolenceandinjustice:itistoexpose

thesingularitiesofprideandfancy,tomakefollyandfalsehoodcontemptible,andtobringeverythingthat
isillunderinfamy,andneglect.ThisdesignhasbeenoddlypursuedbytheEnglishstage.Ourpoetswrite
withadifferentview,andaregoneintoanotherinterest.Itistrue,weretheirintentionsfair,theymightbe
serviceabletothispurpose.Theyhaveinagreatmeasurethespringsofthoughtandinclinationintheir
power.Show,magic,action,andrhetoric,aremovingentertainments;andrightlyemployedwouldbevery
significant.Butforceandmotionarethingsindifferent,andtheuselieschieflyintheapplication.These
advantagesarenow,intheenemieshand,andunderaverydifferentmanagement.Likecannonseizedthey
arepointedthewrongway,andbythestrengthofthedefencethemischiefismadethegreater.Thatthis
complaintisnotunreasonableIshallendeavortoprovebyshowingthemisbehaviorofthestagewith
respecttomorality,andreligion.Theirlibertiesinthefollowingparticularsareintolerable.viz.Their
smuttinessofexpression;theirswearing,profaneness,andlewdapplicationofscripture;theirabuseofthe
clergy;theirmakingtheirtopcharacterslibertines,andgivingthemsuccessintheirdebauchery.This
charge,withsomeotherirregularities,Ishallmakegoodagainstthestage,andshowboththenoveltyand
scandalofthepractice
50. carnivalesque

Typical in romantic intrigue, use of disguise, built around the desires of

social elite, intertwining plotlines. It is atypical because the play is not
set in the present, the play was written by a woman.
Carnival offer a new outlook on the world, [a means] to realize the
relative nature of all that exists and to ender a completely new order
of things.. Mikhail Bakhtin. This provides a liberatory moment when
the social rules are relaxed and all aspects of life that are often hidden
are brought to the foreground.

SAMPLE A keyword answers

NELL GWYNN
Nell Gwynn was one of the first female actresses to appear on the English stage. English theatres had been
closed by Oliver Cromwell during the interregnum/ Commonwealth period, after the regicide of Charles I,
because Cromwell, a puritan accused the theatre of being an immoral place where women could get
unwanted advances by men and the boy actors playing female roles were considered an abomination of
religious morality at that time. Therefore, theatre were banned and closed for 19 years, until Charles II
returned from France importing all of France culture and traditions as he had been influenced by Louis
XIVs lavish and extreme lifestyle. Charles II respected the theatres, allowing women to perform this time,
in order to make performance more believable. Nell Gwynn a notorious prostitute became kings mistress
giving him two children. That established a new era in the English theatre, where female actresses were
mostly of low origins-prostitutes-, and men started going to the theatre either to see their mistresses or to
gain one. This created large scandal in the English society because theatre became an immoral place to go,
as it devalued and objectified women. In fact, they were seen sexual objects and since legs were an
important erogenous zone for that culture, they were usually wearing a type of pants called breeches, that
gave the name to kinds of roles- breeches roles- where women showed their figure- especially their legs-for
mens entertainment and pleasure.

QUERELLE DU CID
The quarrel over the play Le Cid, by Pierre Corneille, Le Cid was a neoclassical play describing the
defeat of the Moors. Corneille, to stay true to the 3 unities, condensed the play into 1 day, 1 place. The
Academie Franaise, spear headed by Cardinal Richelieu, reprimanded the play for breaking the
neoclassical rules of vraisemblance and decorum. Even though unity of time and place was withheld, the
plot didnt make sense and did not uphold unity of action. Decorum was broken due to unrealistic violence
and onstage savagery. Verisimilitude was broken because the plot was not believable- a woman stayed with
a man even though he killed her father moments before, Richelieu criticized the play in 1638. For theatre
scholars, this conflict marked an event in which debate arose between artists and scholars. Richelieu, being
the governor of neoclassical ideals, stomped on the ideas of the artist, especially if they broke any of the
neoclassical rules. This conflict established Richelieu as a powerful diplomat for the rules that governed
French literature and art at the time. No other major figure in the 1700s or 1800 would

Tips for Acing an Exam

Here are a few common sense tips to help you prepare for the exam.
Studying for the Exam
1.
If you can, set aside time to study a little every day in the 4-5 days leading up to an exam.
Dont try to cram it all into 1-2 days. You stand a better chance of feeling prepared and
remembering the core concepts if you spend 45-60 minutes over several days looking over
your notes during a lunch break or while riding the subway than if you try to force your brain
to remember everything after a late night study session.
2.

Study with a friend or group of friends. Not only will it be more fun this way, but you can
also share the responsibility for covering certain topics. Because you actually have the
questions ahead of time this year, you can divide the work if you choose. Two (or more)
heads are better than one!

3.

Make use of your presentation to assist with studying. Many of you have made
interesting, sophisticated arguments in your presentation. Think about how you might
incorporate some of this into your essays for the exam.

Writing the Exam

4.
Read over all of the questions carefully before you begin writing. Be sure that your
response is answering the question asked, not the question that you think is being asked.
5.

Take the time to prepare a short outline before you begin. Write down the names of the
plays, the playwrights, and any key terms you want to use. You will usually feel freshest
during the first fifteen minutes of an exam, so use that time well and plan both essays so that
when/ if your energy starts to lag towards the end, you dont have to start from scratch. While
you may feel that you should get started writing immediately, its generally best to take the
time to prepare. Later on, if you cant think of a term or name, dont panic. It may come to
you.

6.

In your essay responses, be sure to include an introductory paragraph and conclusion,

along with a working thesis. Try to think about the relationship between the artists/ theorists/
plays, etc. youre analyzing rather than seeing each in isolation.

7.

Budget your time carefully. Two hours is ample time for four identifications, an image
analysis and an essay, but dont get too caught up in making your first essay perfect. Think
about your own learning and exam-writing style and make a schedule for yourself e.g. 10
minutes for outlines; 40 minutes for the identifications (10 min. each); 20 minutes for the
image analysis; 40 minutes for the essay; and 10 minutes to read over essays and make any
final corrections/ additions.

8.

If you find that youre running out of time, get down as many of your ideas. Note form
(as a last resort) is better than leaving a blank page. You will be able to demonstrate that you
knew the material, even if you werent able to include it in proper essay form.

STUDY NOTES
Historical period:
Key figures:
Political context:

General attitude toward theatre:

Kinds of plays (and their characteristics)/ theories about good playwriting:

Acting style/ training/ roles:

Staging practices/ design/ theatre spaces:

Theatres purpose/ function:

Other: