Introduction to Theatre

Roman Theatre

     As Rome did with all of the Countries it conquered, they folded the traditions of Greek Theatre into their culture and at the same time made them uniquely Roman.  Many Greek plays were copied and added to by Roman playwrights.  The additions often were fantastic and magical.  The religious purpose of the plays were not strictly maintained.  Many of the comedies turned the satirical focus on Greeks themselves for the entertainment of the Roman elite.

The plays were more read aloud and stagnant, much like poetry being delivered.  And very long;  very , very long.

The more popular forms of entertainment were:

Gladiatorial  and Venationes (animal battles ) combats in the Arena

Circus Maximus (like Nascar but with chariots and more blood)

Naumachia (recreation of sea battles in the arena)

Roman Comedy took after the “New” form of Greek Comedy with 3 actors and less political farce.  The focus became slap stick and common man situations instead.  From other conquered countries influence the advent of stock characters, asides and a confidant got incorporated into the new Roman comedy.  Most famous Roman Comedic playwrights:  Titus Plautus (all plays loosely based on Greek New Comedy scripts.) and Publius Terenius (Terence) who also just rewrote Greek comedies.

Mime, the most popular form, included women, exotic dance, acrobatics, singing, musicians and live battle and sex on stage.  The story lines were episodic  much like soap operas. The Mime actors became so popular that it is said the jealousy of them drove the Roman emperors to create many limiting rules concerning theatre people and performers.  Such as the inability to inherit, to own land, to acquire a lawyer, ect.

The changes made to Greek Theatre by the Romans:

Hardly any chorus.

½ circle, and empty orchestra area.

Three alcoves instead of working doors in a façade instead of a theatre skene house.

3 to 5 story façade.

Inside instead of outside or with an opening in the roof that could be covered by awnings.

Smaller audience area.

No parados.

Not as much use of masks.

Songs added to scripts.

Fantastic elements added to scripts.

Many painted statues of Roman gods in the many alcoves on each level of the grand façade.

Wings

Air Conditioning (air fanned over water into the house)

Horace – sometimes referred to as the Roman Aristotle, stole from Aristotle’s Poetics and inserted his own theories such as class distinction in roles and unities of time and place and action in his book The Art of Poetry.  Later this was ‘discovered’ by post medieval culture and taken as a bible of sorts for how to do theatre the way the classic theatre was done.  This resulted in the Neoclassical Ideals and many misunderstandings’ about theatre spaces and production that have influenced how we structure our theatres and modern day theatre traditions.

Once the Roman Empire adopted Christianity  theatre practitioners became very persecuted and were even arrested for performing their mimes and comedies.  Many practitioners went into hiding, some even living in the now abandoned underground cities the Christians had formerly occupied.  This was a to be a good thing once the hordes of Visigoths sacked Rome and killed many Romans.  The theatre people in hiding escaped and joined tribes of traveling peoples and gypsies or were adopted into Visigoth tribes as bards.  Visigoth’s loves bards.

Vocabulary

Roman Theatre Vocabulary

Greek New Comedy  - different from original Greek comedy by the use of domestic situations and everyday peoples with a smaller chorus.

Situational Comedies – Short comedies that deal with everyday issues and misunderstandings.

Circus Maximus – A huge arena where chariot races and reenactments of battles were performed.

Colosseum – (Coliseum)  A large round arena where gladiators fought.

Roman Pantomime – Performances that emphasis physicality and movement, and music and song with built upon soap opera like stories.

Plautus –early Roman Comic playwright.

Terence – More progressive later Roman Comic playwright.

Seneca – Roman Tragic playwright and translator who used Greek plays and fantasy  to create his work.

Horace  - The Roman “Aristotle”.  Wrote: The Art of Poetry.

The Art of Poetry – Horace’s philosophical views on the arts and theatre.

Dominus – Lead actor and producer of Roman theatre troop.

Façade – The typically three story, 5 door, many alcove stone background in Roman Theaters.