Theater History/test 2 Ch.6 English Renaissance

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Inns of Court

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places of residence and training for lawyers, the Inns admitted young men, Oxford or Cambridge educated. Full of rich young aristocratic young men. They learned music, dancing and other graces which culminated into staging plays, parents/aristocrats would come. Used Seneca’s model for tragedy. Did not have a huge impact on theater, but helped spread the ideas of the renaissance. University ed. Studied mainly Latin, Engineering, architecture, philosophy etc Liberal Arts Education

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The University Wits

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Bridged the gap between learned and popular audiences. They successfully blended classical and medieval devices with compelling stories, and made the foundations for Shakespeare’s work. Staging dramas based on the humanistic ideals of the renaissance, Humanism where men are capable of good and striving for perfection. University ed. Studied mainly Latin, Engineering, architecture, philosophy etc Liberal Arts Education. They all know each other and write for the Public theaters. They were called the wits because their plays had wit and poetic powers

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• Thomas Kyd

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(1558-1594) playwright remembered most for The Spanish Tragedy which was the most popular play in the Sixteenth century. He placed all important events onstage, let the action flow freely through time and place, and used Seneca’s notions of, “ghosts” soliloquies, deaths, wonderful long speeches etc . . . Yet managed to construct a well articulated plot with rapid, clear and interesting action. Established the “revenge” style of Hamlet

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• John Lyly

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(1554-1606) wrote pastoral comedies that mixed classic mythology with English subjects. Established the tradition that Shakespeare based As You Like I, and Love’s Labors Lostt. Written in a witty prose and eloquently structured. Subplots and side comic relief.

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• Robert Greene

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(1560-1592) Wrote pastoral and romantic Comedies. Adventures that mixed stories of love with historic materials. The first negative critic of Shakespeare. One of his romances was the source for The Winters Tale.

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• Christopher Marlowe

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(1564-1593) Most important/best playwright. His plays focused on the protagonist, whose complex motivations were illuminated by an episodic story. Doctor Faustus was his most influential work. Tambourlain Marlow’s and his wife were excessive and accused of being an Atheist, violent, Womanizer,

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William Shakespeare

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(1564-1616) 38 Plays, he borrowed from the Wits, from History. There was not a copywrite on ideas. He was not considered a genius in his time. Plays were considered entertainment, not literature. Sonnets were important. He was not even most popular, they liked Johnson. His worked honored the politics of the day, wrote for the Tudors

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Shakespeare’s Twelve innovations

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1. Multiple plots
2. Early point of attack. (greek theater early attack) we would see Oedipus birn kill his dad etc)
3. Panoramic-big view Not concerned with the Unities
4. Nature and Man have a connectrion.
5. Plays are not overtly religions, but have a strong sense of justice and morality.
6. Large casts
7. Strong, highly developed, fully dimensional characters
8. Mixes Comedy and Tragedy
9. Plays are Episodic
10. Not a lot of spectacle, most of the scenery described in the text of the play.
11. Brilliant use of Language. Lots of poetry, puns, bawdiness,
12. Frequent use of soliloquies- very “theatrical” never intended to be too realistic

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Ben Jonson

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(1572-1637) Wrote 28 plays, Finest or the second Elizabethan playwright after Shakespeare. Volpone, The Alchemist Concerned primarily with reforming human behavior and focused on the foibles of contemporary types. Paid more attention to neoclassic rules, as for structures. Sold out and started writing for the Court. First poet-laureate of England. Wrote comedies that focused on the Humours. The four fluids. Ends up in stereotypng. Blood (choloric, too much blood easily angered), black bile (melancholy) , yellow bile (sanguine, hopeful), phlegm, (phlegmatic, not easily exited) . Drama to correct the humours. Did not raise empathy, but was didactic

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John Webster

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(1580-1634) Wrote Jacobean tragedies, his plays were admired for their well drawn characters and powerful dramatic poetry. Plays lack the sense of affirmation that Shakespeare’s plays had

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James Burbage

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(1530-1597) one of the first builders of playhouses in England. Son Richard Burbage was a famous actor.

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A Treatise Against Dicing, Dancing, Plays, and Interludes

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(1577) John Northbrook’s assault on the increase in professional theater activity.

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The School of Abuse

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(1579) Stephen Gosson’s attack. He thought theater was an instrument used my the Devil to encourage vice and lure people away from honest work.

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The Defense of Poesy

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(1580) Sir Philip Sydney’s answer to negative works. Argued that literature is the most effective way to teach morality and to move people toward virtuous action

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Sharing plan

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actors would put up a sizeable amount of money to join a group of actors, and after all the expenses were paid (costumes, hired men, props, etc. . . ) they divided the remaining house intake amongst the shareholders in proportion to the amount of shares they owned. Most companies had about 25 members about half share owners and half hired on or apprentices. Goal of any company was t o get a permanent theater built by 1603. Smaller companies had to go on tour quite a bit.

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Licensing

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Plays were owned by the company. Plays weren’t considered literature

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The Blackfriars Boys

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the most famous “boy’s company”

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Public Theater

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an open air structured theater. For profit companies. Had someone of “name” associated with the company. Not a major part of society, were outside of London. Theater happened duiring the day, during working hours. Women were discouraged to attend, but still came. Theater were looked down on but still quite crowded.

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Private Theater

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a smaller roofed theater that catered to more aristocratic audiences

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Costume: 5 categories

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1. “ancient” or put of style clothing. Used to indicate unfashionableness or occasionally to suggest another period.
2. “antique” draperies added to contemporary clothing, used for certain classical figures
3. fanciful garments used for ghosts, witches, fairies, gods, etc. .
4. traditional costumes, outfits specifically associated with certaion characters, Robin Hood, Falstaff, Richard III
5. National or racial costumes, used to set off Turks, Jews, Indians, and spaniards

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Tiring house

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the dressing room and backstage area of the theater

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Masques

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a court play that had performances of music, dance, and narration honor a notable person.

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Inigo Jones

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court scenic designer/theater builder