A presentation on Theatre in the Renaissance for a high school Intro to Theatre class.

2.  1453 Byzantium falls to the Turks
› The scripts saved by Byzantine scholars are
taken to Italy.
 People start reading them
 People start writing more plays like them.
 1486 – De Architectura is rediscovered
and republished
› Roman Text on scene design

3.  Called Architettura
 FOUR MAIN POINTS
› Rectangular Room
› Stage at the King’s eye level
› Angle Wings and Backdrop
› Only need three sets
 Comedy (curved lines)
 Tragedy (straight lines)
 Pastoral (outdoor scenes)

4.  Three ways to change scenery
› Periaktoi
› “Book Flaps”
› Groove system
 Replaced by “Chariot & Pole” system

5.  Flying (of scenery and people)
 Trap Doors
 Fire & Smoke
› “Why do so many theatres burn down?”
 Water Effects
› Naumachia
 Curtains (roll up, not fly up)
 Lights
› Lights can be directed, blocked, or colored

6.  1. Plays must be believable
 2. Plays must teach a lesson
 3. Plays must be about normal people
doing normal things
 4. Plays must have purity of genre
 5. Unities of Time, Place, Action
 6. Plays must have five acts.

7.  La Cassari by Ariosto
› Comedy based on Roman plot
 La Mandragola by Nicolo Machiavelli
› One of the best known playwrights of this era
› First Italian comedy with an ORIGINAL story
 Sofonisba by Trissino
› Rewrite of Greek Tragedy
 Orbecche by Geraldi Cinthio
› Based on writings of Seneca
 Pastoral or The Faithful Shepherd by Jean
Baptiste Guarini
› Pastorale

8.  Possibly the first two operas:
› Dafne by Rinuccini
› Orfeo by Monteverde

9.  Commedia a Soggetto (Subject)
› Has an actual plot
 Commedia Erudita (Learned)
› School Plays
 Commedia del’Arte (of the Professional)
› Masked Performances by professional actors
› Created in 1500, popular until 1750!

10.  Stock characters (same general characters
every time.)
› 2 to 4 Innamoriti – Young lovers
› 4 to 6 Old Men
 Pantalone – Old man in baggy pants
 Capitano – Military officer
 Dottore – Doctor/Lawyer/Wise man
› 2 to 4 Zanni – Wacky servants/tricksters

11.  Some actors have characters named for
them
› Arlecchino (Harlequin)
› Brighella (Arlecchino’s sensible friend)
› Fantesca (female servant)