Vitruvius

Wrote De Architectura (describes set design of comedies & tragedies of Roman theatre) Bible of How To Build & Stage Drama. (Italian Ren)

Purpose of drama is “to teach and to please.” Represented critics point of view (Italian Ren)

Antonio Minturno

Purpose of drama is to teach, please and to persuade (towards the good),  represented religious authorities POV (Italian)

Machiavelli

He was Italian statesman, author, & political philosopher. Wrote The Mandrake, drama based on classical plays, very reminiscent of Roman New Comedy. 

Teatro Olimpico 

built in 1580-1584, oldest surviving Italian renaissance theatre. Miniature indoor roman theatre. 5 entrances to stage.

Sabbioneta

built in 1588, more representative of common theatres than olimpico, small theatre (250) and simpler design, horseshoe shaped area

Teatro Farnese 

built in 1618, permanent proscenium arch stage, open, circular, floodable orchestra

Sebastiano Serlio 

Used Vitruvius as a model to write Architettura, used rules of prospective (how the human eye sees) angled wings and ranked stage. 3 settings, 1 per play (tragic=stately, comic=common buildings, pastoral=fields)

Christopher Marlowe 

Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta, Edward II, a university wit. Credited with introducing iambic pentameter

Thomas Kyd 

The Spanish Tragedy, influenced Hamlet, a university wit

William Shakespeare

Ben Jonson 

Volpone, known for comedy of humours, wrote court masques

Beaumont and Fletcher 

Henry 8^th & Two Noble Kinsmen co-written by Shakespeare & Fletcher. Both famous for tragic comedies like Philaster. Beaumont (The Knight of the Burning Pestle)

John Webster 

The Duchess of Malfi, known for extremely violent, dark plays

John Ford 

Tis Pity She’s a Whore

Inigo Jones

court architect and stage designer for both James I and Charles I. Brought Italian innovations to England: proscenium arches, systems for changing scenery (ex. revolving platforms), painted-perspective stage sets.  

Lord Chamberlain’s Men/King’s Men

(1594-1642) Shakespeare’s troupe,

2 famous actors: Richard Burbage considered the most famous Elizabethan actor and Will Kept-clown, Performed at the Rose “the Theatre” The Globe, Blackfriars Renamed Kingsmen in 1603

Will Kemp

famous clown in Lord Chamberlain’s Men

Edward Allyn

Burbage’s counterpart (leading tragic actor) in the Lord Admiral’s Men. Played leading role in several or Marlowe’s plays. Co-managed Lord Admiral’s men

Blackfriar’s Theatre

first private/ indoor theatre. (1576-1608: used exclusively by the popular boys’ companies. later Used by the University of Wits and Kings’ men during the Winter

The Theatre

The Rose 

( 1587-1606)- the original had 13 or 14 sides. Diameter of inner yard= 49 feet

The Globe

The most famous public théâtre built by Richard & Cuthbart Burbage for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Had been 18-20 sides. –rebuilt in 1990s, opened in 1997. Rebulit= 20 sides, 99ft in overall diameter, yard’s diameter= 74 ft

Lope de Rueda 

actor, manager, playwright. Most popular performer in early Spanish theatre. Wrote and directed auto sacramentals for Corpus Christi festivals. Also wrote secular plays. Wrote 5 full length plays and a dozen pasos – short comic pieces. Helped popularize secular theatre. Was the author-manager for his traveling company

Created comedia nueva (later called comedia. most popular of his day. Wrote a treatise “The New Art of Playwriting”, ignores neoclassical ideals. Combines Italian plots with Spanish songs. ‘Fuente Ovejuna’ ‘punishment without revenge’ ‘the discovery of the new world’ ‘acting is believing’ ‘the king of olmedo’. established a distinctive episodic structure for Spanish drama. Aim of his plays was “to please the audience”. Establish the popularity f the 3-Act verse comedia. Joined a lay confraternity, became a priest despite his womanizing past. Lived during Shakespeare’s time and wrote in a similar form.

Calderón de la Barca

Spain’s most popular playwright after de Vega died. Wrote in a variety of styles. Most thèmes revolved around love and honor.  Wrote and produced poetic musical dramas for court entertainments. Many of his plays influenced the playwrights of neoclassical France and Restoration England. Wrote 111 Secular plays & 70 auto sacramentals. A leader among the court poets. Director of court théâtre after Lope de Vega.

Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz

(1651-1695) born to umarried parents. Became a nun so she could study and learn. Renowned for her beauty. Wrote poetry, music, plays & theological works. Wrote criticism of male priest & had to recant her beliefs. “House of Trials” wrote all parts. “Divine Narcissus” “Reply to Sur Fioletea” secular dramas produced at the palaces of government officials.

Tirso de Molina 

(1584-1648) 80 surviving plays. Trickster of Seville First Don Juan play. wrote 400 plays. Compared to Lope and Calderon

Pléiade

group of scholars interested in solidifying idals of French culture. advocated neoclassical ideal (main:verisimilitude) A literary group formed in the middle 1500s in Paris to further reading and culture.  Plays written were derivative, not original, aimed exclusively at an upper-clas, scholarly audience. 

French Academy

founded by cardinal richelieu. Official guardians of French language n style. Strictly enforced the neoclassical principles and censored playwrights who deviated from them. Established in 1636. Limited to 40 writers and other intellectuals. Still exists today.

Georges de Scudéry 

Wrote Observations on Le Cid, appealed to French academy about Le Cid

Pierre Corneille 

wrote « Le Cid » , responds to scudery’s observation with an apologetic letter defending it. Plots about honorable heros. “The Theatrical Illusion” elected to French academy

Cardinal Richelieu 

helped Henry XIII rule beause he was young. Concentrated power and authority in crown. Cultural power, not just military/political. Most powerful man in France around 1620 b/c he ruled the country in the name of the young king. Took power away from nobles and Protestants and put it in hands on the monarch. Interested in establishing standards in French literature and the arts, with a strong Italian stamp/ influence. Encouraged the formation of the French Academy. 

Hôtel de Bourgogne 

permanent, public theatre building, had its own acting troup, known for great tragedies, famous actors were bellerose and mountfleury constructed by the Confraternity of the Passion. Was Paris’ sole permanent indoor theatre for nearly a century. 

Théȃtre du Marais 

public, converted from tennis courts & rebuilt after a fire. Known for famous actors and extravagant designs. Bourgogne’s 1^st competition and was a permanent converted tennis court. 

Jodelet

famous clown, played in whiteface, Moliere wrote for him. Played in Theatre du marais

King’s Troupe (Comédiens du Roi) 

actors of Palais Royal

Molière

Palais royal known as his home. Inspired by commedia dell’arte troups. Huge success with  School for Wives, Tartuffe, The Vourgeoise Gentleman, The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid.  French neoclassical playwright who exerts the pst influence on modern theatre that specialized in comedy. Insisted on depicting vices and follies truthfully, shocked audiences. Rhyming couplets. Influenced by commedia dell’arte and his characters resembled stock types. His plots adhered to the neoclassical rules.  Both an accomplished playwright and a comic actor. His trope was The King’s men.

Armand Béjart 

actress, Molière’s wife

GiacamoTorelli

designer for Palais Royal. Brought Italian design to Paris (chariot & pole system, extravagant scenery) Called the “great wizard” because of his many spectacular stage settings and scene changes. Influenced italy and France. Perfected the pole-and-chariot method of scene shifting. Sometimes used cut out flats to give a 3-D effect to trees and shrubs. 

Comédie Française 

in 1680 various acting troups batteling it

out. king interviened & made them all 1. 1^st national theatre. All spoken drama in French. First National Theatre in the World. Government supported national theatre. Formed when Louis XIV merged two earlier troupes. Organized under the sharing plan of Moliere’s troupe. Was granted a monopoly. It preserved the best of French classical drama- Corneille, Racine, Moliere- as well as a distinguished tradition of classical acting.

Louis XIV 

Poetics

Aristotle-The Athenian Construction, On Dreams, The History of Animals, Metaphysics, Rhetoric, On Sense and Sensible, Virtues and Vices. 

Ars Poetica

Horace-Poem of the Secular Games, The Odes, The Epistles, The Epodes, The Satires

De Arcitectura

Vitruvius-Landscape Architecture, Construction Materials, Temples (part 1) Temples (part 2), Public places; (square, meeting hall, theatre, park, gymnasium, harbor), Private Dwellings, Finishes and colors, Water Supply, Sundials and clocks, Mechanical Enineering.

Architettura

Sebastiano Serlio-On the Five styles of Buildings, On Antiquities, On Geometry, On Prespective, On Temples, Extraordinary Book of Doors, On Situations, On habitations, On Polybius Castrametation

The Divine Narcissus 

Sor Juana-To her Portrait, Phyllis, On the death of that most excellent lady, My lady, My divine Lysis, In which she satisfies a Fear with the Rhetoric of Tears, I approach and I withdraw, Arraignment of the Men

Observations on The Cid 

Pierre Corneille-Clitandre, The Widow, The place Corridor, The Maidservane, La Place Royal, L’Illusion Comique, Horace, Cinna, Polyeucte, The Liar

intellectuals, not public judge if a play is good. Le Cid. Plot is unrealistic. Violated decorum, violates unities. 

Versailles Impromptu

Moliere-Amphitryone, Don Gracia of Navarre, Psyche, The Self-Deceived, Husband, Tartuffe, The Blunderer, The Bores, The Contess of Escarbagnas, The Imaginary Invalid, The Impostures of Scapin, The learned Womeen, The Love-Tiff, The magnificent Lovers, The middle Glass Gentleman, The Miser, The Pretentious Young Ladies, The school for Husbands. 

“Reply to Sor Filotea” 

An open letter by Sor Juana that responds to a letter supposedly written by a fellow nun (it was actually another male priest) in which Sor Juana defends the right of women to be educated.

Intermezzi 

short pieces appearing between acts of full-length plays

Pastoral

romantic pieces about shepherds and shepherdesses and satyrs.

Commedia dell’arte 

improvised. Masked theatre form featuring mostly comic plots n stock characters. Popular throughout eurpose during renaissance. Often comic but not necessary. Acrobatics, music, acting, used set speeches, songs & comic bitcs called lazzi.

Innamorato/a 

Lovers (young ingénue and male lead), unmasked. Companies had a major/ minor pairing. Performed collected poems.

Pantalone 

foolish old man. Often villan (Mr. Burns)

Dottore

bumbling know it all

Capitano

braggart and coward. (Zapp Brannigan)

Zanni

name for servents. Masked except women.

Brighella

servent. Cunning & synical. Often with a mustache. Goal is to outwit lovesick fool, rob a miser or beat up a creditor

Arlecchino

servent derived from devil character.  Acrobatic side man. Often with a wooden sword or slap stick. 

Pulcinella 

servent who is aways gluttonous or hungry, beak-like nose (homer simpson)

Zagne

female comic roles. Usually unmasked

Sacra rappresentazione 

Italian ecclesiastical drama religious dramas represented scenes from the Old and New Testaments, from pious leaders and the lives of Saints. used dialogue from scared Scriptures to instruct the audience in a lesson of good conduct of dramatizing the punishment of vice and virtue.

Pastoral

a Greek satyr play short, ribald comic pieces that has been presented as a follow up to Greek Tragedies, subject matter of the Renaissance pastoral in Romance, characters usually shepards and mythological creatures who inhabit the forest and country side. (pg 150 of book)

Interludes

A short dramatic piece staged between the courses of a banquet. (pg. 138 of book) 

School Drama

Plays written at the universities and presented at school and colleges rather than for the general public, usually reflected some Greek and Roman influences, but they also used many medieval dramaturgical techniques. (pg. 177 & 179 of book) 

Comedy of humors

associated with  Ben Johnson, it is used in medieval and Renaissance medical theory that the human body is held a balance of four liquids, or humors: blood, yellow bile and black bile. When properly balanced the humours were thought to give the individual a healthy mind in a healthy body. Usually a character represents one humour in which a man went out of his way to appear singular by affecting certain famous of clothing, speech and social habits. (Stock characters) 

Masques

An elaborate entertainment presented at court, was a favorate of the royalty and the nobility. 

Anti-masques

A burlesque of the main theme. 

Boys’ plays 

Boy troupes performing for public and court ; often cutting satire

Auto sacramental

1 act religious spectacles performed at corpus Christi by professionals. Used carros (2story wagons with special effects) & allegorical characters. 

Comedia

means play of comedy. Created by lope de vega. Ignores neoclassical ideals. Italian plots with Spanish songs. 

Zarzuela

dramatic pieces combining folk songs and narratives, sometimes seen as precursor to modern musical

Entremes

skits between acts of comedia plays

introductory piece

auto de fe 

big public inquisitional ceremony

comedy ballet 

dialogue alternated with dancing scenes, performed for court (moliere)

ballet d’entrèes 

like English masques. Allegorical. Simple court dances with an explanatory libretto. Divided into “entries” “Ballet of the Night” often performed by Louis XIV

Gracioso

Male comic servant

machine plays 

Special effects & spectacle

Neoclassical Ideal

Verisimilitude – likeness to truth.

Defined by 3:

reality, morality, universality

Poetic Justice 

good rewarded with good & bad gets bad

Decorum

norms of behavior for different types of people and plays (servents servile, kings noble & men manly)

Three Unities 

reality, morality, universality

Perspective

how the human eye sees. set design. Angled wings & raked stage

Humanism

a shift from seeing reality from god’s perspective to seeing reality through human

Lazzi

is a piece of well rehearsed comic action commonly used int the Commedia dell’art. 

Carros

Performance space. A courtyard surrounded by 3 buildings. Paid one price to enter, another for special seating. Strict segregation of genders.

Limpieza de sangre 

Cleanliness of blood »- Underlying social concern for the Spanish.

Spanish Inquisition

Spanish Honor system – aims at heretics, uses anonymous witnesses, neighbor rats out neighbor, very organized/very spanish

Zarazuela

Dramatic pieces combining folk songs and narratives. Performed @ The Royal Hunting Lodge. Sometimes seen as 1^st musicals.

Bienséance

French Decorum

Caroline (or Carolinian) 

describes theatre in the time of King Charles I.

Jacobean

describes theatre in the time of King James I