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550 BCE
greek theatre
Ancient Greek theatre was created as a form of entertainment, education, and cultural expression. was politically influenced by controversial aristocrats that held political power and controlled important positions. Famous playwrights were Euripides, Aristophanes and Aeschylus. Conventions of the style are Performed in an out door theatre, actors wore masks, performed by a chorus and three actors. -
1551
Commedia D'ell Arte
Commedia was formed in Italy around 1551. It was created in response to the social hierarchy at the time of the church, royals and people of power. The type of theatre was performed any where, usually through streets on top of make shift stages. Commedia uses stock characters to portray certain people and play on stereotypes.
Angelo beolco, Dario fo and Andrea Calmo are famous playwrights of the style and use of masks, stock characters and slapstick are all conventions of commedia. -
1558
Shakespeare/elizabethan
Shakespeare theatre was formed from the plays written by William Shakespeare. In 1576 the first public theatre of Shakespeare was created. The style of theatre responded to societies unjust power structures at the time and promoted greater equity for minorities.
Famous playwrights are William Shakespeare, ben jonson, Thomas kyd and soliloquy, aside and dialogue are conventions of the theatre. -
melodrama
Originated in France at the end of the 18th century but became the most popular during the 19th century. This style of drama was influenced by the post- revolutionary period. Melodrama is a type of theatre with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the audience’s emotions. Playwrights: Douglas William Jerrold, dion Boucicault, Wilson barrett. Conventions are exxaggerated actions and expressions. -
realism
Realism began in the mid 19th century as a reaction to Romanticism and History painting These paintings depicted real life settings of ordinary people in ordinary settings that influenced the theatre. People started to value real thoughts and emotions in theatre rather than fictional senarios. Playwrights: Henrick ibsen, Gustave Flaubert, eugene o’neill and conventions: Realistic setting, realistic language, music. -
expressionism
Expressionism came from the same impulse to rebel against the materialist values of the older middle-class generation. It started in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century as a way to express emotional experience rather than physical feelings and reality.This connection to emotions in trying to evoke moods and ideas for the audience. Playwrights of the time were Georg kaiser, max Brod and august Strindberg.