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550 BCE
Greek Theatre Picture
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Period: 550 BCE to 220 BCE
Greek Theatre
~the atron-steeply raked seating area for the audience
~the orchestra-a circular playing area that surrounded 3 sides of the atron
~the skene-stage house
~the paraskenia- ong, high walls that extended on either side of a parallel with the skene
~the proskenium-a columned arch
~the escyclema-a wheeled platform used in many ways
~periaktoi-tall 3 sided platforms
~machina-basket/platform that lowered to the orchestra level
~pinakes-painted panels -
300
Roman Theatre Picture
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Period: 300 to 399
Roman Theatre
~cavea- the auditorium
~scaenae frons-decorated single facade
~the auleum- the front curtain(lowered into a slot)
~the siparium- at back of stage, hides the backstage area, is a background
~after the fall of the roman empire, grand theatres were abandoned -
400
Medieval Theatre Picture
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Period: 400 to 1400
Medieval Theatre
~the suppression of theatrical activities was a direct result of the churches opposition to secular drama
~pageant wagons-platforms mounted on wagons
~mansions- sets composed of small buildings
~platea- common playing area
~secrets- stage machinery with special effects -
1500
1500-1650 Picture
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Period: 1500 to
1500-1650
~stock sets were painted drops of the comic scene, tragic scene, and satyric scene
~the most famous theatre is The Globe, created by William Shakespeare
~The Yard or Pit was a place for lower class audience
~The Inner Below has many different theories to its use
~The Inner Above was where projections occured
~Everything was surrounded by walls that housed galleries and private boxes for wealthier patrons and nobles
~There were many effects used such as smoke, fire, clouds, and sounds -
1650-1900 Picture
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Period: to
1650-1900
~movable drops, wings, and borders were added to stages and an inclined floor was added to add depth
~The Japanese Kabuki theatre had the most advanced technology at the time.
~elevator traps, elevator stages, revolving and concentric revolving stages were introduced
~candles and oil lamps were the primary used illumination source
~ Gas lighting was introduced and every theatre switched to it
~Limelight was created
~Projectors and followspots were created
~borderlights and winglights were added -
Twentieth Century Picture
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Period: to
Twentieth Century
~side seats were eliminated
~everything in the twentieth century sped up
~The Little Theatre movement was an effort to establish quality productions outside of NYC
~thrust and arena stages sprung up all over the country
~lighting went from gas to incandescent lamps
~the T-H lamp was introduced
~the first electronic dimmer was the thyratron tube dimmer
~there was an explosion of new developments in the twentieth century
