The word "theater" is translated from Greek language as a "spectacle" and as a "place for spectacles".
“Spectacle”, “spectator”, “vision” are related words with the same root.
That is, theater is:
- what the viewer watches: performances, concerts, performances (necessarily on stage, so that you can see the performance from any point auditorium);
- where the viewer watches: a special place, a building in which the theatrical performance takes place.
Therefore, we can say: “We were in the theater.” Or you could say “We watched the theater.”
The emergence of theater
Theater originated in ancient times. In ancient Greece, it was customary to celebrate significant events: the onset of spring, the harvest. The Greeks especially loved the holiday of the god Dionysus, who personified the forces of nature that fall asleep in winter and are reborn again with the first rays of the sun.
(Commentary for adults: His second hypostasis, the god of grapes and winemaking, is also connected with this essence of Dionysus. The entire process of processing the grapes, fermenting them and turning them into a thrilling experiencewine can be considered a metaphor for the death and rebirth of DionIsa.)
This holiday joy and freedom, when prisoners were released on bail, debtors were left alone and no one was arrested, so that everyone could take part in the fun,This is how it was called “Great Dionysia” and celebrated the complete victory of spring over winter.
People sang songs, changed clothes, put on masks, and made stuffed animals. At first, the holiday was held in city squares, and then special architectural structures began to be built to hold performances.
The theater building was built on a hillside. At the foot there was a round platform - an orchestra, on which singers, reciters, and actors performed. Behind the orchestra there was a skena - a tent for changing clothes for actors and props.
Some theaters were truly huge and quite comparable in capacity to modern stadiums.
Ancient Greek theater located in the city of Larisa on the south side of Mount Furourio
Only men could be actors in the ancient Greek theater: they played both male and female roles. It was a very respected profession. And very difficult. The actors had to perform in special masks(more details here), the audience could not see their facial expressions, so it was necessary to convey all the emotions with gestures and voice.
Also, tragedy actors went on stage wearing special sandals on a high platform - they were called buskins. These high sandals made the gait slower, more stately, and proud, as befits a character in a tragedy.
(It's interesting that in Ancient Rome buskin boots were worn onlyactors portraying gods and emperors to differentiate themselves from actors portraying ordinary people.
And at this link you can read a study that proves a different origin of buskins: “When the Greek tragedian received the role of god, he had to solve a dilemma:<...>how to move around the stage? To lower the gods from their pedestals to the ground of the orchestra, to put them on the ancient stage “on the same level” with man? Greek 6th-5th centuries BC e. I did not consider it possible to do this with images of gods. He was still too closely connected with them by the bonds of religion. The actor has only one way left: to move across the stage along with the pedestal, without leaving it. To do this, the pedestal was cut into two halves and each of them was tied to a leg. This is how buskins were invented.")
As we see, the theater has survived to this day, preserving the basic concepts. Visiting the theater is still holiday, A actor and now plays on a special site - stage- before spectators, trying to show the whole gamut emotions his character.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus and Acoustic Hall at the Mariinsky Theater (Mariinsky-2 )
Ancient Greek actors and actors of the play "Cipollino" ("Taganka Theater")
Theater is a great miracle.As one of Tove Jansson’s heroines said, “theater is the most important thing in the world, because it shows what everyone should be and what they dream of being - however, many do not have the courage to do this - and what they are like in life.”
The art of theater goes back to ancient times to totemic dances, ritual copying of animal habits, and the performance of rituals using special costumes, masks, tattoos and body painting. In the early stages of theater development, the playwright and the performer were united in one person.
IN ancient world Up to fifteen thousand spectators gathered for the performances. The action of the performances unfolded in the lap of nature, as if remaining an event of life itself. This gave the ancient theater naturalness and liveliness.
In the Middle Ages, theater developed in forms dating back to liturgical drama, performed as part of church service. In the XIII-XIV centuries. Genres isolated from the service arise - mystery, miracle, and folk motifs and ideas penetrate into these church productions. Folk theater forms are carried out both through amateur creativity and as street performances by traveling actors. In the 15th century The most democratic genre of medieval theater emerged - farce, which wittily reproduced the life and morals of its contemporaries.
During the Renaissance folk forms theatrical arts imbued with humanism ( Italian comedy masks), theater becomes philosophical, becomes a means of analyzing the state of the world (Shakespeare), an instrument of social struggle (Lope de Vega).
The theater of classicism (XVII century) is the contemporary art of its era, built on the basis of normative aesthetics (Boileau) and rationalistic philosophy (Descartes). It is based on the great tragic (Racine, Corneille) and great comedic (Moliere) dramaturgy, affirming ideal heroes, ridiculing vices. The actors embody the universal human traits of the characters, neglecting their specific historical and national characteristics. The theater of classicism is at the center of the artistic interests of the court and the needs of the public.
In the 18th century Enlightenment ideas penetrated into the theater (Diderot, Lessing), it became a means of social struggle of the third estate against feudalism. Actors strive to express social status character.
In the first half of the 19th century. Romantic theater is spreading. He is distinguished by increased emotionality, lyricism, rebellious pathos, and distinctiveness in the portrayal of characters.
In the 30s of the XIX century. becomes the dominant trend in the theater critical realism. This direction develops on the basis of the dramaturgy of Gogol, Ostrovsky, and later Chekhov, Ibsen, Shaw. The theater becomes deeply national and democratizes, its mass, popular forms develop. Theaters designed for the common people appeared: “boulevard” (Paris), “small” (New York), suburban theaters (Vienna).
Russian stage art XIX V. - theater of realism, acute social issues, a critical attitude towards reality, reaching the point of its satirical exposure, typification of life, psychological analysis personality.
In the first third of the twentieth century, the theater experienced Great Reform: The director came to the theater. This is the conquest of the twentieth century. Directors K. Stanislavsky, V. Meyerhold, M. Reinhardt, A. Appiah, G. Craig, L. Kurbas created new scientific theories performing arts. IN modern times The main principle of the performance is the ensemble. The director leads this ensemble (troupe), interprets the playwright's plan, translates the play into a performance and organizes its entire course.
The word “theater” is known to everyone, even the smallest children. Who among us didn’t love going to a puppet theater, where faceless toys suddenly came to life? in capable hands puppeteer and turned into magical living creatures... Having grown up, when choosing between theater and cinema, we often prefer the latter. But only in the theater can one feel the living force emanating from the actors, only the theater can captivate the viewer with its splendor.
How did he appear?
The first theater appeared in Athens, in 497 BC. Its appearance was associated with competitions of singers, poets and actors in honor of the holiday of the god Dionysus. There were no special amenities provided for the spectators, but this did not bother them, and they sat on the hill to watch the competition. Wooden stages were made for the actors, which, however, were later replaced by a more comfortable arena.
The competition participants showed their performances on a stage surrounded by a low wall, thanks to which it was possible to hide unnecessary props and decorations. There was also a tent for the speakers where they could change clothes. Since the holiday was dedicated to Dionysus, it is not surprising that in the center of the site there was an altar to the god, and all the action unfolded around it.
A little later, the ancient Greek theater changed. Spectators were finally able to take “real” seats - seats were built for them from marble (for guests of honor) and stone (for simpler spectators). Among the spectator seats there were resonating vessels that provided sound amplification.
In Rome, the first stone theater appeared only in 55 BC. Before this, actors and spectators were content with only temporary wooden buildings.
The performances of past years bore little resemblance to what we understand by a performance today. There could only be one actor on stage, changing masks and playing several roles at once. The need for masks was due to large sizes theaters that could seat ten or even seventeen thousand people. It was almost impossible to discern the actor’s facial features from a long distance, and masks easily solved this problem. The actors of Ancient Greece were respected people; only a free man could become an actor, unlike his Roman “colleagues”. Roman actors came from among slaves or freedmen.
IN ancient Greek theaters The performances were based on myths, interpreted in their own way by actors and authors of plays. The Roman theater almost completely adopted plots from Greek drama, processing them for Roman audiences.
The heyday of ancient Greek drama dates back to the fifth century BC. These were the times of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The Greek Livius Andronicus made a great contribution to the development of the Roman theater, teaching Greek and Latin to the sons of the Roman nobility. Also famous is Gnaeus Naevius, who achieved fame thanks to his comedies. Representatives of the next generations of Roman playwrights were Titus Maccius Plautus, Publius Terence, and then Horace and Seneca.
Theater has become a part of our lives. And even if we don’t talk about the option of entertainment or pastime, then many have probably heard Shakespeare’s “all life is theater...”. What does theater mean to people, and what do people do in the theater, both as actors and as spectators? It probably depends on the context in which the word is used. And, as practice shows, there are many meanings.
What is theater: definition
Theater is a Greek word and literally means “spectacle, I watch.” Most general definition might sound like this: theater is an art form in which various directions, for example, literature, music, choreography, vocals, fine arts and others. What do actors do in the theater? Accordingly, actors in the theater can read poetry, sing, dance, tell jokes, and perform various tricks. But this is not the only interpretation of the theater; there are also the following meanings:
- Theater is a spectacle, to mean a production or play.
- A theater is a stage or arena (often used to denote a figurative meaning, as in "theater of war, etc.).
- Theater as a world of ideas and creative images the author of the production (for example, "Chekhov's theater").
- Theater is like a building.
- Theater as an institution legally registered (for example, the Taganka Theater or the Malaya Bronnaya Theater).
We see that theater is developing in accordance with its parent - society, acquiring new meanings. And if earlier theater was perceived literally and used exclusively in the literal sense, then over time the meanings became wider. And they were enriched and expanded due to the fact that the word began to be used in a figurative metaphorical form, reflecting not only physical world, but also the inner, spiritual world.
The history of the theater goes back to Ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. Ancient art It originated as spectacular entertainment for the public, festive scenes of costumed actors. The performances were originally timed to coincide with the Great Dionysius - a major religious holiday.
Now the theater is undoubtedly more than a procession of singing men in goatskins through the city. He became high art, way of relaxation high society, a place of cultural education. The history of the theater is a fascinating process of development that continues to this day. We will tell the reader this in our article. You will also find many interesting facts in the presented material. So let's begin.
Start
In Athens of the 5th century BC. e. theatrical performances were an integral part of religious holidays. Processions with the statue of Dionysus were accompanied by cheerful chants and dramatic games. We can say that the history of the Athenian theater began as an amateur performance for a small number of onlookers. Initially, only tragedies were staged; comedies were shown later. It is noteworthy that plays, as a rule, were shown only once. This stimulated authors to create relevant, interesting works. The playwright not only wrote the play, he was a full-fledged participant in the performance, playing the roles of director, composer, choreographer and even actor. Naturally, these were extremely talented people.
But to become a choreg (choir leader), great talent was not required. All they needed was money and connections with government officials. The main responsibility of the choregas was to pay bills, provide full material support and support the theater. In those days it was a place of competition; the winners were the choregas, the poet and the protagonist. The winners were crowned with ivy and awarded prizes. Victory was given to them by decision of the jury.
An interesting fact is that the ancient Romans were real fans of realism. A production in which the actor played the role 100% was considered ideal - if necessary, he had to be ready to even die.
The Greek theater had no roof; spectators and actors were, in fact, on the street. The size of ancient theaters was enormous, they accommodated from 17 to 44 thousand people. At first, wooden platforms were used to seat spectators, then natural stone slopes were adapted for the theater. And only then, in the 4th century BC. e., a stone theater was built.
You will probably be interested to know that the government, starting with Pericles, has given the opportunity to visit the theater and experience beauty even to financially disadvantaged citizens. For this purpose, everyone was given a subsidy for one visit to the theater, and subsequently for three visits.
The history of the ancient theater has one characteristic feature: the actors played their roles without the help of their own facial expressions. It was replaced by all kinds of masks, often very grotesque. Much attention the actor paid attention to body movements and clothing. The actors were men, even in female roles. They occupied a privileged position in society and were exempt from taxes.
An interesting fact is that Livius Andronicus, an ancient Roman playwright, became the father of the world's first "phonogram". He was left without a voice, but got out of the situation by finding a boy who spoke for him.
Some terms of ancient theater
Many definitions used in ancient theaters have survived to this day. A small dictionary of terms from ancient times is presented below:
- The orchestra is a round-shaped part of the theater with two entrances, intended for the performance of dramatic and lyrical choirs. In the Athens theater its diameter was 24 meters.
- Skena is a place for changing clothes. Originally a simple tent, then combined with fragments decoration scenes, for example, background.
- Proskenium - a colonnade in front of the skene.
- Paraskenium – side stone extensions.
- The stage is a raised area above the orchestra, where actors began to play in late antiquity.
- Ekkiclema is a mobile platform made of wood that allows you to transform the scene of action and move actors around the stage.
- Koturny - shoes with high soles, reminiscent of stilts. With the help of such shoes, actors became taller, more impressive and similar to mythical creatures.
A remarkable fact is that it was in Rome that the phrase “Finita la comedia” was first uttered.
Puppets in the theatrical world
Story puppet theater originates in Egypt, where priests used a doll of the god Osiris to perform ritual actions. In the beginning, puppet theater was purely ritual and ritualistic, but now the religious connotation has faded away. Famous ritual puppet theaters exist in many countries: Japan (“Bunraku”), Indonesia (“Wayang”), Catalonia (“El Pastores”), Belarus (“Batleyka”) and others.
In the history of puppet theater in America, a theater created in 1962 called “Bread and Puppet” stands out. It features giant papier-mâché dolls, an obvious political overtone, and a treat of delicious bread at the entrance. This interaction between actors and spectators is symbolic: theatrical art should be as close to the people as possible.
Dolls come in different sizes and appearances. There are finger and glove puppets, cane and tablet puppets, puppets and giant dolls. Being a puppet theater actor is not so easy, because you need to be able to bring an inanimate object to life, give it character and voice.
A characteristic feature of any puppet theater is the ridicule of something, the presence of morality, an educational element in the skits. No matter what age the viewer of the puppet theater is, he will find there not only something to laugh at, but also something to think about. Often the heroes in the puppet theater are unattractive, even ugly characters, for example, the French Polichinelle with a hooked nose.
You will probably be interested to know that actors are not always rich people. In the history of American puppet theater, there are facts that theatergoers could watch the production in exchange for food.
Drama
Story drama theater goes back to ancient times. This is one of the art forms, along with puppet theater, pantomime, opera and ballet. Home distinguishing feature drama theater - the actor’s actions are combined with the words he speaks. Particular attention is paid to stage speech in this type of genre. The basis of a dramatic performance is the play. In the process of acting, improvisation is possible; the action may include dancing and singing. The performance is based on literary work. The main interpreter of a play or script is the director.
It is quite remarkable that theater workers believe that dropping a script is not good. If this trouble occurs, you must definitely sit on it.
The emergence of domestic theatrical traditions
The history of theater in Russia is divided into stages:
- Initial (“playful”)
- Average.
- Mature.
Playful stage
As in Ancient Rome, the history of theater in Russia began as a not entirely serious activity. Theater performances were called “fun”, and performances were called “games”. The first chronicle mention of buffoons dates back to 1068. In fact, anyone could become such an actor entertaining the public. From a religious point of view, the activities of buffoons were shameful. In the chronicles they are called servants of the devil, and mockery, satire and mummery are called sins. Sharp satire was not welcomed by the church, however, this did not really stop anyone.
Buffoonery was also not considered an art pleasing to the authorities; on the contrary, sharp social topics skits, ridiculing modern shortcomings made the actors dangerous and harmful. But the people loved to watch and laugh at the performances of the buffoons. However, it should be understood that classical theater, as we know him now, grew not out of these buffoonish scenes, but independently of them, even, rather, in spite of them.
Middle stage
The next stage in the history of Russian theater is intermediate between playful and mature. At this phase, the courtier and school theaters. At that time, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ruled, the actors in the court theater were foreigners, and the actors in the school theater were students. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, the activity of the court theater was suspended until Peter I came to power. He had a positive attitude towards “spectacles”, but, in addition to entertainment, it also became endowed with a propaganda function. In 1702, a public theater for the masses appeared. Its building was called the “Comedy Temple”; performances were given there by a German troupe. The people did not accept this theater. Although Peter I did not achieve his goal, he did not make the theater a favorite place for people, accessible and popular, but he laid all the necessary prerequisites for this.
A mature stage in the history of theatrical art
This period in the history of the creation of theater in Russia is the most important. At this stage, the theater began to acquire those features that are familiar to modern man, has formed into a serious professional community. On August 30, 1756, the start was given, namely, the Imperial Theater opened. The same date is the founding day Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. This happened under Elizaveta Petrovna.
A feature of the theater of that time was the simultaneous participation of both Russians and foreign artists. It was at this stage that the performance of roles was first entrusted not only to men, but also to women. Catherine II gave great value theater, under her there were three troupes in St. Petersburg, a fantastic amount of money was spent on the development of this industry.
In addition to the development of state ones, Catherine also paid attention to the private theaters of the nobles; for example, there was the theater of Sheremetyev, Volkonsky, and Rumyantsev. Even in the provinces their own landowner troupes were created. The Russian theater, namely the productions themselves, was built according to the models of their French colleagues. At the head of the French school acting stood I. A. Dmitrevsky, who trained more than one generation of wonderful actors.
Did you know?
We present to the reader some more fun facts from the history of theatrical art.
At the time when Pushkin was alive, theaters in Russia were not completely seated. The back rows were filled with people standing on their feet throughout the entire performance.
A landmark play in the history of Russian theatrical art is “The Minor” by D. I. Fonvizin, which became the first attempt to make fun of officials, nobles, and typical characters of the 18th century. Staroduma ( positive character) the first to play was the above-mentioned Dmitrevsky.
In 1803, the imperial theaters were divided. Dramatic and musical troupe, opera and ballet, as parts of the musical. The dominance of the French school of playing Russian stage lasted until the 19th century. It was then that the Russian theater finally stood up and went its own way. The experience adopted became a good base, and the discovery of new talented Russian composers, actors, and dancers raised the theater to a high level.
P. N. Arapov was the first to describe the entire history of Russian theater in one encyclopedia - “Chronicles of the Russian Theater”. Theater magazines and professional critics appeared. Thus, the development of the theater gave impetus to Russian literature, among other things.
The most famous theater in Moscow
The history of the Bolshoi Theater begins on March 28, 1776. It was on this day in Moscow that Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” for Prince Peter Urusov, allowing him to maintain the theater for ten years. It was first called the Petrovsky Theater (in honor of the street on which the entrance faced). In 1805, the building completely burned down, and the architect Osip Bove created new project. In 1820, construction began, lasting 5 years.
The theater that was built became larger, which is why it got its name. This beautiful, harmonious, rich building brought joy to the residents of Moscow until 1853, when the second fire occurred. This time the reconstruction was entrusted to the architect Albert Kavos. The theater was restored in 1856. Imperial Bolshoi Theater became famous not only in Russia, but also in the world: it had excellent acoustics. In 1917 after the Revolution, the name was changed to the State Bolshoi Theater. The decoration was supplemented with Soviet symbols.
He suffered seriously during the Great Patriotic War, taking on the bomb. The building was reconstructed again. Until 1987, the building underwent only minor cosmetic repairs. Now the Bolshoi Theater is a building with a new stage where modern effects can be used. At the same time, it preserved the spirit classical architecture, its “branded” acoustics, which gives it the right to be considered one of the best theaters in the world. This is the history of the Bolshoi Theater.
And finally one more, no less interesting fact. Films set wholly or partly in a theater: Birdman, The Disaster Artist, La La Land, The Phantom of the Opera, Burlesque Tales, Knockout, Stumbling on Broadway, Black-ish Swan”, “The Puppeteer”, “A Terribly Big Adventure”, “Shakespeare in Love”, “Murder in a Small Town”, “Quai Orfevre”.
The history of theater (drama and other genres of this art) will continue to develop, since interest in it has remained unchanged for more than two thousand years.