Transcript Chapter 10 - theatrestudent

Chapter 10
18th Century/ 1700’s
• Homogenous, self contained societies are
disappearing, things are becoming more global
• Increase in manufacturing
• Increase in middle classes
• Age of enlightenment or simple the
enlightenment.
– Increased exchange of knowledge and learning
– Increased demand and supply of dictionaries and
encyclopedias.
What is “good” acting?
• Rococo Art
• Antoine Watteau,
• Pierrot, 1718-1719
Denis Diderot
• Denis Diderot
• Drame– a serious play
that did not fit the neoclassical idea of tragedy
• Ex. Middle class tragedy
• Domestic tragedy
• Rise in middle class
plays reflected the
rising middle class
audience
More Diderot
• Actor’s Paradox
• Best actors invoke
strong emotions in an
audience by using
calculation and craft,
NOT by experiencing
the emotions
themselves.
• Strasberg wouldn’t
agree
Diderot
• Wanted greater realism on stage
– Acting and scenery
• "When you write or act, think no more of the
audience than if it had never existed. Imagine
a huge wall across the front of the stage,
separating you from the audience, and behave
exactly as if the curtain had never risen.“
• Developed the concept of the fourth wall
Diderot’s Fourth Wall
• An imaginary wall
between the actor and
the audience.
• Actor’s shouldn’t
acknowledge the
audience and the
audience should not
interfere with the actor
Diderot’s theories were (are) contraverisial
• Henry Irving Opposed
Diderot 100 years later
Acting in England
• Rehearsal were about 3 hours a day for two
weeks
• In England actors were mainly contracted,
rehearsals run by the actor-manager.
• French actors in government theatres were part
of a sharing plan. Comedie Francaise was
democratic, actors voted.
• Shows started at 5 or 6pm, a whole evening of
entertainment (musical performance, full length
play, entertainments between acts, afterpiece,
sometimes a short one act.
Dumesnil vs. Clairon
James Quinn, actor (1693-1766)
Charles Macklin
Charles Macklin
David Garrick
• Started as an actor, played Richard III in 1741
in Goodman’s Fields, an unlicensed theatre.
• Noted for having a natural style, based his
action on observation
Garrick
• Became actor-manager of Drury Lane
• Made actors rehearse longer and to
performance standards
• Established penalties for not following rules
• Gave actors direction
• Worked with designer and inventor Philip
James de Loutherbourg
Garrick
• Placed lights behind scenery
• Introduced local color, did away with stock
scenery
• Shortened the apron
• Did not allow actors to use the stage doors
• Removed seating on the stage
Johan Wolfgang von Goethe
Weimar Court
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Rules for Actors
Stage German (RP in UK)
Oversaw staging and costumes
Believed in historical accuracy
Audience reactions should be limited to
applause or no applause.
Goethe’s Three Questions
• What was the artist trying to do?
• Was he/she successful in doing it?
• Was it worth doing?
Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi
• Both were involved with writing commedia
dell’arte plays
• Goldoni wanted more realism;
• moved commedia from scenarios to full
scripts,
• discouraged masks and improvisation
Gozzi
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Theatre of the fabulous
Commedia meets prose and poetry
Planned in improvise actions
Both were popular and were influential