Theatre History Project
Sit back, hold on tight, and enjoy this
wild and crazy ride!
Project Goals
Educate the class on your time period of theatre
history and transport us to that period by:
 Building a Model / Collage of what a theatre
looked like for your time period.
 Performing a Piece of a play from your time
period (2 minutes).
 Having an element of period costuming. This
can be large pictures.
 Playwrights and Plays popular during the time
 Prepare a quiz for the class on the info you give
in the presentation .
5 Periods of Theatre History
 Ancient
Greek Theatre
 Medieval
Theatre
 Italian Renaissance Theatre
 Elizabethan Theatre
 Kabuki
Theatre
Ancient Greece
Life in Greece
 Stone or clay houses
 Food: Healthy. Bread, beans, fresh fruit,
vegetables, fish.
 Clothing: Light loose garments, tunics,
loincloth, barefoot/sandals, jewelry.
 Activities: Festivals - races, wrestling,
boxing, javelin, etc. Olympic Games!
Ancient Greece
Theatre in Greece
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Theatre ORIGINATED in ancient Greece.
 Religious ceremonies to the god Dionysus
eventually were written down and became plays.
 Plays had loud music, bright colors, extensive
dancing.
Ancient Greece
Theatre in Greece (cont.)
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A chorus narrated the play.
Only males could be actors!
Wore masks & costumes.
The structure was an outdoor theatre.
Famous Greek playwrights include Sophocles.
Medieval Theatre
Life in the Middle Ages
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Houses: Timber frame with woven twigs, clay and straw.
Food: Geese, chicken, beef, lamb, etc. available to the
rich. The poor were reliant on bread, peas and beans.
Clothing: Barbarians wore fur, wool, leather. Knights
wore coat of arms. Tunics, cloaks.
Activities: Fairs, knight tournaments like jousts,
acrobatics, chess, checkers, taverns.
Medieval Theatre
Medieval Drama
Largely tied into the Catholic church. A lot of plays
based on Biblical history and legends of the saints.
 Plays commonly staged in pageant wagons – stages on
wheels.
 Most famous play from Medieval times is “Everyman”.
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Italian Renaissance
Life in the Italian Renaissance
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Houses: Architecture gained importance. Columns,
arches and domes were frequently used.
Food: Bread, hard biscuits, wine, rice, pasta, lasagna,
ravioli, pizza.
Clothing: Women – underdress, tight bodice, high waisted
skirts. Veils, ribbons, floral garlands. Men – shirts with
flowing sleeves, doublets.
Activities: arts, literature, politics, philosophy
emphasized.
Italian Renaissance
Commedia dell’arte
Comic improv performed by professional
troupes.
 Created plot outlines, not scripts.
 Specific character types that were identified by
their costumes and masks.
 Example: Pantalone was a middle-aged or
elderly man – the father or husband.
Arlecchino was the schemer or prankster.
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Elizabethan Theatre
Life in the Elizabethan Renaissance
Houses: mix of royal estates, great homes, country
homes and farmhouses, depending on social class.
 Food: Bread, cider, wine, pretzels, cheesecakes,
puddings
 Clothing: Women – ruffled dresses with tight
bodices, pendants. Men – jerkins (vests), loose fit
knickers, silk stockings, hats.
 Activities: instrumental music, dancing, plays,
dice, cards, golf, horse racing, tennis, archery …
and yes – public hangings!
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Elizabethan Theatre
Elizabethan Drama
William Shakespeare! Known as the best
dramatist of all time.
 Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson were also
popular playwrights.
 Plays were intended to be seen, not read. An
emotional experience designed to get a reaction
from the audience.
 Theatres: three stories for audience seating, acting
area was a platform, open area in the middle,
groundlings sat in the pit.
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Kabuki Theatre
Life in Japan
Houses: Pit-dwelling house (columns in
the ground surrounded by grass),
elevated house, shiden-zuriki (garden
home), shoin-zuriki (samurai home)
 Food: rice, noodles, fish, vegetables,
fruits
 Clothing: kimono
 Activities: tea ceremonies, floral
artwork, theatre, anime, classical music
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Kabuki Theatre
Kabuki Drama
Started in the 1500’s, still around today.
 250 year ban on actresses.
 Historical dramas (warrior stories) and
domestic dramas (life of the commoner)
 Stylized, beauty emphasized, lines have a
sing-song quality, colorful, music
incorporated.
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Kabuki Theatre
Kabuki Drama (cont.)
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Theatre: Revolving stage for quick scene
changes, flower path raised passageway,
proscenium, curtains.
White makeup, often with red or blue bold lines.
Project Grading
This project is divided into 5 major components:
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Time Period Presentation – 30%
Theatre Model – 30%
Play Performance – 30%
Quiz – 5%
Peer Evaluation – 5%
Getting Started – Day One Goals
Choose and break into groups of 4
 Discuss which time period interests
your group.
 Turn in your top 2 choices to Mrs.
Wallis.
 Presentations will be Monday,
October 10. Last major project of the
!
quarter.
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