Drama I—THEATRE HISTORY Research Project
You will be researching and creating a short oral presentation, accompanied by a PowerPoint slide
show, or other media of your choice, about a period in theatre history.
Project components:
1. Short oral presentation
2. Related slide show (or other media)
3. Works Cited list
4. Submit text of your oral presentation to Turnitin.com
First, choose one of the following theatre history time periods to research:
1) THEORIES OF THE EARLIEST & PRIMITIVE THEATRE
2) GREEK THEATRE & ROMAN THEATRE
3) EGYPTIAN, Mesopotamian, Babylonian, and Mycenaean THEATRE
4) HINDU, CHINESE, & JAPANESE THEATRE
5) MEDIEVAL/Middle Ages THEATRE (up to 1500)
6) ITALIAN RENAISSANCE THEATRE
7) SPANISH THEATRE up to 1700
8) English Theatre from the Middle Ages to 1642
9) ELIZABETHAN THEATRE
10) FRENCH RENAISSANCE THEATRE—1500-1700
11) RESTORATION & 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH THEATRE (1642-1800)
12) Italian and French Theatre in the 18th Century
13) Theatre in Northern and Eastern Europe during the 18th century
14) 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN and European THEATRE
15) The beginnings of Modern Theatre 1875-1915
16) Theatre between WWI and WWII
17) Theatre and Drama 1940-1960
18) Theatre and Drama 1960 to 2000
19) THEATRE today
Project Requirements:
A short oral and visual (PowerPoint) presentation which addresses the 5
W’s:
1. What?
a. Clarify the time period in theatre history you are researching.
b. What are the major characteristics of this time period?
c. What kind of literature, playwright, performer, music, costumes, set, props or
sound effects were used?
2. Where?
a. Where were performances primarily held?
3. When?
a. When were performances held?
4. Who?
a. Who performed? Actors? Dancers? Others?
b. Who watched? Describe the type of audience.
c. Who wrote the material? Playwrights?
d. Who directed the work?
e. Who handled the technical aspects? Designers? Technicians?
f. Who are some of the most famous people associated both directly and
indirectly with this period of theatre history?
5. Why?
a. Why did theatre evolve during this time?
b. Why were these performances created?
c. Why were certain actors/costumes/scenery used?
d. Why did theatre stop after this time period was over, or start at the beginning of
this time period?
6. How?
a. How did this era evolve?
b. How did any performance work evolve?
*SUGGESTIONS FOR CREATING A LIVELY ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
*Play appropriate background music
* Find a short video clip discussing or demonstrating something related to your time period.
*Come dressed in an appropriate costume
THEATRE HISTORY RESEARCH PROJECT
TASK
POINT VALUE
POINTS EARNED
ORAL PRESENTATION
25 POINTS
POWERPOINT
25 POINTS
WORKS CITED PAGE
10 POINTS
Oral presentation text submitted to Turnitin.com
25 POINTS
TOTAL POINTS
85
NOTE: ANY EVIDENCE OF PLAGIARISM WILL EARN YOU A “0” FOR THIS PROJECT.