ADA 2O1
History of Dramatic Forms – Starting Points
General Links:
 Theatre History http://www.theatrehistory.com use the search box.
 Prof. Wolcott’s theatre history – see esp. “Non-Western” Organized by period not
form http://www.videoccasions-nw.com/history/jack.html
IMPROVISATION:
 • A Short History of Improvisation with a great bibliography
http://www.improvcomedy.org/history.html
 • Commedia Dell’Arte History (roots of improv.)
http://www.isebastiani.com/Commedia.html
 • Improv. Groups Around the World:
http://www.impromelbourne.com.au/links/around-the-world
MUSICAL THEATRE:
 • Opera & Musical Theatre – U. Indiana
o http://library.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/opera.html
 Musicals 101 – history, etc.
o http://www.musicals101.com/
 • Talkin’ Broadway – reviews, production info., etc.
o http://www.talkinbroadway.com/
 Chinese OPERA - http://wapedia.mobi/en/Chinese_Opera
 Classical Indian Music Theatre
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Indian_musical_theatre
PANTOMIME:
 • Broadbent’s World History of Pantomime: E-Book
o http://www.mime.info/history-broadbent.html
 • Roman Theatre Pantomime
o http://web.archive.org/web/20030817080419/didaskalia.net/issues/vol1no
2/wslater.html
 • Commedia dell’Arte http://www.isebastiani.com/Commedia.html
 • Magic of Pantomime samples: http://www.its-behind-you.com/
MIME:
 • World of Mime’s library resources http://www.mime.info/library.html
 • World of Mime’s artists by country http://www.mime.info/performance.html
 • Artslynx Mime resource http://www.artslynx.org/theatre/physical.htm
MASKS:
 • Commedia Masks http://www.isebastiani.com/MasksAndChars.html
 • Haida Masks
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/treasure/240eng.shtml
 • Greek masks from Didaskalia (via the Wayback Machine)
http://web.archive.org/web/20030803075440/http://didaskalia.net/StudyArea/gre
ekstagecraft.html
 • Thailand Khon Drama Masks
http://n68h78.cs.niu.edu/Thai/literature/ramakian/khonmasksofthailand/khonkho
n.htm
 • Noh Theatre Masks from Washington U. in St. Louis
o http://artsci.wustl.edu/~rlneblet/noh
 • Chinese Opera masks http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Opera/index.html
 • Indian Masks http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/masks/4605.htm
PUPPETRY:
 Puppetry Traditions around the world. Go to bottom of page and check out the
other pages on this site also
http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/traditions/index.html
 The Art of Puppetry http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/education/teacherresources/oracles/arts-and-crafts/cnebel/the-art-of-puppetry
 Thai Puppets http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/Sikaeo/default.htm
 http://www.puppetryindia.org/ (left banner has links on types of puppets and is at
a nice level of detail, not too much but just enough)
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Vietnamese puppetry http://www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org/?/en/News/16/The-history-of-VietnamesePuppetry-art.html (this site is tricky – look at the buttons at the bottom of each page
to advance pages.)
 Here’s a video to see, look at the related videos for more puppetry clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYP0gd2uEaQ
 http://www.puppetresources.com/ a collection of scripts – free
 Tonda Bunraku Puppet Troupe http://www.asianinterstage.com/tonda
CLOWN or CLOWNING:
 History of Clowns and Clowning http://www.clown-ministry.com/History/
 How Do I Start Clowning? http://www.clown-ministry.com/Articles/clowningtutorial/
 Clowning 101 http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2188/
 What is a Clown?
o http://sunniebunniezz.com/clowning/clowns.htm
Other forms not being done this year –
the links are here for reference purposes.
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STORY THEATRE:
• Indigenous Peoples
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/explore/online-resources-for-canadianheritage/onlineresources-for-canadian-heritage-canadas-native-peoples2#tradit SEE
SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE Section. Includes First Nations Storytelling &
Haida Stories
• Paul Sills Interview http://www.spolin.com/paul_sills_interview.html
• Patchwork Players http://www.storyteller.net/articles/93
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CIRCUS:
• Circus clowns
o http://sunniebunniezz.com/clowning/circus.htm
• Imperial Circus – China- history
o http://imperialcircus.com/info.html
• National Circus School – History of circus form
o http://www.enc.qc.ca/en/others/world.asp
• Cirque du Soleil http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/default.asp
• Chebucto Circus Arts http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Culture/circus.shtml
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READERS THEATRE:
• Aaron Shepard’s page of readers theatre http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/
• Lois Walker’s “What is Readers Theatre?”
http://www.scriptsforschools.com/68.html
• Sample Scripts: http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/mccormick/rt/rtscriphome.htm
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TABLEAU:
• Determining Main Idea Through Living Statues (Tableaux)
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The drama strategy, Living Statues (Tableaux) encourages students to identify and bring to life
key moments in a text. This simple and intriguing technique promotes synthesis as students
distill a text down to its essential components. http://www.interactstory.com/
staffdevelopment.html
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• Samples http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/13_00_tableau.htm
• Tableaux, etc. with ESL students http://www.prel.org/eslstrategies/
drama.html#
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RITUAL:
• Beginnings of English Drama: http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng211/
quem_quaeritis_trope.htm
• York Cycle of “Mystery plays” http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/
AnoYork.html
• Everyman, “Morality play” http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/
everyman.html
• Ritual Fertility Origins of Drama http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/
publications/afs/pdf/a359.pdf
• Aztec Rituals:
http://linux1.tlc.north.denver.k12.co.us/~gmoreno/gmoreno/
Aztec_Religion.html