Summary
Highlights
This lesson focuses on the history of Western classical plays and operas, along with famous composers and their works. Theater began from myth, ritual, and ceremony, evolving due to human desire for entertainment. A true theater act involves a playwright, director, performers, technical crew, and an audience.
European theater originated in ancient Greece around 700 BC with festivals honoring gods like Dionysus. Athens was a major center for these festivals. Key playwrights included Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus. Greek drama had three types: tragedy (e.g., Sophocles' Oedipus), comedy (e.g., Aristophanes' Lysistrata), and satyr plays. Thespis, the 'father of tragedy,' introduced masks. Roman theater, starting in the 3rd century BC, was heavily influenced by Greek theater, featuring spectacles like chariot races and gladiator competitions. Women were allowed to perform on stage in Roman comedy plays.
During the medieval era, formal theater performances were initially banned. Minstrels kept theater alive by performing in public spaces. Later, churches started staging biblical plays like 'Mystery Adam' during Easter, which eventually moved outside due to their portrayal of the devil and hell. These plays revolved around biblical themes from creation to the last judgment.
Renaissance theater saw a revival of classical Greek and Roman arts. Morality plays and university dramas were popular. Public theaters emerged, with forms like Commedia dell'arte (Italian comedy) featuring masked professional players. Queen Elizabeth I was a prominent supporter. William Shakespeare, born in 1564, became the greatest writer and dramatist, known for plays like 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Hamlet,' and 'Macbeth.' This period also saw the public performance of ballet for the first time, originating from Italian courts and flourishing in France.
Baroque theater was characterized by the extensive use of technology for special effects and scene changes, utilizing ropes and pulleys. This allowed for elaborate stage decorations and the popularization of 'deus ex machina' solutions. Opera also gained prominence during this period.
The Neoclassical period was influenced by Roman and Greek styles, emphasizing grandiosity in costumes and scenery. Plays aimed to entertain and teach lessons, with elaborate stages and improved lighting/sound effects. The concept of 'decorum' dictated strict adherence to genre, with tragedies focusing on upper classes and comedies on lower ranks. Key playwrights included Pierre Corneille, Molière, and Jean Racine. The 'limelight' (first spotlight) was introduced, and the Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 banned drinking in legitimate theaters.
Melodrama and operas were the dominant forms during the Romantic period. Melodrama, derived from Greek and French, aimed to evoke strong emotions with orchestral music. Opera combined text, musical score, acting, scenery, costumes, and dance, often performed in opera houses. Victor Hugo, a celebrated French writer, is known for works like 'Les Misérables' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame.' Georges Bizet, a prominent romantic composer, is famous for his opera 'Carmen.'
Sophocles, an ancient Greek tragedian, is renowned for 'Oedipus Rex' and 'Antigone,' known as 'The Theban Plays.' His innovations included adding a third actor and emphasizing characters over the chorus. William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is a timeless tragedy from the Renaissance, celebrated for its enduring love story. The opera 'Carmen' by Georges Bizet, tells a story of love and jealousy set in 19th-century Seville, Spain.
Francisco Balagtas (1788-1862), also known as Francisco Baltazar, is a revered Filipino poet, famous for 'Florante at Laura,' which he wrote while imprisoned. The term 'Balagtasan,' for Filipino extemporaneous verse debate, is named after him. Severino Reyes (1861-1942), the 'Father of Tagalog Zarzuela,' founded the Grand Compañia de la Tagala and wrote 'Walang Sugat,' a drama set during the Philippine Revolution. Dr. Ricardo G. Abad, a prominent Filipino director and sociologist, directed over 120 productions, including Western classics adapted with a Filipino sensibility. Salvador F. Bernal (1945-2011), a National Artist awardee, is known as the 'Father of Theater Design in the Philippines,' having designed over 250 productions across various art forms.
The lesson concludes with a review of Western classical plays and operas, and Filipino playwrights. Students are instructed to complete activities in Modules 1 and 2 of their Arts curriculum.