520
At the heArt of All theAter lies the excitement of watching a
live performance. Bringing a play to life involves many people. the words
of the dramatist, or playwright, the ideas of the director, and the actors’
skill combine to make an audience believe that what is happening on the
stage—the drama—is real. early theater grew out of religious festivals held in
Greece in honor of the god Dionysus and included singing and dancing
as well as acting. the different forms of theater that emerged in India,
China, and Japan also had religious origins. In medieval europe people
watched “miracle plays,” which were based on religious stories. later,
dramatists began to write about all aspects of life, and companies of
actors performed their plays in permanent theaters. theater changes to
suit the demands of each new age for fantasy, spectacle, or serious drama.theAter-In-the-rounD
here, the audience
surrounds the cast on all
four sides, bringing everyone
close together. the actors
enter through aisles between
the seats.Theater 520-
Ancient Greek theater made use of landscapes like this
one at Delphi. Actors wore exaggerated masks so that
characters could be recognized from a distance.There was little
scenery, and actors
entered through
doors at the back.GloBe plAyhouse
shakespeare was an actor and a writer at this famous theater on the
south bank of the thames river in london. there was room for more
than 2,000 people in the round wooden building. the audience stood
in the open yard or sat in the enclosed gallery to watch a performance.
romAn theAter In 1995, the Globe was rebuilt at a nearby site in london.
Based on Greek theaters, the
roman theater was usually
open to the sky and enclosed
on three sides. A permanent
wooden roof sheltered the
raised stage.People could pay
more to sit in
galleries that
protected them
from the rain.The walls were
about 30 ft (9 m)
high with tiny
windows.Greek theAter
the audience sat in a
semicircle of steplike seats.
there was a circular
orchestra—a space for
dancing and singing—and
a low stage for actors.DrAmA AnD DrAmAtIsts
playwrights often use drama to convey a message
about life. Watching the downfall of characters in
a tragedy helps us to understand more about life.
Comedy makes us laugh, but some dramatists, such
as George Bernard shaw, used it to say serious things
about society. modern dramatists, such as samuel Beckett
and Bertolt Brecht, have experimented with words and
characters to push the boundaries of drama even further.WIllIAm shAkespeAre
this most famous of all playwrights was
born in stratford-upon-Avon, england,
but moved to london as a young man.
he wrote more than 37 plays, including
tragedies, such as Hamlet, comedies, such
as As You Like It, and history plays, such as
Henry V. he died in 1616 at the age of 52.This theater was built
2,500 years ago and could
seat 5,000 people.The theater’s curved
shape amplified
sounds for the
audience.The yard audience stood very
close to the actors on stage.the open stAGe
some modern theaters
have an open stage without
a curtain. the actors can
address the audience more
directly, as if holding a
conversation.THEATEr
BroADWAy musICAls
many shows combine acting and music.
some of these performances are called
opera, but the more popular type are
known as musicals. the theaters in
new york’s Broadway area have
hosted many famous musicals
over the years. A successful musical,
such as Cats (right), may run for many
years, playing to full houses every night.US_520_Theater_1.indd 520 27/01/16 2:39 pm