FIRST EDITION Written and edited by Mary Kate Caff rey Framingham State University University of Massachusetts, Boston Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher Michael Simpson, Vice President of Acquisitions and Sales Jamie Giganti, Senior Managing Editor Jess Busch, Senior Graphic Designer John Remington, Senior Field Acquisitions Editor Monika Dziamka, Project Editor Brian Fahey, Licensing Specialist Claire Yee, Interior Designer Copyright © 2016 by Cognella, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, re- produced, transmitted, or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfi lming, and recording, or in any information retrieval system without the written permission of Cognella, Inc. First published in the United States of America in 2016 by Cognella, Inc. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-63189-052-9 (pbk) /978-1-63189-053-6 (br) Contents PREFACE IX PART ONE Why Th eatre? 1. Th eatre as a Fragile, Delicate—Yet Vital—Living Entity 3 2. A Brief History of Th eatre Around the World 7 PART TWO Th e Essentials of Th eatre—Audience, Story, Actor 3. Audience Expectations and Traditions 13 4. Story 17 5. Actor—Traditions and Training 23 Wooden Acting 28 KENNETH GROSS PART THREE Enhancements to Th eatre Th roughout History— Behind the Scenes 6. Design: General 41 7. Specifi c Elements of Scenic Design 53 8. Th e Work of Scenic Designer Janie Howland 59 9. Specifi c Elements Costume/Makeup/Mask Design 81 10. Th e Work of Costume Designer Frances Nelson McSherry 89 11. Specifi c Elements of Lighting Design 109 12. Th e Work of Lighting Designer Karen Perlow 113 13. Specifi c Elements of Sound and/or Music Design 127 PART FOUR Enhancements to Th eatre Th roughout History— Directing, Technical Support, and the Critic 14. Th e Director 133 Style in Acting, Directing, and Designing 141 MICHAEL SAINT DENIS 15. Th e Stage Manager 157 16. Th e Technical Director and Technical Support 161 17. Th e Th eatre Critic 167 PART FIVE Genres and Styles of Th eatre from Around the World 18. Why Should I Learn About Genres and Styles of Th eatre? 173 19. Traditional Th eatre of Africa 175 20. Traditional Th eatre of India 181 21. Traditional Th eatre of Japan 189 Th eatrical Genres: Nô and Kyôgen TAKAKUWA IZUMI 196 Th eatrical Genres: Bunraku MOTEGI KIYOKO 204 Th eatrical Genres: Kabuki MOTEGI KIYOKO 212 22. Traditional Th eatre of China 217 Chinese Opera: An Overview BELL YUNG, RULAN CHAO PIAN, AND ISABEL K.F. WONG 224 23. American Musical Th eatre 233 24. Political Th eatre 241 History: Th e Th eatre of the Oppressed Returns to Its Roots—Brazil and Politics AUGUSTO BOAL 243 25. Written Genres and Styles in Europe and Th e Americas 255 Understanding Tragedy: Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello SEAN MCEVOY 258 Bertolt Brecht ROBERT LEACH 269 26. Commedia dell’Arte 293 Playing Commedia JOHN RUDLIN 299 FINALE Why Th eatre? Th e Future of the Living Th eatre 311 Introduction ANNE BOGART 311 Selected Bibliography 315 DEDICATION Th is book is dedicated to Brigid O’Connor, Eamon Caff rey, and my parents, Robert and Mary Lou M. Caff rey, in gratitude for all of their love and support. Th e aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward signifi cance. —Aristotle THANKS Special thanks go to: Dave Nuscher, for copious edits and insightful suggestions all along the way; Yumi Grassia for assistance with translation and correspondence with colleagues in Japan; Dr. Charles Wall, Dr. Barbara Finkelstein, Dr. Deanna Yameen, and the sabbatical committee at Massasoit Community College for granting me a semester sabbatical to complete the fi nal sections of the text; Brigid O’Connor; Karen Perlow; Janie Howland; Frances Nelson McSherry; Sara Pruitt Dahl; Mike Katz; Robert Lublin; Anthony Phelps; Mr. Koike, President of the Th eatre Museum, Waseda University, Japan; Richard Grey, BeNT Productions, Clinton, MA; Rieko Ward, Director of Operations, Th e Japan Society of Boston; Kate Finnegan, Executive Director, KAJI ASO Studio, Boston, MA; Kim Hoff ; Elena Ivanova; Virgil C. Johnson; Howard Enoch; Frank Galati; Robert Breen; Nan Withers-Wilson; Dawn Mora; David Mold; J. Paul Marcoux; J.L. Styan; Chandra Pieragostini; Lizza Riley; Monica Tecca; Amy West; Kara Pascucci; Robert Pascucci; Jackie Pascucci; Mary Kearney; Th reshold Th eatre, Inc.; Richard Toma, Jeanine Kane; Claudia Traub; Kristin Linklater; Robert Chapline; Lisa Tucker; Jess Martin; Mal Malme; Becca Lewis; Moe Angelos; Th e Five Lesbian Brothers; Th e Th eater Off ensive; New Repertory Th eater; Shakespeare and Company; Speakeasy Stage Company; Th e Nora Th eater; Underground Railway Th eater; Th e Lyric Stage Company; Actor’s Shakespeare Project; Wheelock Family Th eater; Boston Midsummer Opera; Central Square Th eatre; Boston Playwrights Th eater; Triangle Th eater; Centastage; Th e Back Alley Th eater; Concord Academy; Emerson College Performing Arts Department; Boston College Th eater Department; Northwestern University Department of Th eater and Performance Studies; MIT Dramashop; University of Massachusetts, Boston, Department of Performing Arts; Daniel Gidron; Cliff Odle; Ginger Lazarus; Rafael Jaen; Michael Fennimore; Tanya Williams, Orville Wright; Carrie-Ann Quinn; Jeff Miller; Susan V. Booth; Larry Lenza; Amanda Rogers; the many other actors, designers, directors, teachers, playwrights, students, theatre administrators, stage managers, TD’s, theatre technicians, board members, crew members, review- ers, and back stage heroes who have touched my life and inspired me over the years; and the dedicated team at Cognella Academic Publishing for all of their support, especially: Monika Dziamka, project editor; John Remington, aquisitions editor; Jamie Giganti, managing editor; Jennifer Bowen Levine, administrative program specialist; Jess Busch, cover designer; Tim Gladson, digital librarian; Brian Fahey, licensing coordinator; Chelsey Rogers, marketing specialist; Arek Arechiga, royalties specialist; and Claire Yee, interior designer. PREFACE Th e goal of this book is to introduce you to the art of live theatre. Some readers will be moved by this experience to become very active players and participate as designers, writers, directors, administrators, technicians, or performers. Most readers will take the knowledge culled from this book and experience a live theatrical production in a new and exciting way: as a more appreciative and educated audience member. Reading this book will not make you an expert in any one area of theatre, but it will introduce you to some of the varieties of live theatre and the many ways in which you may participate and be a part of this art form. My hope is that you will appreciate what theatre can off er that other art forms cannot. In this survey text, my intention is to pique the novice’s interest and broaden the scope of the experienced theatregoer through an abridged exploration of numerous aspects of the art form, shedding light on how theatre began, its evolution across diff erent areas of the globe over thousands of years, and the ways in which it continues to develop and change. IX PARTThree ENHANCEMENTS TO THEATRE THROUGHOUT HISTORY— BEHIND THE SCENES 6 DESIGN: GENERAL 41 7 SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF SCENIC DESIGN 53 8 THE WORK OF SCENIC DESIGNER JANIE HOWLAND 59 9 SPECIFIC ELEMENTS COSTUME/ MAKEUP/MASK DESIGN 81 10 THE WORK OF COSTUME DESIGNER FRANCES NELSON MCSHERRY 89 11 SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF LIGHTING DESIGN 109 12 THE WORK OF LIGHTING DESIGNER KAREN PERLOW 113 13 SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF SOUND AND/OR MUSIC DESIGN 127 CHAPTER SIX Design:Design: General WHERE THEATRE IS DONE—TYPES OF SPACES In its essence, a theatre is only an arrangement of seats so grouped and spaced that the actor—the leader—can reach out and touch and hold each member of his audience. Architects of later days have learned how to add conveniences and comforts to the idea. But that is all. Th e idea itself never changes. —Robert Edmund Jones 1 Th eatre can be done just about anywhere. For much of its history, theatre has not been performed inside theatre buildings at all. Prior to the invention of gaslight, theatre was most often performed outdoors during the day. Th roughout its history, theatre has been performed in what are called found or created spaces. Th ese spaces may be town squares, parks, basements, prisons, subway stations, churches, gymnasiums—anywhere a crowd can gather. However, when theatre is performed indoors, there are some standard types of theatres in which plays are performed and audiences gather. Each type of performance creates a diff erent type of environment and a unique experience for the audience and the performers. 1 Jones, Robert Edmunds. Th e Dramatic Imagination: Refl ections and Speculations on the Art of the Theatre. Taylor and Francis. 2004. p. 11. 41 Th ere are four common types of theatre spaces today—the arena, the thrust, the proscenium arch, and the black box. Arena Stage Th is type of theatre space is often referred to as theatre in the round. With an arena stage, the stage area is in the center, surrounded by audience on all sides. Th e arena stage, although less common today than the other three types of theatre spaces mentioned above, is probably the oldest type of theatre environment. When large crowds gather to witness a ritual or performance, a circle is often the natural form of gathering as it allows the largest number of people to witness—and be a part of—the proceedings. Contemporary arena stages resemble sports stadiums.