Ancient Greece (ca.

532-531bce)

Greek Theatre: full circle orchestra, simple backdrop, built into hills

Plan: overhead view

Periaktoi: three-sided flats with different faces for set decoration

Eccyclema: platform w/ wheels prevented audiences from seeing “dead” people stand up again

Mechane: crane system used to lower “gods” on stage

Ancient Rome (ca.500bce-476ce)

Roman Theatre: five doors, large complex

stage-drop, half-circle theatre, freestanding

Scaenae frons: “scenic front” / fancy backdrop in

roman theatre
 The Middle Ages (ca.500-1500ce)

*** Religious plays started to be performed in order to teach peasants about the bible

Pageant wagons: wagons that show scene by scene a play / audience is static, performers roll

Mansion stages: long platform with individual scenes / audiences moves along, performers stay

Strolling players: entertainment didn’t exist officially, but strolling players would travel the

countryside with pop-up stages and shows

The Renaissance (ca.~1500-1642ce)

Most of stagecraft today comes from the Renaissance!

Filippo Brunelleschi: invents the ideas of Linear Perspective

Marcus Vitrivius Pollio: in the Middle Ages, writes a book “On Architecture” that is rediscovered

in the Renaissance

Serlio: references Vitrivius’ ideas from “On

Architecture” /linear perp. in stage, lighting

- 3 stages for theatre: Satyric, Tragic, and

Comedy

- writes book about how to use vitruvius' books to write architecture in theatre, earliest set
designer
Andrea Palladio: also writes a book based from Vitrivius’ book / hired to design a theatre– does it

based on Vitrivius’ designs (the last time a theatre was built)

- Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza (1521): first indoor purpose-built theatre in the western world
 - mixes the architecture of Greek theatre , linear persp. scenery , scaenae frons
- Teatro Farnese, Parma (1628): earliest remaining proscenium theatre

Elizabethan England (ca.1576-1642ce/renaissance)

Inn Yard Theatres: Strolling players set up stages in the

courtyard of an inn

Elizabethan Theatres looked like image on right, based on

strolling player stages , 3 galleries, level above the stages

for musicians or balcony scenes

first and only era image of an elizabethan theatre →

By the 1640s, the king had been executed and monarchy was gone. Puritans had taken

over and abolished theatre. Puritan era only lasted until 1660, with return of monarchy was

return of theatre.

Inigo Jones: architect/designer, created sets and costumes for masques

Masques: theme party meets theatrical presentation

Meanwhile in Asia

Nō/Noh theatre and Kabuki theatre

Kabuki: opposite of Nō, all about stagecraft, scenery, costumes, and movement

- Manual revolving stages, lifts

 Baroque Era (17th-18th century)

Baroque is oversized, overstimulated, too much

- “era of the painter” in regards to set design

- “Duke seat”, center back seat for aristocrats,

further you are from the monarch, the worse

view you had. Reinforces societal hierarchy

- People didn’t attend plays to watch the play,

but to see and be seen by society

Giuseppe Galli da Bibiena: first to make a living from set design (designed theatre above)

Mechanization: moving of set pieces, etc. pioneered in baroque era

- Chariot and pole system:: flat frames ran through slots in the stage floor connected to

chariots under the stage that rolled them SL/SR

- Thunder/Rain machine:: box of tilting rocks

19th century

- Invention of gas made candles obsolete

- Limelight: first theatrical

spotlight
- Carbon arc (frankenstein zappy
lightning)
- Wagner started dimming house lights before performances
- Edison creates electricity and theatres adapt