“YEAR OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

AND IMPUNITY”

FACULTY OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING
AAClON

ORIGIN AND
EVOLUTION
OF THE
THEATER
TEACHER
OLAYUNCA LA ROSA CARLOS
ROBERTO COURS
E
ART AND
CULTURE
CYCL
E
II
STUDENT
MARCO ANTONIO SALDARRIAGA PEÑA

TUMBES - PERU
2019
 INTRODUCTION

Theater is a literary genre, whether in prose or verse, usually in dialogue,

designed to be performed; Performing arts cover everything related to the
writing of the play, acting, production, costumes and settings. In general terms,
drama is understood to be a story that narrates the life events of a series of
characters. As the adjective dramatic indicates, the ideas of conflict, tension,
contrast, and emotion are associated with drama.

Theater has been used as a complement to religious celebrations, as a means

to disseminate political ideas or to spread propaganda to large masses, as
entertainment and also as art.

In Latin America, as in Peru, throughout history it has suffered a series of

adversities in order to consolidate itself culturally. However, it has managed to
successfully emerge until our current era, managing to capture the attention of
all generations.

The following work is a compilation of information from different sources in

relation to “The Origin and Evolution of Theater”, presented in a practical and
simple way for readers to understand.
 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THEATER

Almost all studies agree that the first signs of the origin of theater, or something
similar, are found in the primitive ceremonies and rituals related to hunting.
Likewise, after harvesting the harvest, gratitude rites were performed with music,
songs and dance.

A large part of these rituals became true spectacles in which spirituality was
expressed and devotion and worship was paid to the gods. This type of liturgical
or sacred manifestations are a fundamental element for the birth of theater in all
civilizations. These primitive ritual ceremonies would later evolve into theater,
constituting one of the great cultural achievements of the Greeks. The truth is
that this new art was so closely associated with Greek civilization that each of
the most important cities and colonies had a theater.

Thousands of years ago, in Mesopotamia and Africa, there were towns and
tribes that had a great sense of mimicry, sounds and rhythm. They had great
ease in imitating animals and telling great stories about their hunts.

At night, around a fire, incredible stories were told that little by little were
accompanied by certain music with drums, songs and costumes. Something
similar also happened with celebrations and religious rites, which became true
spectacles.

But historians wonder if these practices can really be considered theater, since
they generally had a great religious charge. Others, however, consider that at
least they are the closest thing to the origins of theater that is known.

Therefore, although these practices cannot be considered theater, they can be

considered the first indications of the origin of theater.

Athenian citizens performed ceremonies in honor of the god of vegetation and

wine Dionysus. These rituals evolved little by little until they became theater.
Thus being one of the greatest cultural advances of Greek civilization. So much
so that in each new city or colony, the construction of a building for the theater
was imperative.
 EVOLUTION OF THEATER

Most studies consider that the origins of theater must be sought in the evolution
of magical rituals related to hunting, as well as cave paintings, or agricultural
gathering that, after the introduction of music and dance, became in authentic
dramatic ceremonies where the gods were worshiped and the spiritual principles
of the community were expressed. This character of a sacred manifestation is a
common factor in the appearance of theater in all civilizations.

Throughout the history of theater until today, it has always been in constant
evolution. Therefore, it is evident that various types of theater have existed. All
of them with distinctive characteristics and varieties that differentiate them from
each other. The theater was born in Athens, Greece, between the 5th and 6th
centuries BC There, the Athenians celebrated rituals in honor of Dionysus, god
of wine and vegetation. We are going to take a tour through time to see what the
history of the theater has been like, see the main ones below:

ANCIENT EGYPT THEATER

In ancient Egyptian times, around the year 2000 BC, there is evidence of the
performance of a type of dramatic representations about the death and
subsequent resurrection of the god Osiris.

In this type of religious “shows” actors wearing masks were used to make the
dramatization more credible. But as we have commented before, experts agree
that this cannot yet be considered theater.

GREEK THEATER

It is considered that theater was born in Ancient Greece. In what can be

considered the beginnings of theater, rituals were performed at festivals
dedicated to the god Dionysus. It can be said then that the birth of theater was
Athens. In these performances, different chapters of the life of the Greek gods
were staged with songs (Dityrambos) and dances.

Later, the first dramatic performances arose, which took place in the public
squares of the towns. These works had a single actor accompanied by a chorus.

At the end of the 6th century BC, the performer and poet Thespis achieved
enormous popularity throughout Greece. So much so that today, in his honor,
the term “Thespis chariot” is used to refer to the entire field of theater.

During the course of the 5th century BC. C., in the midst of classical Greece, two
models of theater appeared: comedy and tragedy. Sophocles and Aeschylus,
two playwrights of the time, included a second and third actor as a novelty. This
meant an increase in the complexity of the execution of theatrical works, so it
was necessary to have larger stages.

For this reason, increasingly larger theaters began to be built. Currently, the
theater of Epidaurus, from the 5th century BC, is still preserved in fairly good
condition. C. This venue had a capacity of 12,000 people, quite an achievement
at that time.

The four theatrical forms of Greek drama were tragedy, satirical drama, comedy
and mime. The first two formats were considered suitable for an adult audience.
While the last two were considered somewhat more “primitive” and suitable for
children.

The actors, all men, were dressed in normal clothing, but they wore masks that
allowed visibility and helped the viewer recognize the characteristics of the
character.

- Comedy : It developed around the middle of the 5th century BC The

oldest surviving comedies are those of ARISTOPHANES. They have a
very careful structure derived from ancient fertility rites. His comedy
consisted of a mixture of satirical attacks on public figures of the time,
daring eschatological jokes and apparently sacrilegious parodies of the
gods. By the 4th century BC comedy had replaced tragedy as the
dominant form. Later, a variant of the comedy emerged that was called

“new comedy.” The author of the new comedies who stood out the most
was Menander. In his works the script deals with imbroglios or
entanglements about money, family or love. There were a series of
common characters, who even exist today, such as the nosy mother-in-
law.

- Greek Tragedy : Within Greek theater, tragedy is a dramatic work

capable of causing grief and moving the public and has a fateful ending.
 Greek playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus excelled
in this type of theatrical genre. Among the features we have:

> The performances are pompous, structured into several

scenes or episodes and written in verse.

> Tragedies are stories that are mostly based on old stories
or myths.

> They were usually performances without much action.

The events took place through the songs of the choir and the
dialogues of the actors.

ROMAN THEATRE

It can be said that Roman theater emerged strongly in the 3rd century BC.
Although in principle the plays had a strong link with religious festivals, it did not
take long for this theatrical spirituality to fade. Having said this, it is logical that
the most popular theatrical form that popular audiences liked most was comedy.
The great writers Plautus and Terence (2nd century BC) marked a great era in
Roman theatrical works. As a general rule, they were adaptations of works of
the new Greek comedy.

In the plot of these works, intrigue abounded and on many occasions an attempt
was also made to provide a certain educational value. These performances
were very popular with the public, since they were very dynamic and included
many fragments that were sung. Bridging the gap, something similar to current
musical theater.

This first period is called classical Roman theater, since it includes the theater
performed in Rome and Greece, that is, the classical civilizations. Similarly,
plays were written in the classical languages, Latin and Greek.

Pompey built in Rome, in 55 BC, a theater of stone and luxurious marble that
bore his name. Its dimensions were enormous, since it was not only a theater, it
was an entire complex intended for these performances.

The facades of the theaters, called frons scaenae, had several floors and served
as a stage. The stands where the spectators were located (cávea) consisted of
three distinct parts: the Ima, the middle and the sum.
The first area was the lower one and the ruling class and senators were located
there. In the middle area the common people sat. The sum or upper part was
allocated for slaves and women. As in some Roman circuses, the stands could
be covered with a velum as a gigantic awning to protect from the sun.

EASTERN THEATER

Theatrical performances on the Asian continent date back more than 2,000
years. Specifically in China, performances of poems were performed before a
group of refined spectators.

In India, in the 4th century BC, there was a type of epic-mythological poem, the
Mahabharata. Through some of them it is possible to know the existence of a
species or type of very remote religious theatrical interpretations.

In Japan, the evolution of theater, called “Nō” in Spanish, led to the so-called
kabuki theater. The latter is based on the prioritization of the senses over the
intellect. For this reason it was the most appreciated and popular among the
people. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

In oriental theater, that of China, India, Japan and in general that of Southeast
Asia, it has common characteristics that clearly differentiate it from post-
Renaissance Western theater.

Therefore, and in general terms, ancient oriental theater was characterized by

rituality and symbolism. Precisely these two concepts made dance and music
enjoy special prominence.

CHINESE THEATER

It can be said that traditional Chinese theater as we know it today began its
journey during the 14th century. In its beginnings it had very scrupulous
protocols and was excessively literary.

But since the beginning of the 19th century, it has been constantly evolving. He
has been greatly influenced by Peking opera, which is what the performing art
that integrates recitation, singing, martial arts and theatrical performance is
called.

In this type of theater, special emphasis is placed on the skill of the actors.
Normally, the plot is usually quite dark. The settings are minimalist, that is, with
just the right and essential elements. The makeup of the actors is very elaborate
and cartoonish, and they move with very stylized actions.

INDIAN THEATER

Indian theater emerged during the 4th and 5th centuries BC The works, which
were epic and complex, were structured on the basis of nine concepts or rasas.
The main core of the works dealt with spiritual issues.

The stages had very careful decoration, but representational techniques were
not applied. Precisely this last type of theater, puppet theater, dominated many
parts of Southeast Asia. Especially the one with shadow puppets, called wayang
kulit. So much so that in some places, such as Java, actors carefully study the
movements of these puppets to imitate them in performances.

JAPANESE THEATER

Perhaps the most complex theatrical art in Asia is Japanese theater. As we have
mentioned previously, the two most popular types or genres are Nō and Kabuki
theater.

The first can be considered the classical Japanese theater par excellence. By
telling a story or fact, try to remember a mood. In this performing genre, the
synthesis between music, dance and theater is scrupulously cared for. This
Japanese performing art is closely linked to Zen Buddhism.

The heyday of nō occurred mainly during the 15th century. On the other hand,
kabuki theater has its origins in the 16th century and has enjoyed much more
popularity than its predecessor.

As a summary, it should be noted that these Japanese forms of theatrical

expression are tremendously beautiful, elegant and refined. As an example, just
look at the very well-made sets and costumes, including the popular Japanese
fans. You may want to know the history of the fan.

PREHISPANIC THEATER

In pre-Hispanic American civilizations, theater had tremendous importance.

Unfortunately, there is very little evidence of what the scenic artistic
manifestations of pre-Columbian civilizations were like. But it is known that they
had a high religious character.
In the same way, the Mayan theater was also closely related to agricultural
cycles and the grandeur of its historical milestones.

On the other hand, the Aztec theater and the Inca theater were a reflection of
how these civilizations were organized. They were people ruled by theocracy (a
government that obeyed the orders of the gods). Therefore, their theatrical
activities had a clear religious and warlike aspect.

POST-COLONIAL THEATER

From the arrival of the Spanish to the American continent, the theater that was
practiced was based on and followed almost entirely the model that was
performed in Spain.

We must wait until well into the 20th century for Latin American theater to gain
its own personality. It is in this period when it begins to deal with native themes
and prioritizes the interests of the public to which it is directed.

Priority is given to theatrical works that refer to social realities and historical
origins. A movement that was called “Our America.”

Another notable movement was the so-called peasant theater, promoted in 1965
by Luis Valdés after a major labor strike.

MEDIEVAL THEATER

After centuries since the decline of Roman theater, the resurgence of theater in
the West must thank the clergy, who used it as a tool for teaching Christian
doctrine.

Thus, in the 11th century, it was common to see representations in churches

that dealt with biblical and moralistic messages. They took place inside the
churches, in the central part or in the choir part: They were increasingly more
elaborate and spectacular and of longer duration. So they ended up giving rise
to a certain type of Christian religious theater and, therefore, medieval theater.

Over the years, some somewhat comical or profane elements were

incorporated. So much so that there came a point where, due to morality, they
could no longer be represented inside ecclesiastical buildings. They then began
to take place in public places such as squares, porticos and streets.
PROFANE MEDIEVAL THEATER

When the 14th century arrived, the theater became independent of the liturgical
and ecclesiastical style to be performed in other places outside the churches. It
evolved in a kind of cycles that had many dramas. Some expert historians
believe that they were similar to liturgical dramas, these cycles were born in a
completely independent way.

These works were produced by an entire corporation every 4 or 5 years. These

performances could last from 2 days to almost a month.

During the 15th century, a type of farce, folkloric or pastoral drama type of work
appeared that entertained the common people.

Renaissance theater became widespread throughout the 16th century. It

involved the construction of venues with covered rooms for performing plays and
well equipped with the best comforts of the time.

ITALIAN THEATER

It is not until the 15th century that there is evidence of Renaissance theater in
Italy. Although the first works were written in Latin, they soon began to be written
in the mother tongue and, in general, dealt with classical themes.

This theatrical genre is not an evolution resulting from religious models, nor from
popular dramatic types. It was a type of theater with a purely academic process.
They were works that were written primarily to be read, either for teaching
purposes or by multiple readers for viewers.

The Olympic Theater of Vicenza is considered one of the first modern theaters
in Italy. It was designed by the prestigious Italian architect Andrea Palladio and
its construction was completed in 1585. Regarding its structure, it could be said
that it was an evolution of the ancient Roman theaters. Behind the stage, you
could have a view of the streets of the town.

Despite this, the Farnese theater in Parma is considered the main reference of
the classic model of Italian theater. Built in 1618, its structure had a stage,
framed with a proscenium arch and separated from the spectator seats by a
curtain. It also had a horseshoe-shaped stalls that was surrounded by various
floors of galleries.
FRENCH THEATER

In France, a type of farce-like comedy was very popular in the late 16th century.
He was so acclaimed that he put up great resistance to the definitive
establishment of Renaissance drama.

But finally, the high Italian influence managed to popularize in France some
performances that were called ballets. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known as
Molière) is considered the greatest French playwright of the time. His comedies
and farces are undoubtedly influenced by commedia dell'arte.

BAROQUE AND NEOCLASSICAL THEATER

During the 17th century (baroque theater) and especially the 18th century
(neoclassical theater), a type of theater tailored to the actors was prioritized.
That is, playwrights wrote works adjusting to the style or preferences of the
performers. So much so, that even great classics were rewritten to satisfy the
tastes or whims of the most famous actors.

It should be noted that, especially Shakespeare's works, were altered in such a

way that they were almost unrecognizable. And not only to satisfy the
performers, but also to meet neoclassical ideals and standards.

MODERN THEATER

During much of the 19th century, the scenographic and architectural concepts of
the theater underwent practically no change. But arriving at the end of the
century, the claims of being able to have creative freedom promoted by the
great romantic authors led to a rethinking of this dramatic art in all aspects.

A good example of this was the construction in 1876 of the colossal

Festspielhaus theater in Bayreuth, in Bavaria (Germany). It was erected under
the recommendations of the famous composer and playwright Richard Wagner.

Highlight its staggered stalls and fan layout. As in today's theaters, the orchestra
was placed in a pit just before the stage and during performances the entire
audience seating area (auditorium) was darkened to highlight what was
happening on the stage.

For all these reasons, the emergence of modern theater was determined by its
total and absolute freedom in approaches through dialogues. There was a
curious transformation of theatrical art also due, in part, to new technological
advances.

The emergence of modern theater was determined by its total and absolute
freedom in approaches through dialogues. There was a curious transformation
of theatrical art also due, in part, to new technological advances.

ROMANTIC THEATER

At the end of the 18th century, some philosophical ideas and concepts were
acquiring quite a bit of notoriety and finally ended up congealing and merging at
the beginning of the 19th century, giving birth to a movement called
romanticism.

As for Spanish romantic theater, it should be noted that it was inspired by many
of the great themes used in the Middle Ages and shows a character subjugated
by passions of all kinds, good or bad. Structures and forms of the theater used
during the Golden Age are used, but taking advantage of lighting effects and
new stage machinery.

The great reference is José Zorrilla, popularly known for being the author of the
work Don Juan Tenorio. In this plot, the figure of the trickster is welcomed by
Zorrilla with great freedom and in his passionate romanticism he ensures that
the seducer is redeemed by love.

This play has so much charisma, charm and strength that from its premiere to
the present day, it has never stopped being performed. Even currently versions
are performed in musical theater with spectacular scenery.

CONTEMPORARY THEATER

It can be stated, without fear of being wrong, that starting with Renaissance
theater, it has tried to strive to achieve total realism. Paradoxically, once it was
achieved at the end of the 19th century, an anti-realist movement emerged that
in this performing art.

Mainly in the US, realist theater has moved forward, especially on the
commercial side. However, it seems that the objective was to achieve
psychological realism. But for this very unreal scenic and dramatic elements
were used.
SYMBOLIST THEATER

During the 19th century, a symbolist current also emerged. Those related to this
movement, the symbolists, sought to achieve the “detheatricalization” of theater.
That is, eliminate all scenic and technological advances and replace them with a
spirituality coming from the interpretation and the text.

In this genre of theater, the texts were endowed with a symbology that was quite
complex for the actors to interpret. As a general rule, the rhythm of these works
was quite slow, seeking the same tempo that one can have in a dream.

EXPRESSIONIST THEATER

The first 20 years of the 20th century were when expressionist theater had its
greatest heyday, especially in Germany. This modality aimed to delve into the
most grotesque and violent aspects of the human psyche.

THEATER OF THE ABSURD

The theater of the Absurd emerged just after the Second World War. Its main
genesis comes from the absurdity and meaninglessness of a disillusioned,
hopeless and destroyed world.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Musicals appeared in the 1920s. An amalgam of dances, songs, dialogues and

small comic pieces covering even stories that were originally dramatic.
 CONCLUSION

> The theater was born since ancient times, starting with rituals for the
gods in which dance and singing were presented. Those who presented
these rituals wore elegant and typical clothing of the region.

> Theater evolved over time, leaving the spiritual behind to give way to
more detailed representations of everyday life; this presentation could
previously only be seen by people with a high level in society.

> Theater was different in each country and region, since each place
had its culture and traditions, which made the theater different and unique
from each part where it was performed.

> We come to the conclusion that we must not forget that theater is
essentially a representation; All these elements do not establish essential
differences between the ancient theater and the current one. For theater to
exist, there must be a text, which will be represented by actors in front of an
audience that attends to see said performance.
 REFERENCES

> OLMEDO RAUL, Origin and evolution of theater (2017). Recovered at:
https://es.slideshare.net/aristidesraulolmedoduarte/origen-y-evolucion-
del-teatro

> GOMEZ ROBERT, History of the theater (2012). Recovered at:

https://www.clubensayos.com/Historia/La-Historia-Del-Teatro/188773.ht
ml

> Rodríguez Luis, What is theater, its history and origin (2017). Recovered
at: https://www.curiosfera.com/teatro/

> AGUILAR PIÑAL, Francisco, «News from the "Comedy Index" of Manuel
Casal y Aguado», Cuadernos Bibliográficos, 28 (1972), pp. 153162.

> FERNÁNDEZ ARIEL, History and evolution of the Universal Theater.

Recovered at: https://www.monografias.com/trabajos16/el-teatro/el-
terapia2.shtml

> AGULLÓ Y COBO, Mercedes, «The theater collection of the Municipal

Library of Madrid», Literature Magazine, XXXV (1969), pp. 169-213;
XXXVII (1970), pp. 233-274; XXXVIII (1970), pp. 189-252; Magazine of
the Library, Archive and Museum of the Madrid City Council, 1-2 (1977),
pp.

> BARRERA Y LEIRADO, Cayetano Alberto de la, Bibliographic and

biographical catalog of ancient Spanish theater from its origins to the
mid-18th century. Madrid, Rivadeneira, 1860, Madrid, Gredos, 1969,
facsimile edition.
> OTARELO Y MORI, Emilio, Bibliography of the controversies on the
legality of theater in Spain, Madrid, Magazine of Archives, Libraries and
Museums, 1904. Facsimile edition, with preliminary study and indexes by
J. L. Suárez, Granada, University of Granada, 1997.