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Theater is a popular and beloved art form. When we buy theater tickets, we look forward to the pleasure of seeing and hearing our favorite artists.
The theater has a very ancient history. Many centuries ago, our ancestors also enjoyed this wonderful art. IN primitive society people, of course, did not know what a poster was and had no idea about the profession of an actor, but they took a direct part in theatrical productions. Even pagan rituals of those times were in the nature of a theatrical performance, which was a way of serving the gods. Each priest had the gift of public speaking and charisma.

In the era of antiquity, theater gradually lost its ritual function and acquired an entertainment character. In ancient Greece, the basis of plots theatrical productions there were episodes from the life of the gods of Olympus, as well as the exploits of Greek heroes. Actors and playwrights in Greece were given high honors, but in Rome, on the contrary, actors were not particularly respected. Gladiator fights, circus games and bloody spectacles were held in theater buildings, almost completely replacing theatrical art.

During the Middle Ages, theatrical performances were prohibited because Christian church saw in them the remnants of pagan rites and rituals. The actors were subjected to severe persecution by the Inquisition, viewing theatrical performances was punishable by excommunication. All theaters were closed, so actors united in traveling troupes and showed their art in small villages.

During the Renaissance, the influence of the church in all areas weakened human life, the transition began from the ideals of asceticism to personal freedom and humanism. Science and all areas of art were actively developing. The theater received especially rapid development: covered tiered theater buildings appeared, stage equipment was developed, in connection with which new theatrical specialties arose: stage operator, acoustician, lighting designer and others, new genres appeared theatrical arts, in particular, classical opera.

The end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century is characterized by a focus on harmonious combination all components of the performance. This became possible thanks to the emergence of the profession of director and the transition of performing arts to a new level. Big role The acting school of K.S. played a role in this. Stanislavsky.

Now theater is a multi-genre. The very approach to theatrical performance has changed: it includes music, installations, complex scenery machinery, and projections. Even a suit can become an art object.
The music in the theater has also changed. Many productions have become more like musicals, with interactive elements: spectators can easily be invited to participate in the events, sing something or even play a minor role.

Theater continues to remain a living genre; it continuously introduces new elements into itself - and this is the guarantee that it will live and develop.

The history of the theater goes back to Ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. Ancient art It originated as spectacular entertainment for the public, festive scenes of costumed actors. The performances were originally timed to coincide with the Great Dionysius - a major religious holiday.

Now the theater is undoubtedly something more than a procession of singing men in goatskins through the city. He became high art, a way of relaxation for high society, a place of cultural enlightenment. The history of the theater is a fascinating process of development that continues to this day. We will tell the reader this in our article. You will also find many interesting facts in the presented material. So, let's begin.

Start

In Athens of the 5th century BC. e. theatrical performances were an integral part religious holidays. Processions with the statue of Dionysus were accompanied by cheerful chants and dramatic games. We can say that the history of the Athenian theater began as an amateur performance for a small number of onlookers. Initially, only tragedies were staged; comedies were shown later. It is noteworthy that plays, as a rule, were shown only once. This stimulated authors to create relevant, interesting works. The playwright not only wrote the play, he was a full-fledged participant in the performance, playing the roles of director, composer, choreographer and even actor. Naturally, these were extremely talented people.

But to become a choreg (choir director), great talent was not required. All they needed was money and connections with government officials. The main responsibility of the choregas was to pay bills, provide full material support and support the theater. In those days it was a place of competition; the winners were the choregas, the poet and the protagonist. The winners were crowned with ivy and awarded prizes. Victory was given to them by decision of the jury.

An interesting fact is that the ancient Romans were real fans of realism. A production in which the actor played the role 100% was considered ideal - if necessary, he had to be ready to even die.

The Greek theater had no roof; spectators and actors were, in fact, on the street. The size of ancient theaters was enormous, they accommodated from 17 to 44 thousand people. At first, wooden platforms were used to seat spectators, then natural stone slopes were adapted for the theater. And only then, in the 4th century BC. e., a stone theater was built.

You will probably be interested to know that the government, starting with Pericles, has given the opportunity to visit the theater and experience beauty even to financially disadvantaged citizens. To achieve this, everyone was given a subsidy for one visit to the theater, and subsequently for three visits.

Story ancient theater has one characteristic feature: the actors played their roles without the help of their own facial expressions. It was replaced by all kinds of masks, often very grotesque. The actor paid great attention to body movements and clothing. The actors were men, even female roles. They occupied a privileged position in society and were exempt from taxes.

An interesting fact is that Livius Andronicus, an ancient Roman playwright, became the father of the world's first "phonogram". He was left without a voice, but got out of the situation by finding a boy who spoke for him.

Some terms of ancient theater

Many definitions used in ancient theaters have survived to this day. A small dictionary of terms from ancient times is presented below:

• The orchestra is a round-shaped part of the theater with two entrances, intended for the performance of dramatic and lyrical choirs. In the Athens theater its diameter was 24 meters.
• Skena is a place for changing clothes. Originally a simple tent, then combined with fragments decoration scenes, for example, background.
• Proskenium - a colonnade in front of the skene.
• Paraskenium – side stone extensions.
• The stage is a raised area above the orchestra, where actors began to play in late antiquity.
• Ekkiclema is a mobile platform made of wood that allows you to transform the scene of action and move actors around the stage.
• Koturny - shoes with high soles, reminiscent of stilts. With the help of such shoes, actors became taller, more impressive and similar to mythical creatures.

A remarkable fact is that it was in Rome that the phrase “Finita la comedia” was first uttered.

Puppets in the theatrical world

Story puppet theater originates in Egypt, where priests used a doll of the god Osiris to perform ritual actions. In the beginning, puppet theater was purely ritualistic, but now the religious connotation has faded away. Famous ritual puppet theaters exist in many countries: Japan (“Bunraku”), Indonesia (“Wayang”), Catalonia (“El Pastores”), Belarus (“Batleyka”) and others.

In the history of puppet theater in America, a theater created in 1962 called “Bread and Puppet” stands out. It features giant papier-mâché dolls, an obvious political overtone, and a treat of delicious bread at the entrance. This interaction between actors and spectators is symbolic: theatrical art should be as close to the people as possible.

Dolls come in different sizes and appearances. There are finger and glove puppets, cane and tablet puppets, puppets and giant dolls. Being a puppet theater actor is not so easy, because you need to be able to bring an inanimate object to life, give it character and voice.

A characteristic feature of any puppet theater is the ridicule of something, the presence of morality, an educational element in the skits. No matter what age the viewer of the puppet theater is, he will find there not only something to laugh at, but also something to think about. Often the heroes in the puppet theater are unattractive, even ugly characters, for example, the French Polichinelle with a hooked nose.

You will probably be interested to know that actors are not always rich people. In the history of American puppet theater, there are facts that theatergoers could watch the production in exchange for food.

Drama

Story drama theater dates back to ancient times. This is one of the art forms, along with puppet theater, pantomime, opera and ballet. home distinguishing feature drama theater - the actor’s actions are combined with the words he speaks. Particular attention is paid to stage speech in this type of genre. Basis dramatic performance is a play. In progress acting improvisation is possible, the action may include dancing, singing. The performance is based on literary work. The main interpreter of a play or script is the director.

It is quite remarkable that theater workers believe that dropping a script is not good. If this trouble occurs, you must definitely sit on it.

The emergence of domestic theatrical traditions

The history of theater in Russia is divided into stages:

• Initial (“playful”)
• Average.
• Mature.

Playful stage

As in Ancient Rome, the history of theater in Russia began as a not entirely serious activity. Theatrical performances were called “fun”, and performances were called “games”. The first chronicle mention of buffoons dates back to 1068. In fact, anyone could become such an actor entertaining the public. From a religious point of view, the activities of buffoons were shameful. In the chronicles they are called servants of the devil, and mockery, satire and mummery are called sins. Sharp satire was not welcomed by the church, however, this did not really stop anyone.

Buffoonery was also not considered an art pleasing to the authorities; on the contrary, sharp social topics skits, ridiculing modern shortcomings made the actors dangerous and harmful. But the people loved to watch and laugh at the performances of the buffoons. However, it should be understood that classical theater, as we know him now, grew not out of these buffoonish scenes, but independently of them, even, rather, in spite of them.

Middle stage

The next stage in the history of Russian theater is intermediate between playful and mature. At this phase, court and school theaters emerge. At that time, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was ruling, the actors in the court theater were foreigners, and the actors in the school theater were students. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, the activity of the court theater was suspended until Peter I came to power. He had a positive attitude towards “spectacles”, but, in addition to entertainment, it also became endowed with a propaganda function. In 1702, a public theater for the masses appeared. Its building was called the “Comedy Temple”; performances were given there by a German troupe. The people did not accept this theater. Although Peter I did not achieve his goal, he did not make the theater a favorite place for people, accessible and popular, but he laid all the necessary prerequisites for this.

A mature stage in the history of theatrical art

This period in the history of the creation of theater in Russia is the most important. At this stage, the theater began to acquire those features that are familiar to modern man, has formed into a serious professional community. On August 30, 1756, the start was given, namely, the Imperial Theater opened. The same date is the founding day Alexandrinsky Theater In Petersburg. This happened under Elizaveta Petrovna.

A feature of the theater of that time was the simultaneous participation of both Russian and foreign artists in productions. It was at this stage that the performance of roles was first entrusted not only to men, but also to women. Catherine II gave great importance theater, under her there were three troupes in St. Petersburg, a fantastic amount of money was spent on the development of this industry.

In addition to the development of state ones, Catherine also paid attention to the private theaters of the nobles; for example, there was the theater of Sheremetyev, Volkonsky, and Rumyantsev. Even in the provinces their own landowner troupes were created. The Russian theater, namely the productions themselves, was built according to the models of their French colleagues. The head of the French school of acting was I. A. Dmitrevsky, who trained more than one generation of wonderful actors.

Did you know?

We present to the reader some more fun facts from the history of theatrical art.

At the time when Pushkin was alive, theaters in Russia were not completely seated. The back rows were filled with people standing on their feet throughout the entire performance.

A landmark play in the history of Russian theatrical art is “The Minor” by D. I. Fonvizin, which became the first attempt to make fun of officials, nobles, and typical characters of the 18th century. Staroduma ( positive character) the first to play was the above-mentioned Dmitrevsky.

In 1803 imperial theaters were divided. Dramatic and musical troupes, opera and ballet, appeared as parts of the musical troupe. The dominance of the French school of playing on the Russian stage lasted until the 19th century. It was then that the Russian theater finally stood up and went its own way. The experience adopted became a good base, and the discovery of new talented Russian composers, actors, and dancers raised the theater to a high level.

P. N. Arapov was the first to describe the entire history of Russian theater in one encyclopedia - “Chronicles of the Russian Theater”. Theater magazines and professional critics appeared. Thus, the development of the theater gave impetus to Russian literature, among other things.

The most famous theater in Moscow

The history of the Bolshoi Theater begins on March 28, 1776. It was on this day in Moscow that Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” for Prince Peter Urusov, allowing him to maintain the theater for ten years. It was first called the Petrovsky Theater (in honor of the street on which the entrance faced). In 1805, the building completely burned down, and the architect Osip Bove created new project. In 1820, construction began, lasting 5 years.

The theater that was built became larger, which is why it got its name. This beautiful, harmonious, rich building brought joy to the residents of Moscow until 1853, when the second fire occurred. This time the reconstruction was entrusted to the architect Albert Kavos. The theater was restored in 1856. Imperial Grand Theatre became famous not only in Russia, but also in the world: there was excellent acoustics here. In 1917 after the Revolution, the name was changed to the State Bolshoi Theater. The decoration was supplemented with Soviet symbols.

He suffered seriously during the Great Patriotic War, taking on the bomb. The building was reconstructed again. Until 1987, the building underwent only minor cosmetic repairs. Now the Bolshoi Theater is a building with new scene, where you can use modern effects. At the same time, it has retained the spirit of classical architecture, its “signature” acoustics, which gives it the right to be considered one of the best theaters in the world. This is the history of the Bolshoi Theater.

And finally one more, no less interesting fact. Films set wholly or partly in a theater: Birdman, The Disaster Artist, La La Land, The Phantom of the Opera, Burlesque Tales, Knockout, Stumbling on Broadway, Black-ish Swan", "Puppeteer", "Terrible big Adventure", "Shakespeare in Love", "Murder in a Small Town", "Quaie d'Orfevre".

The history of theater (drama and other genres of this art) will continue to develop, since interest in it has remained unchanged for more than two thousand years.

Theater

Theater

noun, m., used often

Morphology: (no) what? theater, what? theater, (see) what? theater, how? theater, about what? about the theater; pl. What? theaters, (no) what? theaters, what? theaters, (see) what? theaters, how? theaters, about what? about theaters

1. Theater is an art form, a stage performance dramatic works which is performed by actors in front of the audience.

Amateur and professional theatre. | European, oriental theater. | Theater of masks, miniatures, pantomime. | Get involved in theater. | He knows theater and especially ballet well.

2. Theater called an organization that organizes performances and staging performances.

Drama, opera house. | Bolshoi, Maly theater. | Ballet theatre. | Capital, provincial theater. | Puppet show. | Theater for young spectators. | State, private theater. | Drama and Comedy Theater. | Theater named after A.S. Pushkin. | Theater troupe.

3. Theater is the name of the building in which the performances take place.

Luxurious, cozy theater. | Theater with a thousand seats. | Construction, reconstruction of the theater. | Foyer, auditorium theater | Rebuild and repair the theater.

4. Summer theater called a pavilion in the park, where amateur performances are performed during the warm season.

5. One-man theater called a dramatic performance that is performed by one person.

6. Home theater are called amateur performances that are performed by members of the same family for relatives, guests, etc.

7. Shadow theater called manual pantomime, in which shadows on a wall or screen represent animals, people and move.

A night light was burning behind the curtain, and a familiar shadow theater was playing out on the screen.

8. Anatomical Theater is a hospital facility that is used to train medical students in the techniques of autopsy and dissection of corpses.

9. Theater of war- This is an area for large-scale army combat operations during the war.

Leave the theater of operations.

Dictionary Russian language Dmitriev. D. V. Dmitriev. 2003.

See what “theater” is in other dictionaries:

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The art of theater goes back to ancient times to totemic dances, ritual copying of animal habits, and the performance of rituals using special costumes, masks, tattoos and body painting. In the early stages of theater development, the playwright and the performer were united in one person.

IN ancient world Up to fifteen thousand spectators gathered for the performances. The action of the performances unfolded in the lap of nature, as if remaining an event of life itself. This gave ancient theater naturalness and liveliness.

In the Middle Ages, theater developed in forms dating back to liturgical drama performed as part of a church service. In the XIII-XIV centuries. Genres isolated from the service arise - mystery, miracle, and folk motifs and ideas penetrate into these church productions. Folk theater forms are carried out both through amateur creativity and as street performances by traveling actors. In the 15th century The most democratic genre of medieval theater emerged - farce, which wittily reproduced the life and morals of its contemporaries.

During the Renaissance folk forms theatrical art is imbued with humanism (Italian comedy of masks), theater becomes philosophical, becomes a means of analyzing the state of the world (Shakespeare), an instrument of social struggle (Lope de Vega).

The theater of classicism (XVII century) is the contemporary art of its era, built on the basis of normative aesthetics (Boileau) and rationalistic philosophy (Descartes). It is based on the great tragic (Racine, Corneille) and great comedic (Molière) dramaturgy, which affirms ideal heroes, ridiculing vices. The actors embody the universal human traits of the characters, neglecting their specific historical and national characteristics. The theater of classicism is at the center of the artistic interests of the court and the needs of the public.

In the 18th century Enlightenment ideas penetrated into the theater (Diderot, Lessing), it became a means of social struggle of the third estate against feudalism. Actors strive to express social status character.

In the first half of the 19th century. Romantic theater is spreading. He is distinguished by increased emotionality, lyricism, rebellious pathos, and distinctiveness in the portrayal of characters.

In the 30s years XIX V. Critical realism becomes the dominant direction in the theater. This direction develops on the basis of the dramaturgy of Gogol, Ostrovsky, and later Chekhov, Ibsen, Shaw. The theater becomes deeply national and democratizes, its mass, popular forms develop. Theaters designed for the common people appeared: “boulevard” (Paris), “small” (New York), suburban theaters (Vienna).

Russian stage art XIX V. - theater of realism, acute social issues, a critical attitude towards reality, reaching the point of its satirical exposure, typification of life, psychological analysis personality.

In the first third of the twentieth century, a Great Reform took place in the theater: a director came to the theater. This is the conquest of the twentieth century. Directors K. Stanislavsky, V. Meyerhold, M. Reinhardt, A. Appiah, G. Craig, L. Kurbas created new scientific theories of stage art. IN modern times The main principle of the performance is the ensemble. The director leads this ensemble (troupe), interprets the playwright's plan, translates the play into a performance and organizes its entire course.