THEA 142: Development of Dramatic Art I

A discussion of the origins and transformations of primarily Western theatre from its origins to the late 18th century, through texts, artists, and theorists.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Amanda Mims' Meditation #1

I would like to think that I know a lot about theatre and theatrics and what not. I was heavily involved in theatre in high school so I was not only in many plays but I read many as well. I also took a course where all we did was read Shakespeare and it was wonderful. I have read quite a few of the Greek tragedies as well like Antigone, Medea, The Odyssey, and Oedipus Rex to name a few. I learned in my high school theatre class as well as in my art history class about amphitheatres and how they used the space. I also remember that men played all the roles. I also vaguely remember that in Ancient Greece they would wear giant masks during the performance so that the entire audience could see emotions and so that men could be women. This is where the tragedy and comedy masks originated, and now they stand for theatre in general and the range of emotions that can be expressed. As I said earlier I have read many of Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Richard III, Merchant of Venice, Othello, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, and Much Ado About Nothing so I feel that I have a good grasp on Shakespeare. I hope to learn more about Roman theatre, I know the Romans were influenced by the Greeks in everything that they did so I’m anticipating that they are similar. I really don’t know much of anything about medieval theatre, and most of what I know about Elizabethan theatre is Shakespeare so I would like to broaden my knowledge of those things. I’m so excited to be taking this class because I have yet to take a history class and I really enjoy history and I believe that taking a theatre history class will not only enlighten my theatrical side but my interest in history as well because plays are art and art imitates life and is also a fabulous social commentary.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home