What is theater. History of theatrical art

The history of the theatrical art began in ancient times. Let there was slavery in those days and there was no education. But people knew what theater was. Growing from the depths of a long human history, its roots go into the riddles of the oldest popular mass rituals, festivities and festivities. The traditional primary actions of a comic and tragic character (such as Saturnalia, Mysteries) that arose on this basis contained elements of a dramatic (in mythological design) plot, including dances, dialogue, choral songs, mockery, masks. Gradually, there was a separation of the action and ritual-cult foundations, the singling out of heroes from the crowd, the transformation of a mass meaningful festival into an organized spectacle. All this created the prerequisites for the emergence of a literary drama so beloved by all. Forced dismemberment of spectators and actors has revealed the public important functions of this art form.

This process was clearly expressed in the theater of ancient Greece, which had a huge impact on the active development of European art. In city-states he became an important head of public life. What is theater in ancient Greece? Representations at that time were a nationwide great celebration. On the huge, giant amphitheaters, which are under the open sky, gathered tens of thousands of fascinated spectators. In addition to the existing professional actors, the performance could also be played by the citizens themselves - directly by the choir participants. Dance and music remained necessary, the main elements of the action.

What is theater in ancient Rome? The stage production side of most performances has developed more actively here, the stage type has changed, the professional theatrical equipment has increased, various types of performances have appeared (musical and dance shows on mythological subjects - pantomimes, which reached their heyday in the era of the Empire, remained up to the 5th century the most Popular theatrical genre).

The European theater of the Middle Ages practically ceased to exist. William Shakespeare and several other playwrights in the 15th century. Revived it. Then, without exception, all roles in the performances were performed by boys and men. Actresses first appeared in popular troupes of Italian vagrant actors who played comedy "goal arte" (small comic plays with mandatory participation of character-masks).

The humanistic culture of the Renaissance period revived the traditions of ancient theatrical art, combining them with the rich traditions of the national national heritage. In the plays of famous playwrights of this era, history was revealed in the most acute political and social conflicts.

The rise of the theater is associated with the active spread of classicism, whose social ground is the strengthening of certain absolutist regimes in some European countries. The task of the actors was the creation of a complex image of the hero who, in the course of his internal struggle and cruel trials, overcomes his own duality between the demands of society and private interest. Modern problems in this period acquired an abstract and universally valid character. That's what the theater of classicism is.

In the second half of the 18th century, he became the main spokesman for the impetuous bourgeois Enlightenment. In the art of actors of that time, high citizenship was perfectly combined with an active desire to create new holistic characters, showing an interest in historical truth.

Romanticism became the spokesman of the aspirations of the democratic masses and humanistic ideals. Under the banner of this era in the drama a serious struggle with such an epigone classicism unfolded - for the people, historicism, national identity.

Realism, which was prepared by the theater of the Enlightenment, and later romanticism, acquired worthy independent forms in the 30-40gg. 19th century. And reached the highest dominant position by the middle of the century.

Modern theater synthesizes very many types of art, social problems and emotions - psychological analysis, high moral issues, the immediacy of the emotional state, reliability and grotesque, experience and detachment, lyrics and satire. All this comes into the boldest and unexpected combinations. What is the theater of our time? This is a pronounced tendency to strive for increased activity of images, to save important artistic means, as well as their content. Today this kind of art is inconceivable without a director. Also important is the set design.