The document discusses the history and evolution of theatrical stages from ancient Greek times to modern proscenium stages. It describes the key elements and features of different historical stage types, including the orchestra, theatron, skene, and parodoi of Greek amphitheaters; wagons used for medieval plays; Elizabethan open-air theaters; smaller indoor Restoration theaters; and modern proscenium stages that clearly separate actors and audience. The document emphasizes how stage design evolved alongside changes in theatrical practices, resources, and audience expectations over different eras.

1.  Conceptualize a character/setting/plot for a
one-act play HUMSS_CW/MPIj-IIc-17
 Explore different staging modalities vis-à-vis
envisioning the script HUMSS_CW/MPIjc-18
 Write at least one scene for one-act play
applying the various
elements, techniques, and literary devices
HUMSS_CW/MPIj-IIc-20

2. Objectives
1. Identify the individual parts of the Greek stage;
2. Describe how actors move around the Greek stage during ancient
times; and
3. Create a miniature Greek Stage.

3. Find the meaning:
1. Greek
2. 2. Greek Tragedy
3. 3. Greek Comedy
4. 4. Athens
5. 5. Polls

4.  Watch the video The Greatest Theater
uploaded by Discovery UK.
 After watching, answer the questions that
follow.
 Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CVO9V
d067U

5.  1. What makes the Greatest Theater
mysterious?
 2. What symbolisms were mentioned in the
video?
 3. What is the purpose of the snake in the
Greek Stage?

7.  The orchestra (literally, "dancing space") was
normally circular. It was
a level space where the chorus would dance,
sing, and interact with the actors
who were on the stage near the skene

8.  The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") is
where the spectators sat. The
 theatron was usually part of hillside
overlooking the orchestra, and often
 wrapped around a large portion of the
orchestra

9.  The skene (literally, "tent") was the building
directly behind the stage.
 During the 5th century, the stage of the
theater of Dionysus in Athens was
 probably raised only two or three steps above
the level of the orchestra, and
 was perhaps 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

10.  The skene was directly in back of
 the stage, and was usually decorated as a
palace, temple, or other building,
 depending on the needs of the play.

11.  The parodoi (literally, "passageways") are the
paths by which the
 chorus and some actors (such as those
representing messengers or people
 returning from abroad) made their entrances
and exits. The audience also used
 them to enter and exit the theater before and
after the performance.

13.  You are the best stage designer there is. You are
asked to create a
 design for the modern theatrical stage, going out
of the conventions of what
 our drama stages today look like. Consider the
following elements to position:
 a. Where will the audience be placed? What will
be their arrangement?
 b. What will the performing area look like? Where
will you place it?
 c. How will the area look like?

14.  Greek Classicism Plays in ancient Greece
 were staged in amphitheaters, which were marked
 by a round stage about three quarters surrounded
 by the audience. Since amphitheaters were very
 large and could hold great masses of people (up to
 25,000), the actors could hardly be seen from far
 back, and for this reason, acting included speaking
 in a loud, declamatory voice, wearing masks and
 symbolical costumes and acting with large
 gestures.

16.  Medieval plays were primarily performed
during
 religious festivities (mystery plays, morality
plays).
 They were staged on wagons, which stopped
 somewhere in the market place and were
entirely
 surrounded by the audience.

18.  The Elizabethan stage was typically found in
 public theatres, i.e., plays were no longer
 performed outside. However, the Elizabethan
 theatre was still an open-air theatre as the lack
 of artificial lighting made daylight necessary for
 performances. An exception was the Blackfriars
 theatre, which was indoors and lit by candlelight.
 Theatre groups were now professional and
 sponsored by wealthy aristocrats.

20.  Theatres of the seventeenth and eighteenth
 centuries were considerably smaller than the
Elizabethan
 theatre (they held around 500 people), and
 performances took place in closed rooms
with artificial
 lighting. In contrast to modern theatres
where the
 audience sits in the dark, the audience in the
Restoration
 period was seated in a fully illuminated room.

22.  The stage of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
 is called proscenium stage or picture frame stage
because
 it is shaped in such a way that the audience watches
the
 play as it would regard a picture: The ramp clearly
 separates actors and audience, and the curtain
underlines
 this division. Furthermore, while the stage is
illuminated
 during the performance, the auditorium remains
dark,
 which also turns the audience into an anonymous
mass.

24.  Every theatre is unique, but, with few exceptions,
theatres, both Western and
 Asian, can be categorized into four basic forms:
 a. arena stage theatres (also referred to as
theatre-in-the-round)
 b. thrust stage (or open stage) theatres
 c. end stage theatres (of which proscenium
theatres are a
 subset)
 d. flexible stage theatres, also sometimes called
black
 box theatres.

25.  are those that have an
 audience around four sides of the stage.
 These are often called amphitheatres,
 island stage theatres, or centre stage
 theatres, or they are referred to generally
 as theatre-in-the-round (although the
 stages can be round, oval, octagonal,
 square, rectangular, or in a variety of
 irregular shapes).

27.  are those in
 which the stage thrusts out from one
 side of the space into the midst of
 the audience. They are also known
 as o pen stage theatres and
 sometimes as courtyard theatres.

28.  are those that
 have an audience on only one side.
 Such stages are most often
 rectangular or square, but they can be
 triangular (in which case they are
 called corner stage theatres) or take a
 variety of irregular shapes that can
 include side stages (in which case they
 are referred to as extended stage
 theatres).

29.  are those that do not establish a fixed
 relationship between the stage and the
house. Also known as black box
 theatres, laboratory theatres, modular
theatres, multiform theatres, free
 form theatres, or environmental theatres,
they can be reconfigured for
 each performance.

30.  a. The art of theater in culture.
 b. The art of theater for the audience.
 Physical and social components of comfort
 1. Physical comfort involves the nature of the seating or
standing
 area, the amount of space allotted to each audience
 member, and the ease of access to the space. Physical
 comfort also includes the ability of all audience
members to
 see and hear a performance in the manner that their
culture
 has taught them is most desirable for the proper
experience of
 theatre. It also includes the maintenance of a certain
level of
 safety.

31.  2. Social comfort, on the other hand, has to
do with each audience member’s ability to
feel like part of a group at a theatre event.
Among the factors that are generally
 considered when it comes to social comfort is
whether the arrangement of the audience
within the house reflects the
 accepted social order within the culture. It is
true that keeping the audience members
within the social groups with which
 they feel the most comfortable.

32. The location of the theatre
within a town or city is also a factor in
social comfort, as the
expected audience must feel that it is
proper for them to be in
the area. The level of decoration of the
theatre can also be a
factor in social comfort, as it can make the
audience feel that
the art being presented is above or
beneath their social level.

33. The precise nature of each architectural
element and the exact combination
of elements found in any given theatre will
be determined by the ability of a
theatre’s architect to understand and give
expression to what the culture or
subculture believes to be ideal. Whatever
the abilities of the architect,
however, that expression of the ideal will
always be compromised by the
availability of resources.

34. In order to conserve resources, some
elements will be
left out while others will be provided at
less than an optimum level. Matters of
comfort, however that term might be
defined, will be applied to only as many
members of the audience as is practical
rather than to all of the members
equally.

36. Practice Task 2: THERE IS A STAGE TO THAT!
Research on the following movie/book titles and evaluate what modern
stage form is best suited if they will be given a stage drama
adaptation. Justify your answer in 3-5 sentences. You will be rated
using the rubric.