CAMARINES NORTE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
MAPEH 9
4TH QUARTER G9-ARTS
Learning Activity Sheet No. 1
NAME: ________________________________________ GRADE/SECTION:______________________
I. Introductory Concept.
Theater Arts of the Western countries produced and performed in different periods that have had
great influence from the Ancient Greek and Roman theater art. Some of the famous playwrights and
composers of the Western Theater Arts/ Opera were Sophocles, William Shakespeare, Christopher
Marlowe, Farinelli, Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi, Pierre Beaumarchais. Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe, Victor Hugo, Georges Bizet, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Giusseppe Verdi, and
Giacomo Puccini.
Modern theatrical plays and musical are still influenced by their predecessors. The development
and evolution of Western classical plays/ operas are specifically discussed in this module. For better and
effective understanding, different activities will be performed in this module. Viewing and listening of
sample plays or operas are encouraged to promote appreciation of the culture and traditions of the
western countries.
Activity 1. IDENTIFY ME.
Direction. Identify the following if what kind of Theatrical Forms. Write before the number if it is ANCIENT
THEATER, RENAISSANCE THEATER, and ROMANTIC PERIOD. Write your answer before the number.
Let’s do it!
______________________1. Ritual- theory, focused on god Dionysus, performed in festivals
______________________2. Theater designs were developed
______________________3. Focused on appreciation of the exotic and primitive
______________________4. Women are not allowed to perform
______________________5. Queen Elizabeth supported Theater
______________________6. The famous operatic composers were Georges Bizet Carmen and Richard
Wagner
______________________7. The age of enlightenment
______________________8. The famous actor and playwright was William Shakespeare, who wrote
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Midsummer Night`s Dream, Cleopatra.
______________________9. Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone were famous plays
______________________10. Competitions of chariots, gladiators, and public executions as public
theaters.
LESSON 1: History of Theatrical Forms and Their Evolution
Theater - means “place of seeing”, but it is more than the buildings where performance take place. To
produce theater, a playwright writes the scripts, the director rehearses the performers, the designer and
technical crew produce props to create the scenes, and actors and actresses perform on stage. It will only
be a true theater act when an audience witnesses it.
ANCIENT THEATER 700 B.C.E.- 410 C.E (Greek and
Roman Theater)
Greek Theater.
It also consisted of three types of drama: Tragedy,
Comedy, and Satyr play. Tragedy is a compound of
two Greek words, tragos or goat and won meaning
song. Thespis was the first actor introduced the use
of masks and called “The father of Tragedy”.
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Out of these 11 plays, Lysistrata, a humorous tale about a strong woman who led a female coalition
to end war in Greece survived. Cyclops was adventurous comedy by Euripides.
ANCIENT THEATER TERMS
Theater buildings were called theatron. Three
main elements: Orchestra, Skene, Audience.
Theatron- viewing place on the slope of a hill, Skene-
stage, Parodos- side entrance. Roman Theater
The Hellenization (historical spread of ancient Greek
culture) of Roman culture in the 3rd century BC.
Triumvir Pompey was one of the first permanent
(non-wooden) theatres in Rome.
Theatre of Pompey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Winner_of_a_Roman_chariot_race.jpg
Roman Chariots “A winner of a Roman chariot race”
Comedy plays were popular too in the Roman Theater from 350 to 250
B.C.and women were allowed to perform on stage
Medieval Theater 500 C.E.-1400
An example of this kind of play is the ―Mystére d‟Adam” or "The
Mystery of Adam.
Book of Days by Robert
Chamber
RENAISSANCE THEATER 1400-1600
Renaissance theater arts were characterized by a return of Classical Greek and Roman arts and
culture.
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The Commedia dell'arte (Italian comedy and a humorous theatrical presentation performed by
professional players who traveled in troupes) and the elaborate masques (a dramatic entertainment
consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song and sometimes players wore masks).
One of the most prominent supporters of the theater was Queen
Elizabeth. Ferrex and Porrex, was an English play and first performed at the
Christmas celebration in 1561.Shakespeare was often called England's national
poet and the "Bard of Avon". Other contemporary playwrights like
Christopher Marlowe (tragedies such as Dr. Faustus and The Jew of Malta),
and Thomas Kyd (The Spanish Tragedy).
For the first time, ballet was performed in public during this period. It
developed and flourished from Italy to France with the help of Catherine de'
Medici, (Queen of France). Le Paradis d' Amour', a
piece of work presented at her daughter's
wedding, Marguerite de Valois to Henry of
Navarre. A true form of royal entertainment, 'Ballet des Polonais' was
commissioned by Catherine de' Medici.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ballet_de_la_nuit_1653.jpg
Henri Gissey (1621–1673), Released under the GNU Free
Documentation License
Ballet de la nuit Proscenium
Image taken from Wikipedia, PD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Auditorium_Building14.jpg
Baroque Theater 1600-1750
This technology affected the content of the performed pieces, practicing at its best the Deus ex
Machina (a Latin word meaning "god from the machine) solution.
The Teatro Regio in Turin‖, oil on canvas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pietro_Domenico_Oliviero
The_Royal_Theater_in_Turin.jpg
Giovanni Michele Graneri (Torino,
1708-1762),,Painting in the P.D. for
its age
The use of theatrical technologies in the Baroque period may be seen in the films Vatel (2000),
Farinelli (1999) and in the different stage productions of ―Orpheus‖ by Claudio Monteverdi.
Neoclassical Theater 1800-1900
The concept of decorum (meaning right and proper audience behavior) was applied in this period
which means classical concepts and appropriate social behavior must be observed.
An 18th-century Neoclassical theatre in Ostankino, Moscow
Image from Wikimedian Commons, by Shakko, 2004
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ostankino19.JPGPierre Cornielle (1606 –
1684) was often called the father of the French tragedy. One of these
was “The Cid‖”. Jean-BaptistePoquelin, better known as Molière
(1622 –1673) was known for his comedies, “
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ROMANTIC THEATER 1800-2000
Romantic Playwrights:
Melodrama originated from the French word “melodrame”, which is derived from Greek ―melos”, music,
and French‖ drame”, which is derived from Greek―dran” to peform. Melodrama can be also being
described as a dramatic work. Opera, in the other hand, is an art form in which singers and musicians
perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Victor_Hugo_by_%C3%89tienne_Carjat_1876_-_full.jpg
Victor Marie Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 and died on May 22, 1885. He is considered one
of the greatest and best known French writers. Among his works that stand out all over the world are “Les
Contemplations, La Légende des siècles, Les Misérables, and Notre-Dame de Paris” which is known as the
Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
Romantic Composers
PD-Art: Picture:Photo by Etienne Carjat, 1875,
http://www.metronimo.com/fr/portraits/show.php?start=0&file=bizet3.jpg&album=7es.html
Georges Bizet
(formerly a hairdresser and later became a singer and composer) and Aimee
Marie Louise Leopoldine Josephine Delsarte, (a pianist). This French composer
was a pianist and best known for his operas. Carmen is the most popular
among his works.
Works are La prêtresse, operetta (1854), Le docteur
Miracle, opéra bouffe (1857), Don Procopio, opéra
bouffe (1859), Les pêcheurs de perles, opera (1863),
Ivan IV, grand opera (unfinished), La jolie fille de
Perth, opera (1867), Noé, opera by Fromental Halévy finished by Bizet (1869),
L'Arlésienne, 'musique de scène' (1872), Djamileh, one-act opera (1872).
Contemporary composers during the Romantic period were Franz Liszt, Richard
Wagner, Frederic Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Felix
Mendelsshon and Hector Berlioz.
http://www.tchaikovsky-research.org/en/people/bizet_georg
LESSON 2: Different Western Classical Plays and Opera
A. Greek:
Sophocles-Playwright (sofəkliːz); c. 497/6 BC 406/5 BC) is an ancient Greek tragedian. His
contemporary playwrights were Aeschylus, and Euripides. Sophocles wrote 123 plays.
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For almost 50 years in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took place during
the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia, Sophocles was the most famous playwright.
He won first place in 24 out of 30 competitions and was never judged lower than second place.
Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won
only 4 competitions The most famous tragedies of Sophocles were Oedipus and
Antigone: they were known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a
different tetralogy. Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly by
adding a third actor.
Oedipus Rex (Ee-dih – pus Rex):(Sophocles-Playwright)
Main Characters:
Oedipus - the king of Thebes
Creon - Oedipus brother-in-law
Eurydice - Creon’s wife
Apollo - God or oracle of Delphi
King Laius - father of Oedipus
Jocasta - mother and wife of Oedipus
Polynices and Eteocles – sons of Oedipus
Tiresias - the blind prophet
Polybus - Oedipus foster father
Merope - Oedipus foster mother
Antigone and Ismene – the daughters of Oedipus
Haemon - Antigone’s lover
Sphinx- the half-human half lion that symbolizes plague and misfortune
Theatrical Elements:
Genre: Tragedy
Number of Characters per Play: 1 to 3 characters only, but they can portray other characters. The
Chorus: consists of twelve (12) members, all of whom wore dentical masks since they were
supposed to be of like mind and opinion
Masks: the dramatic impact of the events and to keep the audience from being distracted by the
actual, physical attributes of the actors.
Gestures and Movements: Facial expression was of no importance to Greek actors, since they
were always masked.
Music: Sophocles also used the Chorus at the beginning of the play to help tell the audience the
given circumstances of the play
Costumes: Men wore loose floor length poncho with pleated shoulder while Females wore draped
robes.
Staging: The Parthenon’s facade, has the design of Ionic order columns with cornice and moldings
on the top, and elevated by 5 step-risers at the
center, and has a platform in front near the
audience.
B. RENAISSANCE: Romeo and Juliet (William
Shakespeare)
Genre: Tragedy
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William Shakespeare was born and baptized on April 26 1564 and died on April 23 1616.
Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was an English poet and
playwright, widely known as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-
eminent dramatist. He’s been known also as the "Bard of Avon". His existing works consist of
about: 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems. He appears to have retired to Stratford
around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later.
With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's most famous tragedy and one of the
world's most enduring love stories, his early plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period.
Theatrical Elements:
Staging for Romeo and Juliet:
The stage itself was divided into three levels: a main stage area with doors at the rear and a
curtained area at the back for "discovery scenes"; an upper, canopied area called "heaven", for
balcony scenes; and an area under the stage called "hell," which could be accessed through a
trap door in the stage. There is no curtain in the front of the
stage, which meant that scenes had to flow into each other,
and "dead bodies" had to be dragged off.
The performances during the renaissance period took place
during the day, and the open-plan theater allowed for the use
of natural light. Since there could be no dramatic lighting and
there was art direction (scenery and props), audiences relied
on the actors' lines, dialogue, movements, and stage
directions to tell the time of day and year, same as the
location, mood, and weather.
This time there are a lot of different gadgets. These new technologies are used in many
performances, to make the play more realistic, creative, and spectacular. Backdrops for every
scene can be seen using computers. Props are created much more easily and are more colorful.
There is a greater impact and satisfaction not only to the audience but also to the performers in
using the innovations in the plays.
Props: Props in this play may vary depending on the scene/act the learners are going to perform.
Characters: Montague’s Family:
Costumes: based on style and design of dresses during the Renaissance period.
C. Romantic Period: Georges Bizet (Composer, Arranger)
He was the only child of Adolphe Armand Bizet (formerly a hairdresser and later became a singer
and composer) and Aimee Marie Louise Leopoldine Josephine Delsarte, (a pianist).
Georges Bizet was a French composer and pianist of the Romantic era.
He is best known for his opera Carmen. Georges Bizet's first symphony was the Symphony in C
Major. It seems that Bizet completely forgot about it, until
1935, when in the archives of the Conservatory library the
piece was discovered.
When it was first performed, it was immediately hailed as a
junior masterwork and became one of the great
performances during the Romantic period. It was a delightful
work of a seventeen-year-old boy, Georges Bizet.
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CARMEN (Georges Bizet) Opera
The Setting of Carmen:
The setting of Carmen takes place in Seville, Spain during the mid-19th century.
Main Characters of Carmen: Carmen and Don Jose
Brief History:
The opera Carmen is one of the world’s most popular operas. It was first performed at
the Opéra-Comique in Paris in France on March 3, 1875. The opera was in four acts with music
written by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic
Halévy was based on a novel of the same title by Prosper Mérimée
Staging: The story is set in Seville, Spain and the surrounding hills, in 1820. The opera, written in
the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue tells the story of the
downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the charms of the flaming Gypsy,
Carmen. The opera is a fascinating drama of love and jealousy, filled with famously alluring
melodies and captivating dancing.
Costumes: Carmen Spaniard Soldier
Music and Videos: You may browse the internet
LESSON 3: FAMOUS FILIPINO PLAYWRIGHTS
1. Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz was born on April 2, 1788 in
Panginay, Bigaa, Bulacan and died on February 20, 1862 of
pneumonia. He was also known as Francisco Baltazar.
His best-known work is the Florante at Laura. Balagtas learned to write
poetry from José de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous
poets of Tondo. In 1835, Balagtas moved to Pandacan, where he met
María Asunción Rivera, who served as the muse for his future works.
She is referenced in Florante at Laura as 'Celia' and 'Mer'. Balagtas
published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to
Balanga, Bataan in 1840 where he served as the assistant to the
Justice of peace and later,in 1856,
as Major Lieutenant. Balagtasan and one of the greatest literary awards
in the Philippines is also named
after him.
2. Severino R. Reyes (A playwright)
• "Father of the Tagalog Zarzuela"
• A Filipino writer, dramatist, and playwright, Reyes was highly
acclaimed as one of the giants of Tagalog literature
• In 1902, Reyes founded and directed the Grand Compania de
Zarzuela Tagala.
• On June 14, 1902, the company staged his play Walang Sugat
(No Wounds), a set against the historical events in Bulacan
during the Philippine revolution.
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In 1923, Reyes co-founded the Liwayway, a Tagalog literary weekly which published a series of
fairy tales titled ― Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang‖, written by Reyes. The storyteller, Lola Basyang
was based by the author on a neighbor named Gervacia de Guzman. Severino Reyes'
masterpiece, Walang Sugat broadly underscores the injustice of Spanish rule even as it dances
around the cruel fate of the young lovers Tenyong and Julia with humor and song. Set in the final
leg of the Philippine Revolution, Tenyong is forced to leave behind his childhood sweetheart Julia
to join the Katipunan. The production was directed by Ricardo Abad, under the musical direction of
Josefino Tolledo. Jonjon Villareal handled lights design while Dexter Santos choreographed. Set,
and costumes were designed by National Artist Salvador Bernal
3. Dr. Ricardo G. Abad (A Director)
• Graduated at the Ateneo de Manila, after which he obtained a
Fulbright grant to finish a doctorate in sociology at Fordham
University in New York.
• Full-time Faculty, Department of Sociology and Anthropology;
Artistic Director, Tanghalang Ateneo
Metrobank Network of Outstanding Teachers Pathways/ANI, Ateneo
de Manila University Role Players, Theater for Life Social Weather
Stations
• Has been involved as actor and director in over 120 productions
while at the same time doing sociological work as teacher,
researcher, and editor.
• He has also directed and acted for professional companies like
Teatro Pilipino and Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the
Metropolitan Theater.
• Theater Guild. Many of his theater productions were classics of western drama but in terms of a
Filipino and Asian sensibility, like Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet.
4. Salvador F. Bernal
(Father of Theater Design in the Philippines)
• He was the first to develop theater design as a profession and
elevate it to an art form.
• Studied at Ateneo de Manila and at Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois, USA, practiced and handled courses in the art
and craft of theater design.
• He had designed more than 250 productions in ballet, theater
and film, National Artist awardee.
ACTIVITY 2: WORK APPRECIATION.
Direction: Appreciate the works of different Theatrical Forms, by listing down the different works, writer,
theater, drama and composers of Renaissance Theater, Ancient Theater and Romantic period. Write your
answer inside the table.
RENAISSANCE THEATER ANCIENT THEATER ROMANTIC PERIOD
Title of Work Theater and Three types of Drama Composers
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
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3. 3. 3
4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5.
ACTIVITY 3: CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
Direction: Make a painting using different artwork materials that you have at home, do it in a 1 whole
sheet of Oslo paper. You can choose any of the following from the Theatrical forms.
RUBRICS:
Activity 3: Rubrics – Creative Expression
Criteria Poor Moderate Excellent
(1) (3) (5)
Following the None of the You followed most of the All directions were followed
directions directions were directions
followed
Creativity No creativity at The work looks good with used of The work looks great with the used
all. your own creativity in making the of your own creativity in making the paintings
paintings
Effort/Perseverance No effort at all The student show finished the The effort given was far beyond the
project and did it differently. requirement
