Theatrical constraints
Encyclopedia
Theatrical constraints are various rules, either of taste or of law, that govern the production, staging, and content of stage play
s in the theater. Whether imposed externally, by virtue of monopoly
franchises or censorship
laws, or whether imposed voluntarily by actors, directors, or producer
s, these restraints have taxed the creative minds of the theatre to tackle the challenges of working with and around them.
The Classical unities
, requiring "unity" of "time, place, and subject", is the most well-known of all theatrical constraints. It was first employed by the Ancient Greeks
and later became more fully embraced in France. Another example is the Japanese prohibition of female acting in 1625, then the prohibition of young male actors in 1657, that create "Onnagata
" which is the ground of Japanese theatrical tradition. In the Elizabethan
theatre of Shakespeare
, a similar ban forbade all actresses from appearing on stage, at all; the parts of women were generally played by boys. The plot of Shakespeare in Love
turns on this fact.
In cinema
, the Dogme 95
films form a body of work produced under voluntary constraints that severely limit both the choice of subjects and the choice of techniques used to bring them to the screen.
Another culturally significant constraint occurred in France. In the late seventeenth century (1697 to be exact) Italian companies were prohibited from appearing in France, so native actors - strolling players going from fairground to fairground, market place to market place - took over the Italian plays and made the roles their own with great success.
But this aroused the jealousy of the Comédie-Française
which decided to outlaw all spoken dialogue except in its own theatre. To overcome this, the travelling players divided their plays into soliloquies and performed nothing but monologues - which brought them even greater success than previously. One actor would say his lines, run off into the wings, while another appeared in order to reply. He would then go off in his turn, allowing the first one to come back and reply, and so on and so forth.
After this, the Comédie-Française declared that they alone had the right to use speech on stage. Consequently the public theatre found its way round this by using song instead of speech - and this is how French Operetta
came into being. But then the Academy of Music proclaimed that they alone should be given the right to sing!
So in the markets and fairgrounds the itinerant actors created a new theatrical form by holding up cue-cards (like sub-titles or karaoke
) containing the words of the plays or songs, which the audience then acted or sang for them. This became even more successful, with crowds coming from all around to see how the actors had overcome such rigid censorship.
Some of the restrictions, or traditions born of them, may have still been in place in the nineteenth century, at least if Marcel Carné
's Les Enfants du Paradis is a reliable guide. This also explains why France has given the world so many mime
s.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
s in the theater. Whether imposed externally, by virtue of monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
franchises or censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
laws, or whether imposed voluntarily by actors, directors, or producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
s, these restraints have taxed the creative minds of the theatre to tackle the challenges of working with and around them.
The Classical unities
Classical unities
The classical unities, Aristotelian unities or three unities are rules for drama derived from a passage in Aristotle's Poetics. In their neoclassical form they are as follows:...
, requiring "unity" of "time, place, and subject", is the most well-known of all theatrical constraints. It was first employed by the Ancient Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and later became more fully embraced in France. Another example is the Japanese prohibition of female acting in 1625, then the prohibition of young male actors in 1657, that create "Onnagata
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
" which is the ground of Japanese theatrical tradition. In the Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
theatre of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, a similar ban forbade all actresses from appearing on stage, at all; the parts of women were generally played by boys. The plot of Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American comedy film directed by John Madden and written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard....
turns on this fact.
In cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, the Dogme 95
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 was an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vow of Chastity". These were rules to create filmmaking based on the traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and...
films form a body of work produced under voluntary constraints that severely limit both the choice of subjects and the choice of techniques used to bring them to the screen.
Another culturally significant constraint occurred in France. In the late seventeenth century (1697 to be exact) Italian companies were prohibited from appearing in France, so native actors - strolling players going from fairground to fairground, market place to market place - took over the Italian plays and made the roles their own with great success.
But this aroused the jealousy of the Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
which decided to outlaw all spoken dialogue except in its own theatre. To overcome this, the travelling players divided their plays into soliloquies and performed nothing but monologues - which brought them even greater success than previously. One actor would say his lines, run off into the wings, while another appeared in order to reply. He would then go off in his turn, allowing the first one to come back and reply, and so on and so forth.
After this, the Comédie-Française declared that they alone had the right to use speech on stage. Consequently the public theatre found its way round this by using song instead of speech - and this is how French Operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
came into being. But then the Academy of Music proclaimed that they alone should be given the right to sing!
So in the markets and fairgrounds the itinerant actors created a new theatrical form by holding up cue-cards (like sub-titles or karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
) containing the words of the plays or songs, which the audience then acted or sang for them. This became even more successful, with crowds coming from all around to see how the actors had overcome such rigid censorship.
Some of the restrictions, or traditions born of them, may have still been in place in the nineteenth century, at least if Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné
-Biography:Born in Paris, France, the son of a cabinet maker whose wife died when their son was five, Carné began his career as a film critic, becoming editor of the weekly publication, Hebdo-Films, and working for Cinémagazine and Cinémonde between 1929 and 1933. In the same period he worked in...
's Les Enfants du Paradis is a reliable guide. This also explains why France has given the world so many mime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
s.
See also
- Theatrical superstitionsTheatrical superstitionsTheatrical superstitions are superstitions particular to actors or the theatre.-The Scottish play:Shakespeare's play Macbeth is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its name . Actors also avoid even quoting the lines from Macbeth inside a theatre, particularly the Witches' incantations...
- British theatrical censorship
- Lord Chamberlain's OfficeLord Chamberlain's OfficeThe Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. It is presently concerned with matters such as protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, the State Opening of Parliament, royal weddings and funerals. For example, in April 2005 it organised the wedding of...
- Lord Chamberlain's requirementsLord Chamberlain's requirementsThe Lord Chamberlain's requirements were a set of four prerequisites for a licence for a production in British theatres. These were printed in theatre programmes so the audience could be aware of them. The Lord Chamberlain's Office had control of theatres until 1968, including censorship of the...
- Lord Chamberlain's Office