Drama
What is Drama?
“A composition in prose or in verse, adapted to be acted and is represented with accompanying
gesture, costume, and scenery, as in real life.”
Types of Drama
Ancient Drama The tragedy and
comedy originated in Greece in the festivals of Dionysus in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C.
Further Detail
The first known tragedy was by Thespis of Icaria around 534 B.C.
Of all Greek drama, only the works of Aeschyus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes
survived.
Fortunately, these playwrights were considered to be among the finest.
Examples
Tragedy AeschyusSeven Against Thebes
SophoclesOedipus Rex
EuripidesMedea
Comedy Aristophanes The Acharnians
The Knights
The Clouds
Medieval Drama
The mystery play
Based on the Holy Scriptures
The morality play Philosophical play where characters
represented qualities like vice and death. Contained humor
The secular drama Plays that dealt with everyday
characters
Further Detail MysteryBible stories
MoralityThis showed how the
Medieval man should have acted. The most well known morality play is Everyman
Everyman Examined the question of
Christian salvation by use of allegorical characters, and what Man must do to attain it.
SecularAlso known as “Manner”
plays, these plays were similar to morality plays but instead applied to social aspects, instead of spiritual.
Renaissance Drama
Greek and Roman dramatists were imitated in Italy, France, Germany, and England.
The “comedia del arte” was and impromptu drama preformed on platforms on the streets by strooling players. The masks and costumes told the audience what to expect.
Examples/Further Detail
Elizabethan dramaThe most notable of
Renaissance drama, with playwrights such as Shakespeare and Marlowe.
ShakespeareRomeo and Juliet
King Lear
Hamlet
17th Century Drama
England: Under Charles I, dramas were sophisticated, witty comedies
France: From France came both classical tragedies and comedies.
Germany: Only one notable playwright: Hans Sachs. But drama devolved into improvised farce.
18th and 19th Century Drama
18th Century France: Farcical Comedy England Comedy of
manners and Domestic drama
19th Century Romantic drama
flourished throughout Europe
Modern Drama
Norwegian dramatist Ibsen contributed much to modern drama. His work stimulated a great burst of dramatic activity everywhere.
Modern Drama
As a result In France: Brief revival of romantic fantasy and
impressionism Post WWI Germany: Expressionism England and United States: Comedy
Poetic drama reached new heights in England, Ireland, France, Spain, and the United States
Philippine Drama
Early Drama, before the Spanish Duplo: Poetical debated held by trained men
and women in the 9th night, the last night of the mourning of the dead
The bellacos, the men, were the heads of the game
Philippine Drama
Karagatan: Like the duplo, but the participants were amatures.
Philippine Drama
Spanish Era Cenakulo
A drama showing the life sacrifices and death of Jesus Christ.
Celebrated during Holy Week
There are the ablada (oral) and kantada (song) presentations
Philippine Drama
Moro-moro
A cloak and dagger play depicting the wars between the Christians and Muslims.
The Christians always win
The first was staged in Manila in 1673, by Fr. Jeronimo Perez. To commemorate Gen. Consuera's victory of the Muslims of Midanao
Philippine Drama
Zarzuela
A melodrama with songs and dances. It is a three in one act play.
Meant to make the mass feeling towards any emotional reaction sublime.
Further Detail
The zarzuela replaced the moro-moro at the beginning of the American rule.
Early zarzuelas were nationalistic.
Examples: Pag-ibig sa Lupang Tinubuan by Pascual Poblete
Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas by Aurelio TolentinoMalaya by Tomas Remigio
The zarzuelas were banned by American authorities and Poblete and Tolentino were
jailed.
Philippine Drama
Moriones
A Lenten ritual celebrated in Marinduque during Holy Week
Morion means mask
At the climax, the pugutan ceremony is held noon on Easter Sunday
Further Detail
The pugutan ceremony reenacts Longinus actions, that he stabbed Christ on the cross, proclaimed Christ's Divinity after his resurrection, and his exceution for doing so.
Philippine Drama
Ati-atihan
A pagan ritual celebrated in Kalibo, Aklan every 3rd Sunday of January for Infant Jesus
The origin of this drama was forgotten long ago
The Spaniards tried to do away with this Pagan ritual but instead chose to give it Christian meaning
Philippine Drama
Modern
Rejuvenated upon the establishment of the Repertory Philippines in June 1967
Became the country's leading theater company
Japanese Drama
Noh plays
The oldest Japanese drama. Developed in the 1300s, it reached its present form in the 1600s.
They are poetic treatments of history, legends, love and war stories, influenced by Buddhism and Shintoism.
Shorter than Western plays and undramatic. Preformed by masked actors.
Further Detail
2 types: the dramatic and dream Noh Dream Noh is rich in symbolic and poetic
beauty Although roughly 1000 plays were written, only
about 250 plays are used today. Hagoromo is one of the most performed Noh
plays
Japanese Drama
Joruri / BunrakuA puppet drama. The puppets
are extremely complex.
The puppeteers are often visible on stage.
Founded 1864 in Osaka.
Further Details
The puppets height range from 2 ½ to 4 feet tall. The mouth, tongue, eyelids, etc. can be manipulated and some can even
transform into a demon's face
The most popular subject for these plays was the lovers' double suicide
Japanese Drama
KabukiThe most popular form of
traditional Japanese Drama
Originated at the end of the 16th century, it is much more extravagant than the Noh plays
Focuses on the visual aspects of theater, heavy makeup, exaggerated acting, and special effects.
Further Detail
FUN FACTSWhile Kabuki is performed with
only males today, it was founded by a woman.
However, this early style Kabuki play was too erotic. Many of these performers were prostitutes.
So, women were banned from the stage and were replaced by attractive young men.
Good? Not really, these young men caused the exact same problems.
Kabuki was still too erotic and many of the pretty boys were prostitutes, for women AND men.
Eventually, only adult men were allowed to perform Kabuki.
More Stuff
Bunraku and Kabuki were very similar
Many plays were performed by both kabuki actors and puppet troups
A popular subject was the 47 Ronin, which focused on Bushido
The most famous playwright was Chikamatsu Monzaemon "Shakespeare of japan"
The Love Suicides at Sonezaki and the battles of Coxinga
Sonezaki was so popular, it caused many copycat suicides. Lovers' suicide plays were later banned by the government.
Chinese Drama
Three types of plays Vun Pan ShiThe oldest form, focuses on patriotism and filial devotion. Music
and action are meant to play on the audience's emotion.
Sin Pan ShiThis play presents civil and military condidtions. It differs from
the Vun Pan Shi in the manner of singing certain roles and in the acting.
Vun Min ShiThe Modern Play. Colloquial dialects are allowed instead of
Mandarin
Further Detail
Until the Communist takeover in 1949, selected and modified traditional operas and dramas were staples of the Chinese
theater. War plays were also common but as a whole, theater was varied and modern.
Plays became more contemporary, focusing on social unrest
and oppression by the wealthy.
Under Communist rule, Chinese drama was used to condemn and deviations from Mao Tse Tung's philosophy.
Cinema
The newest and most popular form of drama today
Millions either go to the Cinema or watch on TV
Subjects range from educational viewing to non-stop action
More than just entertainment, it has intellectual, imaginative, and technical aspects
Brief History
1926 – Hollywood silent movies are shown in the Philippines
1927 – The Silos brothers make “The Three Tramps” a short comedy
1929 – Collegian Love is written and directed by Carlos Vander Tolosa
History
Petronilo Tolentino bought the negatives and prints of four movies from Jose Nepomuceno.
Asuncion Leyba bought two movies from Nepomuceno.
Nepomuceno's competitor, Rafael Fernandez, formed Banahaw Pictures With attractive salaries, he took man of Nepomuceno's best actors and actresses.
Banahaw Pictures was the last to produce silent films.
History
George Musser produced the first Tagalog talking picture for Manila Talkatone. It was Ang Aswang and was exhibited at the Lyric Theater in Manila in 1932
1933 – Nepomuceno started to make Tagalog talkies with Americans
WWII and Movies
The war temporarily crippled the movie industry. The Japanese imposed censorship and introduced propaganda.
Many famous actors and actresses went to the stage.
Present Movie Development
Local movies have been gradually improving. The slow pace for Philippine movie
development is caused by factors like: Limited market for local movies Lack of funding Inadequate equipment and facilities
But Philippine movies can compare with other Asian productions in terms of quality