What Is Theater And What Does It Consist Of Essay Example

What Is Theater And What Does It Consist Of Essay What is theater and what does it consist of? A theater is a building, a structure, or a space in which dramatic performances take place. In its broadest sense theater can be defined as including everything connected with dramatic art- the play itself, the stage with its scenery and lighting, makeup, costumes, acting, and actors. Theaters have changed over the years. The most memorable began with medieval theaters, then on to Renaissance Theaters, and later on Twentieth Century Theaters. Medieval theaters brought forth, miracle plays, which were performed in church. These stories usually come from the Bible. In the beginning, they were acted out by priests. The plays were presented in the church to create a closer setting between the audience and the performers. Later the plays were moved into the street, where the audience could stand and watch the performance. These plays took place on platforms, either in front of the audience or between them. Platforms were often complexes in their decoration and stage machinery. As the plays moved to the streets, acting was moved from priesthood to amateurs of the guild or professional players. Renaissance theaters in Italy were attempted to be made on Roman models. The development of theaters from that was not dominant until the twentieth century. In England and Spain, theories of theater construction were less tied to classical examples than in Italy. The Spanish theater developed in the corral or courtyard of various large buildings, where plays were originally performed, while the inn-yard served as a similar model in England. These theaters offered a higher flexibility of movement than did the Italian. Later on English audiences became astonishingly aristocratic, a tendency that went on into the Restoration Period. Twentieth Century theaters were smaller and more independent. They were also prevalent in the early twentieth century as in the Provincetown Players in the United S