18th Century Drama Italian Theatre -real contribution was scenic design -dominate art from is opera -Italy

isnt so much of a power house since 1700s -Hapsburg taken over northern parts of italy -scenic design -everyone using the mechanicals of shutters/wings/perspective -great designers came from italy The Imperial Court (HRE) based in Vienna Austria -loorse some of the italian designers into Vienna Notable Designers-families of designers -Burnacini (Giovanni & Ludovico) Designed >115 productions The Golden Apple (1668) 23 settings 35 machines Bibiena family-MID of 18th cent. -est by Ferdinando Bibiena Bologna & Parma 1708 summoned to Barcelona to design staged festivities for the marriage of Charles VI of Spain Move to Vienna-succeed the Burnacini as designers at court Moves to 2 perspective scenery-building at center (painted backdrops) Breaks away from notion of symmetry & scale of buildings in playing space (larger) How he created this illusion DS flats (where the acting takes place) still in trad. Pos.- can be moved w/ pole/chariot system US flats (background-not acting space) not in the same positions-ppl moved scenery for new interesting moves Backdrops always parallel to proscenium arcs Baroque-rectilinear w/ curved linear form. FANCY. Extravagance, asymmetry, mix of rectilinear & curvilinear spaces People start to get interested in History, sparked by discovery of ruins of Pompey An attempt to create atmosphere or mood with design. Designers begin to depict light & shadow in their designs. Giovanni Piranesi (not theatrical designer) Scenic designers PAINT juxtapose ares of light & shadow to create a mood Even w/ all spectacle and change operas still remain with 12 basic stock staging from history Italian playwrights-librettos (the story no music/lyrics) BC OPERA HOT -Apostolo Zeno

-Mestastasio

both honored in Imperial Court in Vienna for their librettos

Spoken drama not to popular in 18th cent Viltorio Alfieri-successful tragedian Oreste 1776 Antigone 1783 Mirra 1789 Saul 1782 Really big on Italian independence Carlo Goldoni-writer of scenarios for commedia troupes -1740: makes an argument that commedia needs to adapt -writes out entire principle role of a commedia play called Man of the World -prolific writer: 10 tragedies, 83 musical dramas, 150 comedies -credited w/ making opera buffo (comic opera) An unacceptable genre for significant opera troupes -writes really sympathetic noble female characters -The Servant of Two Masters All roles scripted except Truffaldino Published 1753-all scripted -eliminates all improv for his works -additional changes w/ masks, naturalistic style of speech, use of more real life situations -1761 moves to Paris and writes for Comedy Italian -Humanizes all the characters within commedia Carlo Gozzi -fiercy opposed Goldonis changes to commedia!!!! He often wrote pieces that saterized Goldonis work -known for The Love for Three Oranges Kings Stay Turandot The Magic Bird -plays full of fantasy, enchantment, improv, masks, complete opposite of Goldoni Called his plays: Fiabe (fable) 18th century-French People cont. Racine-17th cent master, wrote tragedies -held to Neoclassical ideals -allowed conflict in plays to be internal -problems is 18th cent ppl miss boat on internal conflict 18th cent tragic writers Joseph de la Grange-Chancel (1677-1758) -leading towards melodrama Crebillon 1674-1762 -melodramatic plots -gothic dark elements

*Voltaire 1694-1778 -dominates tragedy -Oedipe (1718) -still had melodrama features -philosopher ideals about religion -lives in England for 3 yrs and sees English plays -*tries to loosen neoclassical structures -add supernatural elements -limited amount of onstage violence -broader range of subject matter -more spectacle -*1759 spectators forbidden to sit on stage -more realistic views wanted for staging (in France during medieval times) Comedy -Influenced by Moliere Dancourt-Leader of CF Rengnard-wrote for Commedia troupes Le Sage-translation/adaptation of Spanish play -Turcaret 1709 (tax play, offended rich) Sentimentalism -at end of English rest (everyone gets their just desserts & turns out okay) -begins around 1720 -Mariveaux-subtle emotional shifting Comedie Larmoyante (tearful comedy) -most popular from 1730-1750 -virtuous protagonist has an issue and creates sympathy from audience but then rescued thru unknown facts Denis Diderot -contributor to first encyclopedia -neoclassicalism is too narrow! -wanted new middle road genre called drame -domestic tragedy -wanted comedy concerned with virtue -believed that staging should create illusion -will better move the audience -setting that depicted real spaces -4th wall conventions in acting GREATER REALISM -Paradox of the Actor -good actors deter from emotions -craft emotions without feeling yourself (mimicry/control) Beaumarchais -only really significant dramatist of 18th cent in France -wrote new drames -most known for comedy

-The Barber of Seville 1775 -The Marriage of Figaro 1783 -set in Spain BUT its veiled look at French Society Acting in France Still 2 companies w/ monopoly -Opera -music, dancing, spectacle -most prestigious group in France -Finest opera in all of the world -bossed everyone around -always broke -1714 idea to allow for a FAT FEE other companies to perform pieces that contain music or dance or spectacle -NOT a sharing company -managed by an entrepreneur -followed rules of the crown -performed same piece until audience got tired of it -about 3 days a week -in a season -might only do 4-5 different things Comedie Francaise -neoclassical tragedy and regular comedy (5 act structure) -most major playwrights wrote for -sharing company with societares -overseen by court official -official has to ratify any decisions made by company -1 long piece w/ after piece (after 1757 usually ballet at intreacts) -performed daily Nov-Easter -later extended to Nov-mid May -different show everyday 1716 Commedia Troupe re-invited to Paris by the Due dOrleans (regent) -present a variety of work -some commedia -Italian translation of French tragedies & tragicomedies -French plays -Parodies -1723 troupe given state support -Officially known Comedies Ordinaire du Roi -Comedie Italienne -Have rep. set by court official -cant do anything by 2 other co.s -back to commedia dell arte & irregular comedies(not 5 act) -can still do parodies -sharing company -societarres -Nov-Easter/mid May -days set for different genres -series of shorter pieces presented as day of entertainment

Illegitimate Theatres -originated at fairs in Paris -St. Germain (Feb 3rd-Easter) -St. Laurent (June-Oct) -constantly having to invent & keep fresh -monopoly requires them to find loophole -Opera Comique (still had to pay fee) -funny opera -if playwrights play not accepted by companies -they altered to make possible for illegitimates -1760 fair theatre start to perform on the Boulevard du Temple -now have a home base -performing year round -competition to monopoly theatres -1784 Opera gains control of Illegitimate Theatre -charged fee -1791 French Rev. stops all monopolies -everyone on their own Acting -younger actors learning from older more experienced actor -learning thru imitation -if societaires took a apprentice, they got paid for it -lines of business still in practice -learn a type & play it for life -assigned to understudy an experienced actor who has that role Mid-century shift -toward more realistic acting -most major actors work for Comedie Frances -some rise out of -some out of illegitimate troupes Financial Troubles -societaires making 30,000 Francs/yr -non-societaires (pensionaires) making about 20,000 Francs/yr -profits from C.F. & Opera going to performer pay -not improvements in -co. costume stock -scenery -etc. Design Costumes -actors by their own (mostly contemp. & expensive) -company stock (used & worn: threadbare) -no regaurd for social status or time of production 1727: Adrienne Le Couvreur -wears formal court dress in a tragedy

-adopted! -court dress for tragic roles Mid-century -1753 Madame Favart wears an ACTUAL peasant dress for a role -people liked the more natural approach -attempts not always true to period -no costume designers so left to actors to decide how accurate they wanted to be -first time that art begins to imitate art Scenic -been using Italian scenic conventions -palais colonte: tragic -chamlore a quafre portes: comedy -1755: The Orphan of China -with new & accurate oriental costumes/setting -1759:spectators OFF the stage -Most people still using stock even though moving forward -actors rather get pay then buy new sets -opera constantly in financial troubles -state theatres can be more complacent Theatres 1st half of the 18th cent -initially nothing really changed Theatres 2nd half -changes! -not major but some changes French adopt Italian stage seating convention to build curve for audience for better sight lines -ovoid auditorium Opera -been performing in the Palais Royal -1763 it burned down -moved to Theatre des Tuileries -built on the old stage of the Salle de Machines -52x140 Comedie Frances -used converted tennis court until 1770 -when benches were removed in 1759 -seating for 140 was added -put 180 seats (benches) in the pit -1782: move to new theatre The Odeon -no standing room at all