Theater

Theater

noun, m., use often

Morphology: (no) what? theater, what? theater, (see) what? theater, how? theater, about what? about the theater; pl. What? theaters, (no) what? theaters, what? theaters, (see) what? theaters, how? theaters, about what? about theaters

1. Theater- This is an art form, a stage performance of dramatic works, which is carried out by actors in front of the audience.

Amateur, professional theatre. | European, oriental theater. | Theater of masks, miniatures, pantomime. | Get involved in theater. | He knows theater well and especially ballet.

2. theater called an organization that organizes performances, staging performances.

Drama, opera house. | Bolshoi, Maly Theatre. | Ballet Theatre. | Capital, provincial theatre. | Puppet show. | Theater for the Young Spectator. | State, private theater. | Drama and Comedy Theatre. | Theater named after A. S. Pushkin. | Theater troupe.

3. theater is the name of the building in which the performances take place.

Luxurious, cozy theater. | Theater for a thousand seats. | Construction, reconstruction of the theater. | Foyer, theater auditorium. | Rebuild, repair the theater.

4. summer theater they call the pavilion in the park, in which amateur performances are played during the warm season.

5. One Actor Theater a dramatic performance is called, which is played by one person.

6. home theater called amateur performances that are played by members of the same family for relatives, guests, etc.

7. shadow theater called manual pantomime, in which the shadows on the wall or screen depict animals, people and move.

Behind the curtain a night light was on, and the familiar shadow theater was playing out on the screen.

8. Anatomical theater- this is a hospital room that is used to teach medical students how to dissect and dissect corpses.

9. theater of war- This is a zone for large-scale military operations during the war.

Leave the theater of war.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Dmitriev. D.V. Dmitriev. 2003 .

See what "theater" is in other dictionaries:

theater- theater … Nanai-Russian Dictionary

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THEATER, theater, husband. (Greek theatron). 1. only units Art, consisting in the image, the representation of something in persons, carried out in the form of a public spectacle. Music and theater are his strongest hobbies. The Soviet era is a time of great ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Theater- Theater. Representation of ancient Greek tragedy. THEATER (from the Greek theatron a place for spectacles, a spectacle), a kind of art, the specific means of expression of which is a stage action that occurs in the process of an actor playing in front of an audience. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

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THEATER, a, husband. 1. The art of presenting dramatic works on stage; just such a performance. Music, etc. Get involved in the theater. 2. Spectacular enterprise, a room where such works are presented on stage. Dramatic, operatic t… Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

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Scaffolding, stage, stage, farce. See the place... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. arena theater, Melpomene temple, (theatrical) stage, theater art, dramaturgy, ... ... Synonym dictionary

- (from the Greek theatron a place for spectacle, a spectacle), a kind of art, the specific means of expression of which is a stage action that occurs in the process of playing an actor in front of an audience. The origins of the theater in the ancient hunting and agricultural ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

THEATER 3, a, m .: anatomical theater (outdated) H room for dissecting corpses. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

The history of the Russian theater is divided into several main stages. The initial, playful stage originates in a tribal society and ends by the 17th century, when, along with a new period in Russian history, a new, more mature stage in the development of the theater begins, culminating in the establishment of a permanent state professional theater in 1756.

The terms “theatre”, “drama” entered the Russian dictionary only in the 18th century. At the end of the 17th century, the term "comedy" was used, and throughout the century - "fun" (Amusing closet, Amusement Chamber). In the popular masses, the term “theater” was preceded by the term “disgrace”, the term “drama” - “game”, “game”. In the Russian Middle Ages, definitions synonymous with them were common - “demonic”, or “satanic”, buffoon games. All sorts of curiosities brought by foreigners in the 16th-17th centuries, and fireworks were also called fun. The military occupations of the young Tsar Peter I were also called fun. In this sense, both the wedding and dressing up were called “play”, “game”. “Play” has a completely different meaning in relation to musical instruments: playing tambourines, sniffles, etc. The terms “game” and “play” in relation to oral drama were preserved among the people until the 19th-20th centuries.

Folk art

Russian theater originated in ancient times. Its origins go to folk art - rituals, holidays associated with labor activity. Over time, the rites lost their magical meaning and turned into performance games. Elements of the theater were born in them - dramatic action, disguise, dialogue. In the future, the simplest games turned into folk dramas; they were created in the process of collective creativity and kept in people's memory, passing from generation to generation.

In the process of their development, the games were differentiated, disintegrated into related and at the same time more and more distant varieties - into dramas, rituals, games. They were brought together only by the fact that they all reflected reality and used similar methods of expressiveness - dialogue, song, dance, music, disguise, disguise, acting.

Games instilled a taste for dramatic creativity.

Games were originally a direct reflection of the tribal community organization: they had a round dance, choric character. In round dance games, choral and dramatic creativity was organically merged. Songs and dialogues, abundantly included in the games, helped to characterize the playful images. Mass commemorations also had a playful character; they were timed to coincide with the spring and were called “mermaids”. In the XV century, the content of the concept of "Rusalia" was defined as follows: demons in human form. And the Moscow “Azbukovnik” of 1694 already defines mermaids as “buffoon games”.

The theatrical art of the peoples of our Motherland originates in rituals and games, ritual actions. Under feudalism, theatrical art was cultivated, on the one hand, by the "popular masses", and on the other, by the feudal nobility, and buffoons were differentiated accordingly.

In 957 Grand Duchess Olga got acquainted with the theater in Constantinople. Hippodrome performances are depicted on the frescoes of the Kiev Sophia Cathedral of the last third of the 11th century. In 1068, buffoons were first mentioned in the annals.

Three types of theaters were known to Kievan Rus: court, church, folk.

buffoonery

The oldest "theater" was the games of folk actors - buffoons. Shyness is a complex phenomenon. Buffoons were considered a kind of magicians, but this is erroneous, because buffoons, participating in rituals, not only did not enhance their religious and magical character, but, on the contrary, introduced worldly, secular content.

Anyone could buffoon, that is, sing, dance, joke, act out skits, play musical instruments and act, that is, portray some kind of person or creature, anyone could. But only the one whose art stood out above the level of the art of the masses by its artistry became and was called a buffoon-craftsman.

In parallel with the folk theater, professional theatrical art developed, the carriers of which in Ancient Rus' were buffoons. The appearance of a puppet theater in Rus' is connected with buffoon games. The first chronicle information about buffoons coincides in time with the appearance on the walls of the Kiev-Sophia Cathedral of frescoes depicting buffoon performances. The chronicler monk calls buffoons servants of the devils, and the artist who painted the walls of the cathedral found it possible to include their image in church decorations along with icons. Buffoons were associated with the masses, and one of the types of their art was “gum”, that is, satire. Skomorokhovs are called "fools", that is, scoffers. Glum, mockery, satire will continue to be firmly associated with buffoons.

The secular art of buffoons was hostile to the church and clerical ideology. The hatred that the churchmen had for the art of buffoons is evidenced by the records of the chroniclers (“The Tale of Bygone Years”). Church teachings of the 11th-12th centuries declare that disguise, which buffoons resort to, is also a sin. Buffoons were subjected to especially strong persecution during the years of the Tatar yoke, when the church began to intensively preach an ascetic way of life. No persecution has eradicated the buffoon art among the people. On the contrary, it successfully developed, and its satirical sting became more and more acute.

Art-related crafts were known in Ancient Rus': icon painters, jewelers, wood and bone carvers, and book scribes. Buffoons belonged to their number, being "cunning", "masters" of singing, music, dance, poetry, drama. But they were regarded only as amusing, funny people. Their art was ideologically connected with the masses of the people, with the artisan people, usually opposed to the ruling masses. This made their skill not only useless, but, from the point of view of the feudal lords and clergy, ideologically harmful and dangerous. Representatives of the Christian church placed buffoons next to the wise men and fortune tellers. In rituals and games there is still no division into performers and spectators; they lack developed plots, reincarnation into an image. They appear in a folk drama permeated with sharp social motifs. The appearance of the square theaters of the oral tradition is connected with the folk drama. The actors of these folk theaters (buffoons) ridiculed those in power, the clergy, the rich, sympathetically showed ordinary people. Performances of the folk theater were built on improvisation, included pantomime, music, singing, dancing, church numbers; performers used masks, make-up, costumes, props.

The nature of the performance of the buffoons initially did not require them to be combined into large groups. For the performance of fairy tales, epics, songs, playing the instrument, only one performer was enough. Buffoons leave their homes and roam the Russian land in search of work, move from villages to cities, where they serve not only the rural, but also the townspeople, and sometimes princely courts.

Buffoons were also attracted to folk court performances, which multiplied under the influence of acquaintance with Byzantium and its court life. When the Amusing Closet (1571) and the Amusement Chamber (1613) were arranged at the Moscow Court, buffoons found themselves in the position of court jesters there.

The performances of buffoons united different types of arts: both dramatic art proper, and church and “variety” ones.

The Christian Church opposed folk games and the art of buffoons with ritual art, saturated with religious and mystical elements.

Performances of buffoons did not develop into a professional theater. There were no conditions for the birth of theater troupes - after all, the authorities persecuted buffoons. The church also persecuted buffoons, turning to secular authorities for assistance. Against the buffoons were sent a charter of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery of the XV century, the Statutory charter of the beginning of the XVI century. The Church persistently put buffoons on a par with the bearers of the pagan worldview (magicians, sorcerers). And yet, buffoon performances continued to live, the folk theater developed.

At the same time, the church took all measures to assert its influence. This found expression in the development of the liturgical drama. Some liturgical dramas came to us along with Christianity, others in the 15th century, along with the newly adopted solemn charter of the “great church” (“Procession on the Ground”, “Washing of the Feet”).

Despite the use of theatrical and spectacular forms, the Russian church did not create its own theater.

In the 17th century, Simeon of Polotsk (1629-1680) tried to create an artistic literary drama on the basis of liturgical drama, this attempt turned out to be isolated and fruitless.

Theaters of the 17th century

In the 17th century, the first oral dramas developed, simple in plot, reflecting popular moods. The puppet comedy about Petrushka (his first name was Vanka-Ratatouille) told about the adventures of a clever merry fellow who was not afraid of anything in the world. The theater really appeared in the 17th century - the court and school theater.

court theater

The emergence of the court theater was caused by the interest of the court nobility in Western culture. This theater appeared in Moscow under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The first performance of the play "The Action of Artaxerxes" (the story of the biblical Esther) took place on October 17, 1672. Initially, the court theater did not have its own premises, scenery and costumes were transferred from place to place. The first performances were staged by pastor Gregory from the German settlement, the actors were also foreigners. Later, they began to forcefully recruit and train Russian “youths”. Their salaries were paid irregularly, but they did not skimp on scenery and costumes. The performances were distinguished by great splendor, sometimes accompanied by playing musical instruments and dancing. After the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the court theater was closed, and performances resumed only under Peter I.

school theater

In addition to the court theater, in Russia in the 17th century there was also a school theater at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, in theological seminaries and schools in Lvov, Tiflis, and Kyiv. The plays were written by teachers, and students staged historical tragedies, allegorical dramas close to European miracles, interludes - satirical everyday scenes in which protest against the social system sounded. Interludes of the school theater laid the foundation for the comedy genre in the national dramaturgy. At the origins of the school theater was a famous political figure, playwright Simeon Polotsky.

The appearance of the court school theater expanded the scope of the spiritual life of Russian society.

Theater of the early 18th century

At the behest of Peter I, in 1702, the Public Theater was created, designed for the mass public. Especially for him, not on Red Square in Moscow, a building was built - “Comedy Temple”. The German troupe of I. Kh. Kunst gave performances there. The repertoire included foreign plays that were not successful with the public, and the theater ceased to exist in 1706, as the subsidies of Peter I ceased.

Conclusion

A new page in the history of the performing arts of the peoples of our Motherland was opened by serf and amateur theaters. In the serf troupes that existed from the end of the 18th century, vaudeville, comic operas, and ballets were staged. On the basis of serf theaters, private enterprises arose in a number of cities. The Russian theatrical art had a beneficial effect on the formation of the professional theater of the peoples of our Motherland. The troupes of the first professional theaters included talented amateurs - representatives of the democratic intelligentsia.

Theater in Russia in the 18th century gained immense popularity, became the property of the broad masses, another public sphere of people's spiritual activity.

In the life of the ancient Greeks, theatrical art was given the first place as a way to have fun. Performances were organized at the state level to pay tribute to the god Dionysus during the holidays.

The structure of performances

Ancient Greek dramatic performances differed from modern ones. They consisted of several speeches by rival poets working in the tragic and comic direction. Each participant presented one funny story to the audience. When staging, a choir of satyrs and three tragedies, united by a storyline, were necessarily used. Performances ended only on the fourth day. They lasted from early morning until late at night. The action began with tragic productions, followed by a satyr drama. The evening ended with a comedy.

Musical accompaniment

The choir was provided by the state, since it was impossible to prepare it on your own. Over time, the number of speakers changed from 6 to 15 people. And the singers were trained by wealthy citizens. The person who prepared the choir for theatrical competitions, provided it with costumes, was called a choir. Along with actors, singers, choreges were exempted from military service for the time necessary for preparation and performance.

Stage structure

The ancient Greek theater consisted of several parts, among which there is an orchestra (a place for performing singers), a teatron (auditorium) and a skene (a kind of props necessary to achieve greater plausibility). In order for the audience to hear the words of the actors better, special vessels were used to help amplify the spoken sounds.

Distinctive features

Ancient Greek performing arts was 90% male. In addition to the uncomplicated performance of their roles, the artists demonstrated vocal abilities, perfect diction, flexibility, plasticity. The faces of the people performing on the stage were hidden behind masks. Their widespread use is associated with the veneration of Dionysus, the absence of female actresses, and the enormous size of the arena. The masks could be tragic or comic, which exactly conveyed the author's idea to the viewer.

Special clothes for the participants of the performances helped to portray heterogeneous characters. Being long, spacious, it hid the necessary pillows or linings used to change the natural proportions of the body. If the performance interested the audience, they vigorously expressed positive emotions. Disapproval was no less lively. Often, such a negative reaction was provoked by people specially hired by competitors.

ancient roman arena

The origin of theater in ancient Rome is associated with lavish celebrations of the harvest, which were organized at first as playful competitions of small choirs. The jokes that they exchanged were sometimes caustic, containing ridicule of the vices of society, especially the top.

The birth of theatrical art

The early representations of the ancient Roman theatrical art include Atellani, which received the name of the city of the south of modern Italy. It was a light comedy show. Many young Romans took part.

Literary drama came to the ancient Roman theater from Greece. Here such creations were staged in Latin.

The Greek Livius Andronicus ended up in Rome as a prisoner of war. The Greek was appointed chief for the production of the first dramatic performance. It was this that gave impetus to the further development of theatrical art. It could not, like in Greece, point to problems in the life of society, so the storylines became more complicated, the entertainment of Greek originals increased. Despite this, the Romans found it difficult to perceive traditional dramatic plots.

gladiatorial spectacles

Performances were staged during public holidays. They were accompanied by circus, gladiatorial performances, which drew attention to themselves, being popular with the people.

Initially, no place was allocated for staging plays, there was only a miserable platform with a ladder. Actors became more professional, played without masks. Spectacles were arranged by agreement of the manager of the ancient Roman theater. In other words, simply a troupe of actors, with ruling circles. The costumes of the actors were no different from the Greek ones. Only individual accents, such as the height of the platform in shoes, the size of wigs, create a majestic impression.

The first permanent Roman theater was built by Pompey. Spectators huddled on semicircular benches arranged in several rows. There were separate seats for senators. Roof, intricately decorated facades and curtain.

Origins of theatrical art of ancient India

Ancient Indian theatrical art was divided into two areas - folk and literary. There are several versions of the origin, the most popular of which ascribes this fact to Emperor Bharata. Through him, the fifth Veda was transmitted to people, connecting the Word, Action, Lad. More likely is the version of the combination of merry productions with traditional mystery plays that existed during major holidays.

On this occasion, accompanying competitions of strongmen, programs of magicians, musicians, and dancers were organized. The performance began with dance numbers. The dancers adorned the performance with pantomime introductions, recitations of the Vedas. Gradually, the dance was replaced by the performance of artists.

social system

The complex social system of ancient India placed actors at the lowest rung.

They were considered people of a disrespectful caste, as they ridiculed the gods in their speeches. Despite this circumstance, most of them were the most educated and honorable people.

The performances were dance performances. Sign language was used freely, rooted in the special rituals of clergy. The Indian dance theater borrowed key features from the ancient mysteries. Therefore, the artists required special plasticity and the ability to use an abundant arsenal of pantomime.

Growing popularity

By the end of the second half of the first millennium BC. e. Indian theatrical art has gained the highest popularity. Despite the coincidence of the time of the performance of the plays with the main religious holidays, their entertaining essence came to the fore, displacing the ritual component.

Acting groups are becoming more professional. Each participant acquires a creative role. The gender composition of the troupes varied - it is known about the existence of same-sex and heterosexual groups. Most of them were nomads. At a meeting in the joint territory, spectacular competitions were organized. In addition to monetary rewards, the winners received a number of honors.

The arena of Indian dance was sometimes located in a certain building - a small but relatively high one, capable of accommodating 300 people. The length of the performances varied from two to three hours to a couple of days.

Shadow theaters

The Indian shadow theater often depicted scenes from the legendary and revered myths of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The audience knew the stories of the characters, so they could guess the missing elements on their own. The action took place behind a large transparent screen, where actors and puppets were placed. For greater realism, the dolls were cut into pieces, and then even complex movements could be easily imitated. They were made of cardboard, leather or papier-mâché.

In Indian beliefs, the god Shiva was assigned the role of the patron of dolls, so plays were staged near his temple. According to legend, the Indian shadow theater arose as a result of the fact that Shiva himself and his wife Parvati once looked into the shop of a master puppeteer who carved figures from wood.

She was so impressed by the skill of the artisan that soon, at her request, Shiva allowed the toys to be revived so that they could dance on their own. Soon after the departure of the divine couple, this magic ceased to work, but the master restored the miraculous gift, controlling the characters with the help of threads. This gave rise to the Indian shadow theater, the interest in which is currently fading due to the development of modern technology.

The beginning of the theatrical life of ancient China

Chinese theater originated at the beginning of the 12th century. Initially, these were spectacles in the squares, timed to coincide with religious festivities. The basis of the performances were circus elements, unusual dances with figures of animals, acrobatic numbers, fencing.

Gradually, peculiar roles appear, which were used in each play, acquiring new character traits, details of the biography. The most popular were can-jun and cangu. Artists of Chinese theaters are no longer self-taught, but trained at special schools that operated at the court of the emperor. Bright costumes decorated with traditional paintings and numerous props are freely used.

First poster

Plays are staged in booths - platforms under a canopy, equipped with seats for spectators. Or on protruding platforms adjacent to the central temples. This is where the concept of a poster comes from - a special sheet listing the actors involved and the characters performed by them. The genres of Chinese theater are expanding and becoming more complex. They describe the details of important events in the life of the state and individuals, giving the audience examples to follow.

The musical accompaniment of theatrical productions was transformed from folk melodies. The performances were damn colorful, contained elements of dances, circus acts. The interpretation of some actions was given by the artists themselves or playwrights. Most of the roles were performed by women, including men. The acting troupe included members of the same family, outsiders were rare.

puppet shows

The traditional Chinese stage developed in parallel with the no less popular puppet theater. He lived in a mass of varieties. To date, information about them has been lost, so the study presents some difficulties.

The popularity of this type of art is associated with the custom of laying special figurines in the grave, designed to help the deceased in the afterlife. Scenes with the participation of such characters were played out during the funeral, gradually turning into an attribute of everyday life. Information has been preserved about a wonderful multi-tiered example of a puppet theater, the characters of which moved with the help of water.

Chinese puppet theater has developed in many directions. It is worth highlighting the performances with flat paper figures, in which the actors and the characters controlled by them participated. Gunpowder, floating scenes and others, about which only fragmentary information has been preserved.

Modern cultural society in its present form owes much to the theatrical art, which arose long before the advent of etiquette and familiar moral norms. Let's dive into the ancient times of history. During this you will be able to learn interesting facts about theatrical art, when the first theater was created and everything related to the first acting performances.

The creation of the first theater in the world is impossible to know for sure, because it was back in the 5th century BC in ancient Greece, when the theater of Dionysus appeared. It was made from wood. Twice a year there were solemn performances of actors on the stage, during which the most talented authors of those times fought for the right to be called the best in different genres. The person who sold the tickets and supervised the performances was called the archon. VIPs were seated behind chic marble chairs (installed over time), from which there was an excellent view. The theater of Dionysus still exists today. Its last reconstruction should be completed in 2015.

The very first stone theater arose in 52 BC in Rome. The stage was a raised platform with a screen in the background. There were seats in front of the stage (in the stalls). Over time, Roman theatrical art ceased its development due to the influence of Christianity on culture.

Who invented theater in Russia?

The first domestic theater is the Academic Drama Theater named after F. G. Volkov, founded in Yaroslavl. The year of its creation is 1750. On one of the warm summer days, the young temperamental Fyodor Volkov, together with his comrades, performed before the public. The performance consisted of works by Lomonosov, Sumarokov, Rostovsky and the young genius Volkov's own plays. By the way, F. Volkov was part-time decorator, translator, performance director and architect. The actors even visited the Empress Elizabeth (according to a special decree issued by her) during a tour in St. Petersburg. It is noteworthy that at that time there were other acting troupes. But the performances were closed and were not available to the general public.

What was the first modern theater?

In 1618, the Italian city of Parma gave the world the first modern theater - Farnesi. The stage was constructed rather unusually - along one of the walls. The actors and the audience were separated by a wide curtain, which also helped to change the scenery unnoticed by the guests of the performance.

Did you know? The longest theatrical performance (about 10 hours) took place in 1672 in the Moscow region.

countries and peoples. Questions and answers Yu. V. Kukanova

Where did the first theater appear?

Where did the first theater appear?

The first theater appeared in Ancient Greece. It was a rather large open-air structure, where the audience seats were located in a semicircle above the stage.

In those days, only two genres of plays were staged in the theater - tragedies and comedies, which were written on historical or mythological plots. Women were not always allowed to attend such performances, and they usually sat separately.

There were no scenery on the stage of the theater, and all the roles were played by men performing in huge masks and on cothurns - high boots that gave majesty to the figures of the actors.