''For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation)

Theatre or theater (Greek "theatron", "θέατρον") is the branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed any one or more elements of the other performing arts. In addition to the standard narrative dialogue style, theatre takes such forms as opera, ballet, mime, kabuki, classical Indian dance, Chinese opera, mummers' plays, and pantomime.

Overview of theatre

---

"Drama" (literally translated, Action, from a verbal root meaning "I do") is that branch of theatre in which speech, either from written text (plays), or improvised is paramount. "Musical theatre" is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance routines, and spoken dialogue. However, theatre is more than just what one sees on stage. Theatre involves an entire world behind the scenes that creates the costumes, sets and lighting to make the overall effect interesting. There is a particularly long tradition of political theatre, intended to educate audiences on contemporary issues and encourage social change. Various creeds, Catholicism for instance, have built upon the entertainment value of theatre and created (for example) passion plays, mystery plays and morality plays.

There is an enormous variety of philosophies, artistic processes, and theatrical approaches to creating plays and drama. Some are connected to political or spiritual ideologies, and some are based on purely "artistic" concerns. Some processes focus on a story, some on theatre as an event, some on theatre as a catalyst for social change. According to Aristotle's seminal theatrical critique Poetics, there are six elements necessary for theatre. They are Plot, Character, Idea, Language, Song, and Spectacle. The 17th-century Spanish writer Lope de Vega wrote that for theatre one needs "three boards, two actors, and one passion". Others notable for their contribution to theatrical philosophy are Konstantin Stanislavski, Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, Orson Welles, Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowski.

More on [ Theatre ]

Philippines News

Ex-US soldier wins Mister International Philippines
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:34:16 -0000
Filipino-American Ryan Roberts will wear the Mister International Philippines sash in the international male pageant to be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Nov. 23. After outshining 14 other candidates during the pageant's night held Sept. 1 at the A.Venue Events Mall in Makati, Roberts walked home with P20,000, a trophy, and the prestige to be called Mister International Philippines 2008 winner. Twenty-four-year-old Ryan, who practically grew up in the US, graduated at Fort Walton High School and had served the US Army 101st Airborne Division for four years in Iraq. He is a product of an interracial marriage between his Filipino mother and American father who met in Clark Air Base more than two decades ago. At six feet tall, Ryan was a crowd favorite during the event and received an overwhelming applause when he gave his answer during the interview portion. He was asked: "Which one is more important: your family or your friends, why?" "Family is the most important thing, but friends are also important. To me, family first and then friends." Ryan, who is also into mixed martial arts and surfing, grinned before the judges.
Bounty hunters join search for Kato, Bravo
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:16:24 -0000
KORONADAL CITY - Bounty hunters have reportedly arrived in droves in Central Mindanao, lured by the substantial reward for the capture of two notorious Muslim separatist rebels who led the deadly attacks on several Christian-dominated towns in Lanao del Sur early this month. Sources said the mass arrival of the bounty hunters was prompted by the government's decision to double to P20 million the reward for any information that could lead to the capture of Umbra Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF leadership, which disowned the attacks, said the government's bounty offer would only aggravate the peace problem in Mindanao. The bounty hunters include members of the Ilaga Reformed Movement (IRM), a group that claimed to have evolved from the dreaded Ilaga group of the1970s, which helped the government fight communist and Muslim rebels. IRM claims to have 20,000 members.
Lacson on Villar's presidential bid: To each his own style
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:12:47 -0000
To each his own style," Sen. Panfilo Lacson said in reaction to Senate President Manuel Villar's declaring his intention to run for president in 2010. Lacson said all who are eyeing the presidency must be allowed to do what they think will work for them, and did not find it appropriate to comment on Villar's move. Villar, Lacson, Senators Manuel Roxas II, Loren Legarda, Richard Gordon and Francis Escudero are said to be eyeing the presidency in 2010. Lacson also disputed Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago's assessment that it would cost a presidential hopeful P3 billion to run. "If you really want to spend, you can spend even up to P10 billion," Lacson said, adding that a campaign could be run on a budget if the candidate would not be lavish and not give pay-offs to cheat and win. He said he did not spend billions when he ran for president in 2004. He lost to President Arroyo, whom critics accused of cheating her way to victory. Aurea Calica, Phil Star
Exposing gov't anomalies really tiring, says Lacson
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:04:38 -0000
A staunch administration critic yesterday admitted the struggle to expose anomalies in the government can be really tiring and one can't help but wonder if it is all worth it. Sen. Panfilo Lacson made that assessment as he admitted the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling on executive privilege invoked by former socio-economic secretary Romulo Neri dealt a serious blow to the campaign against corruption. Lacson said that like him, Filipinos may be getting sick and tired of anomalies and more often than not, they don't care anymore. "They say nothing is happening, there is no closure but we were able to save $329 million. That is around P16 billion," Lacson told radio station dwIZ. Aurea Calica, Phil Star
VIP treatment for a suspect
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:57:44 -0000
Ernesto Manila, 56, a businessman, was allegedly drunk while he was driving his Mitsubishi Pajero (plate WPW 471) in San Mateo, Rizal, on Aug. 8. He plowed through a group of six people waiting for their ride home at 10 p.m. Instead of alighting to help his victims, Manila reportedly backed his car up and ran over his victims, who were already down on the pavement, for the second time. Two of his victims were killed and the rest were critically injured. Manila is now detained at San Mateo police station, but he's allegedly made to sleep in the chief's office instead of inside the jail. If true, the San Mateo police should be investigated for giving VIP treatment to a suspect. Ramon Tulfo, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Dirty, rotten 'trapos'
Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:35:09 -0000
MANILA, Philippines-A so-called Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER) composed of lawmakers from the two chambers of Congress is railroading the passage of what it dubs an electoral reform law that is really nothing but a perpetuation of the worst features of traditional politics or "trapo" (dirty-mop politics in Tagalog slang). Without anyone really knowing it, the CER had already held a series of workshop conferences in which the major political parties, party-list groups, members of the academe and so-called civil society reviewed House Bill 3655, "An Act Strengthening the Political Party System" and proposed changes thereto. Last Aug. 30 the bill was passed on third reading, but due to protests against its having been railroaded, it was sent back two days later by the House majority to "further plenary deliberations." The railroading was only too obvious. By the time the bill was up for third reading, its title had become "An Act Strengthening the Political Party System, Appropriating Funds Therefor and Other Purposes." The second clause shows that the proposed law is nothing but a way of channeling state funds (what the bill calls "state subsidy") to political parties. In short, the bill seeks to fatten trapo parties with pork barrel in time for the 2010 elections. Senate versions of the bill similarly mention the state subsidy to political parties. Principally authored by Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, HB 3655 is long on rhetoric, short on transparency. Editorial, PDI

Subscribe to Philippines RSS feed