- ''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 ]
BBC News | Europe | World EditionAustria's Haider dies in accident Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:45:18 -0000
Austrian far-right politician Joerg Haider, known for his anti-immigration policies, has been killed in a car crash, aged 58.
G7 nations pledge to fight crisis Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:37:54 -0000
Top finance ministers promise to take "decisive action and use all available tools" to tackle the world economic crisis.
Ahtisaari wins Nobel Peace Prize Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:42:42 -0000
Finnish ex-President Martti Ahtisaari wins this year's Nobel Peace Prize for three decades of mediation around the world.
NYT > EuropeFormer Finnish President Wins Nobel Peace Prize Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:32:24 -0000
Martti Ahtisaari has worked to end conflicts in troubled spots around the world for more than three decades.
Russian Compliance in Georgia Is Disputed Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:18:11 -0000
European leaders confirmed Friday that Russians had met a deadline to withdraw troops from buffer zones outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
British Military Investigates Loss of Hard Drive Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:56:24 -0000
A portable computer hard drive that may have carried personal details on 100,000 British military service members is missing, the Ministry of Defense said.
L.A. Times - Europe
Austrian right leader Joerg Haider killed in car crash Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:27:00 -0700
Austrian politician Joerg Haider, whose far-right rhetoric at times sounded sympathetic to the Nazis and contemptuous of Jews and led to months of international isolation for the Alpine republic, died today in a car accident. He was 58.
Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari wins Nobel Peace Prize Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Martti Ahtisaari has quietly worked to resolve conflicts in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Namibia. 'He never gives up,' the head of the Nobel Prize committee says.
Calling him an "outstanding international mediator," the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari for his efforts to resolve international conflicts across the globe, from Northern Ireland and Namibia to Kosovo, Indonesia and Iraq.
World Briefing Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Georgia: Russia pullout incomplete, France says / Mexico: Norbert builds as it nears Baja / Israel: Iranian boy seeks cancer treatment / India: Dalai Lama undergoes surgery
Russia needs to do more, says France
UN News Centre - EuropeUN, Dutch university partner to reach development goals Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has joined forces with a Dutch university to promote education and research in developing countries to build momentum towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight ambitious anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline.
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders agree on weekly meetings - UN Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities met today to continue talks on the reunification of the Mediterranean island nation, and agreed to meet on a weekly basis to keep up the momentum of the negotiations, according to a senior United Nations envoy.
UN urges European Union to end violence against women in conflict zones Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) today urged European Union (EU) Member States to take practical steps in preventing sexual violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Europe - International Herald TribuneNobel Peace Prize is quiet diplomat's latest rewardBy SARAH LYALL, ALAN COWELL AND WALTER GIBBS Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:27:23 -0000
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2008 peace prize Friday to Martti Ahtisaari, the former Finnish president who has played a key role in resolving conflicts around the world.
Austrian rightist leader Jrg Haider killed in accident Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:27:23 -0000
Jrg Haider's far-right rhetoric led at one point to months of international isolation for Austria. He was 58.
U.K. reports new data loss for 100,000 military staff Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:27:23 -0000
A computer disk that reportedly carries personal details on some 100,000 serving British military personnel is missing, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
Europe confirms Russian pullbackBy ELLEN BARRY Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:27:23 -0000
European leaders confirmed Friday that Russians had met an Oct. 10 deadline to withdraw troops from buffer zones outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Georgian refugees begin to return homeBy ELLEN BARRY Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:27:23 -0000
Emotions were mixed all over Georgia as families vacated tent cities, although government officials had urged refugees to wait until their villages had been cleared of unexploded ordnance.
Europe confirms Russian pullbackBy Ellen Barry Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:54:07 -0000
European leaders confirmed Friday that Russians had met an Oct. 10 deadline to withdraw troops from buffer zones outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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