[Music]
In this episode,
let's consider how the power of
storytelling
influences the art of theatre.
We hope the conditions return to normal
soon so that we can bring our company
actors together to demonstrate some of
the
finer points of our craft. In the
meantime,
let's delve deeper into what makes the
art of theatre
possible. Because the act of storytelling
is woven
so deeply into the fabric of human
nature,
it's often underestimated in its role to
humanity.
Storytelling takes place in all walks of
life
regardless of class, religious faith or
political affiliation. Even though we
often think of it as a harmless pastime,
it's one of the ways that we communicate
our insights,
core values and expectations for the
society in which we live.
It's a part of the human process of 
mythmaking.
Often, when we refer to something as a
myth,
it's a way of writing it off as untrue.
However, mythmaking holds an important
place
in human identity. As we said with the
concept of fiction,
mythmaking is creating an illusion to
reveal the truth.
To understand this better, think about
the stories you
share at family get-togethers. When you
hear of past events,
you're well aware of the fact that the
stories
are being embellished. Often, the only
time an embellishment is called into
question is for the purposes of
replacing it
with an even more colorful embellishment.
Everyone present at your family
gathering is aware that the stories that
are being told
are not really what happened. However,
sharing these stories is a part of
creating an identity
for your family. This is the process
of mythmaking. Does this dynamic sound
familiar?
You might have already applied the
description of the mythmaking at a
family barbecue
to the dynamics of a play production.
The audience members know that the
illusion that they are witnessing
is not really occurring, however,
they don't question the truth of what
they see
in the illusion. The audience
acknowledges the truth that is revealed
and
through applause, laughter and emotional
response,
encourage the players in their artful
storytelling.
It's no accident that we typically
associate the birth of theatre
with religious ritual. A ritual is a
ceremony or action that marks the
occurrence
of a significant event. A wedding is a
ritual that signifies a special bond
between
two people. A funeral is a ritual that
signifies the passing of a human being.
The process of ritual allows human
beings to share in the significance
of the human experience. Theatre
is also a ritual. In fact, we can look
back to ancient
Greece to discover that the origins of
theatre as we know it
evolved from the religious rituals of
that period.
Perhaps one of the most familiar myths
associated with theatre's origins
is the story of Thespis.
In ancient Greek times, annual events
included religious
rites that involved dancing, music and
other early forms of performance
as a ritual to signify the completion
of the harvest cycle. This cycle ritual
was typically performed in a sacred area,
circular in shape, that became referred
to as
the orchestra. In the center of the space
was an altar-like structure known as
the thymele. The worshippers who performed
the ritual
were referred to as the Chorus.
As the myth has it, at one rite of
harvest,
a member of the chorus by the name of
Thespis,
jumped onto the thymele and engaged in a
dialogue with members of the chorus,
thus creating a dynamic that ushered in
ancient Greek theatre, which was the
source of the art of theatre
as we know it. The truth is, there are
fragmentary records of an early
dramatist by the name of Thespis who
won awards at early festivals
but there is no reason to believe that
theatre was actually
created from the scenario described in
this myth.
However, there is in the myth, a simple
story
that sows the seeds of truth.
It's generally accepted that theatre did,
in fact, evolve from these
early rituals into an annual festival
that celebrated Dionysus,
the ancient Greek God of wine and
fertility.
The Dionysia, as it was called, included
an
annual contest that presented a week's
worth of what was likely the first
category,
or genre, of theatre; tragedy.
In poetics, Aristotle defines tragedy as
"an action that is whole and complete,
and of a certain magnitude." The word he
used to identify this action was
Mimesis. Mimesis is a special
form of storytelling. It tells stories
through an
imitation of action rather than through a
verbal
narrative. It was the Thespis of myth
who performed the first instance of
mimesis
when he jumped on the thymele and began
a re-enactment.
In truth, there is no way of knowing how
the art of theatre
actually began but this myth is a simple
way to address what are basic
truths about the development of theatre.
In this myth are implications that
foreshadow how the physical evolution of
theatre reflected its transition
from a religious ritual to an autonomous
art form.
In other words, it tells a story about
how theatre became an art form
in its own right. Not only did theatre
depart from other forms of storytelling
when it embodied the quality of
reenactment,
it also evolved from a religious ritual
into a secular, or non-religious, event.
And even though the mimesis that makes
up plays, film and television may largely
be
for the purposes of simple entertainment,
this
imitation of an action still maintains a
profound
place in the human psyche. In case you're
wondering,
the word "thespian," which is often
associated with actors,
evolved from the myth of Thespis.
It's important to consider theatre's
shift from a religious ritual
to an autonomous art form. This is one of
the reasons that there's a certain
sense of occasion that occurs at play
productions, whether it's a broadway
production
or school play.
[Music]
We'll consider this important
development in the next episode of
"Theatre: Storytelling in Action." We'll see
you then
[Music]
