Drama Appreciation \ Drama 1

Pp. 177-188

Chapter 7: Royal Theatre

In England Royalist theatre is called Restoration Theatre. In France it is called Royalist Theatre.
England 1660: Charles II is restored to the throne. In 1649 his father Charles I was beheaded for treason and from 1649 to 1660 the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell ruled England. Puritan Rule was called the Commonwealth. Under the commonwealth all theatres were closed, there was no gambling, no card playing, no drinking, no dancing, no singing, in other words marshal law existed. The Puritans (Roundheads) were in direct opposition to the Royalist or Cavaliers. In 1660 Parliament restores the monarchy to England.
Samuel Pepys wrote a diary from 1660-1680 which is the best record of that time.
· Neo-classical playwrighting dictated Three Unities of place, time, and action. This was mandatory for all playwrights.
Charles II decrees in 1660 to allow women to act on the stage. Many of his mistresses will be actresses in the future.
Some Restoration plays: William Wycherly’s The Country Wife & William Congreve’s The Way of the World
PLOT: The many contrivances involving love, money, sexual freedom, marriage, & social standing are very complicated for the upper royal class.
CHARACTERS: Mirabell (a rakish bachelor) and Mistress Millamant (a bachelorette)
THEME: The chase of a lover is more fun than the marriage.

Puritans considered English Restoration theatre to be lewd licentious, profane, and scandalous. The Puritans left for the Americas in droves.

French Royalist Theatre:
Proscenium stage developed from the Jeu de Paume (tennis) buildings. This is called Picture Frame theatre.
Machine Plays were performed involving spectacular flying, and hoisting machinery: ie. clouds, ships, sunbursts. These were also called masques.
Louis XIV (The Sun King) was the King of France at this time. He loved to perform in, and observe theatre. He held many plays at the castle for the nobility. His favorite playwright, who he supported completely was Moliere.
Moliere (Jean Baptiste Poquelin) was the most popular playwright at this time. He was known for his comedy, wit, satire. He performed in many of his own productions. He died while performing in his production of "The Imaginary Invalid" . He wrote "The Miser", "The Misanthrope", "The Imaginary Invalid", "Tartuffe", and

Notes pp. 188-206:

"The Bourgeois Gentleman": Written in 1671, a comedy ballet in five acts. This is a social satire of the bourgeois class (merchant or middle class). Nobility (Aristrocratic Class with a title such as: Duke, Baron, Count, or Duchess, Baroness, Countess) did not recognize the Bourgeois.
Plot: Monsieur Jourdain, a merchant of the Bourgeois class, seeks to obtain the gentility and status of the nobility. He pursues many teachers to help him to become a gentleman. He never obtains his goal.
Characters: Monsieur Jourdain, Dancing Master, Music Master, Fencing Master, Master Tailor, Nicole, Durante, Dorimene, Madam Jourdain.
Theme: Ambition to rise above one’s class status only proves one to be a ridiculous fool. One is born into one’s class and remains there forever.
     Purpose of the theatre a Divertissement (entertainment). An amusement to divert a nobleman’s attention from the boredom of everyday life.
     By 1750 the lower or peasant class was disgusted with the noble class and royalist\restoration theatre and revolutions took place in Europe and in America.
     Revolution in America in 1776: British Monarchy is overthrown and Democracy is established by the founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Adams).
     Revolution in France in 1789: Louis XVI is beheaded at the guillotine by the French peasants and a republic is formed. All aristocrats are beheaded.
     Revolution in Russia in 1917: Czar Nicholas and his family are massacred and Communism is established under Vladimir Lenin. This was known as Bolshevik Revolution and they adapted the Marxist Theory.
End Chapter 7

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