Ch05 The Theatre of the Italian Renaissance.docx

The Theatre of the Italian Renaissance Objectives After studying this chapter, the student should be able to: Compare and contrast the different types of Renaissance drama in Italy. Identify the conventions of the commedia dell’arte. Identify the neoclassical ideals, including decorum, verisimilitude, and the unities of time, place and action. Differentiate between descriptive and prescriptive criticism. Identify the prominent theater buildings and innovative scenic elements in Renaissance Italy. Lecture Topics How did theatre emerge in Renaissance Italy? Who were the major scenic designers in Renaissance Italy? How did commedia dell’arte influence other forms of theater? Discussion How did the concept of perspective affect scenic design in Renaissance Italy? Compare and contrast neoclassicism with actual practices in Ancient Greece and Rome. Should theatre be didactic? How did theatre practitioners find out about and become interested in classic dramatic traditions? Multiple-Choice Please choose the answer that best completes each sentence. 1. Which of the following is true of commedia dell'arte: A. It is improvized. B.The actors repeat comic bits. C. It uses stock characters. *D. All of the above 2. One important ideal, known as _________________________, meant that all drama should be "true to life." A. decorum *B. verisimilitude C. Vive la joie D. Genre 3. _______________________________were short pieces depicting mythological tales; they were presented between the acts of full-length plays. A. Pastorals *B. Intermezzi C. Commedia dell'arte D. Lazzi 4. Repeated bits of physical comic business are known as: A. intermezzi B. capitano C. slapstick *D. lazzi 5. Criticism which argues for a certain point of view is known as: *A. prescriptive B. descriptive C. intermezzi D. masque 6. The Italian equivalent of the Greek satyr plays was the _________________________, the characters of which are usually shepherds or creatures who inhabit the forest or countryside. A. intermezzi B. libretto *C. pastoral D. opera 7. Renaissance scholars, in keeping with their desire to revive classical forms, believed they were recreating the Greek tragic style when they developed _________________. A. commedia dell'arte *B. opera C. genre D. intermezzi 8. The oldest surviving theater constructed during the Italian Renaissance was the: *A. Teatro Olimpico B. Sabbioneta Theater C. Teatro Farnese D. Teatro Novissimo 9. At Novissimo, __________________________ perfected the pole-and-chariot method of scene shifting. A. Antonio Minturno B. Francesco Andreini C. Castelvetro *D. Giacomo Torelli 10. The subject matter of a(n) ______________________ is romance, and usually has a happy ending. A. commedia B. intermezzi *C. pastoral D. decorum 11. The _____________________________ is used as a framing device to restrict the view of the audience. A. ekkyklema B. deus ex machine *C. proscenium arch D. periaktoi 12. One of the most important developments in the Italian Renaissance scene design was the introduction of ______________________________ drawing, whereby the set had the illusion of depth. A. unified B. two-dimensional C. mechanical *D. perspective 13. A major movement in Renaissance literature was ________________, which focused on people rather than gods. *A. humanism B. decorum C. pastoralism D. existentialism 14. The most popular of the comic servants in commedia dell’arte was: A. Dottore B. Pantalone *C. Arlecchino D. Capitano 15. Servants in commedia dell’arte, known as _____________, were sometimes sly and other times foolish. A. lazzi *B. zanni C. zibaldoni D. pantalone 16. Harlequin carried a _________________, which was a wooden sword used in comic fight scenes. *A. slapstick B. innamorato C. lazzi D. shutter 17. _________________ was the most acclaimed commedia dell’arte troupe in Europe. A. I Fideli *B. I Gelosi C. I Confidenti D. I Accesi 18. The _______________ is significant because it is the prototype of the proscenium arch theatre. A. Teatro Olimpico B. Teatro Sabbioneta C. Teatro Serlio *D. Teatro Farnese 19. In Italian theatre, the raucous area where audience members stood on the house floor was the A. galleries B. box *C. pit D. archway 20. ________________, in his book, Architettura, detailed many of the early methods for creating perspective settings. A. Nicola Sabbattini *B. Sebastiano Serlio C. Giovan Battisa Aleotti D. Julius Caesar Scaliger 21. Stages in the Renaissance were often _____________________, meaning they were slightly inclined or seated. A. dropped B. shuttered *C. raked D. none of the above 22. A problem posed by Serlio’s angle-wing setting was: *A. it was virtually impossible to shift scenes during a performance. B. it prevented the use of perspective painting. C. it did not work with a raked stage. D. all of the above 23. _______________ formulated the unities of time, place, and action and argued that theater was invented to “please the ignorant multitude.” A. Antonio Minturno B. Sebastiano Serlio C. Nocola Sabbattini *D. Lodovico Castelvetro 24. One of the neoclassical ideals was _______________, which meant each character was expected to follow set behavior, which was deemed appropriate for their position in society. A. perpective B. genre *C. decorum D. verisimilitude 25. Which of the following conventions did the neoclassicists oppose? A. chorus B. soliloquy C. onstage violence *D. all of the above True/False Please choose whether the statement is true or false. 26. The invention of the printing press aided the spread of literature rediscovered from the past. *True False 27. The Italian Renaissance is best known for its great playwrighting. True *False 28. The libretto, or text, of an opera is often secondary to the music. *True False 29. Actors from commedia dell’arte were world renown for their ability to memorize entire full-length scripts quickly and exactly. True *False 30. Women were not allowed to perform in commedia dell’arte. True *False 31. Commedia actors played the same stock characters through most of their careers. *True False 32. The most successful commedia companies were organized by families. *True False 33. Sebastiano called for a unity of stage scenery, so that all types of plays could be performed on the same stage. True *False 34. Flat wings were a series of individual wings on each side of the stage, parallel to the audience. *True False 35. Audiences sat in a darkened auditorium to fully appreciate the lighting and scenic designs. True *False Essays 36. What were the major innovations in scenic design and practices in the Italian Renaissance? 37. Discuss a play you have read for class in terms of whether or not it adheres to the neoclassical ideals.