LibGuides: Dance / Drama: Theatre Studies: Units 3 & 4

Ancient Greek Theatre: Tragedy and Comedy

BBC Radio 4: Comedy in Ancient Greek Theatre
A podcast episode from the BBC all about theatre comedy in Ancient Greece, including Aristophanes and Menander and their lasting legacy.
Duration: 45 min
Explore The Tragic Structure
This webpage from The Kennedy Center looks at the structure of typical ancient Greek tragedies.

This short film explores the defining aspects of Greek tragedy and why the plays resonate with audiences today. Featured in this film are experts Edith Hall, professor of Classics at Kings College, London, Laura Swift from the Open University and Dr Sean McElvoy from Varndean College, Brighton.

Duration: 6:32

This is a short film about Greek Comedy and Satyr Drama, discussing the festival of Dionysus, the original performance conditions and how the style of these shows differ from Greek Tragedy.

Duration: 5:12

Epic Theatre

The Drama Teacher: Epic Theatre Conventions
A fantastic article which covers the style, form, stagecraft etc. of epic theatre.
The Drama Teacher: Brecht's Epic Theatre Conventions, Part 1.
A quick question-and-answer piece about epic theatre.

Poor Theatre

Drama Online: Poor Theatre
A brief article about poor theatre's playwrights and their rationale & inspiration. It is an extract from from: Terry Hodgson, The Continuum Companion to Twentieth-Century Theatre, ed. Colin Chambers (London, 2002).
The Drama Teacher: Poor Theatre Conventions
An overview of this theatre convention, including Grotowski's version of the actor-audience relationship.
Britannica School: Poor Theatre
A summary of the history of poor theatre.

Ancient Greek Theatre

Introduction to Greek Stagecraft
An excellent introduction to Greek theatre, including information on playwrights, actors, theatres, and the actual staging of plays.
An Introduction to Ancient Greek Theatre
A good overview of how audiences experienced theatre in Ancient Greece.
Greece: Secrets of the Past - Theatre
A thorough overview of Greek theatre from the Canadian Museum of History.
Attending the Theatre in Athens
Transcription of a podcast episode from The Open University, discussing what it would have been like to attend a play in classical Athens.
Actors in Greek Theatre
Transcription of a podcast episode from The Open University, discussing acting styles and the use of masks in Greek plays.

Elizabethan Theatre

Shakespearean Comedy
A basic overview of common features in Shakespeare's comedic plays.
Exploring the Nature of Shakespearean Comedy
Features a discussion of comic characters and comic action.
Elizabethan Theatre
A 2001 lecture on various elements of Elizabethan theatrical productions, including acting styles.
Royal Shakespeare Company: 'As You Like It' Education Activities Pack
An educational resource pack from the Royal Shakespeare Company discussing their 2013 production of As You Like It. Be aware that the document contains several dead hyperlinks.
Costumes and Cosmetics
A fact sheet about stage make up and costuming during Shakespeare's time.
Special Effects
A fact sheet about various special effects used in plays, including Shakespearean plays, during the Elizabethan era.