SAN JOSE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MAPEH – Grade 9- ARTS

Quarter 4- Module 1- WEEKS 1-2

Theatrical Forms from Different Art Periods
TIME LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING TASKS MODE OF
ALLOTMENT AREAS COMPETENCIES DELIVERY
6:00-7:00 Wake up, make up your bed, eat your breakfast, take a bath, and get ready for an awesome day!
7:00-7:15 Prepare learning materials (ballpen, activity sheets, module, etc.)
7:15-7:30 Personal prayer for the whole day before starting the session
• I. Answer What I Know: Pre- Modular Distance
1 Hour ARTS 9 LO 1. Identify selected Test Learning
theatrical forms from II. Answer What’s New:
different art periods. III. Read What is It: Submission of
LO 2. Research on the IV: Answer What’s More: Arts learners’ output
history of the theatrical Appreciation and modules
forms and their evolution. every
Wednesday.

Lesson 1. Theatrical Forms from Different Art Periods

WHAT I KNOW PRE–TEST
Multiple Choice: Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer in your
answer sheet.
1. The first performer in a tragedy play who was later considered the Father of tragedy
A. Dionysus
B. Thespis
C. Plautus
D. Magnus
2. Which of the following is a common English term for a performer?
A. Actor
B. Playwright
C. Shakespearian
D. Thespian
3. Satyr was often performed after three tragedies. What could be the reason for this?
A. Satyr is the most important genre.
B. It contains the name of the playwright.
C. It provides a breather from the preceding unhappy endings.
D. It is always requested by the many audiences during the period.
4. Who is the most famous playwright during Renaissance period?
A. William Shakespeare
B. Titus Maccius Plautus
C. Allan de la Halle
D. Pierre Corneille,
5. It is the most admired type of play in Ancient Greece.
A. comedy
B. satyr
C. tragedy
D. drama
WHAT’S NEW
Activity 1: Guess Where?
Pick up words or phrases found in the upper box and place them under each period in
the lower box where you think they belong. Write your answers in your answer sheet.
Concept of Decorum Melodrama Commedia dell’arte Tragedy Opera
William Shakespeare Satyr Feast of Fools

Sentimental Comedy Morality plays Experimental Theatre

Ancient Medieval Renaissance Baroque Neoclassical Romantic

Theater Theater ‘Theater Theater Theater Theater
700 BCE-410 500C.E. – 1400-1600 1600-1750 1800-1900 1800-2000
BC 1400

Rituals and ceremonies were upshots of the myths and stories told, and theatre
evolved from them. Theatre takes place in a location called theatron, a “place of
seeing”. A lot of people are involved in theatre production but, it is the playwright who
makes the plot of the story and establishes the story’s theatrical form.
Theatrical form refers to the type or genre of the play performed by the actors
on stage. Generally, there are four basic theatrical forms: Tragedy, Comedy,
Melodrama and Drama. It started with Tragedy that led to Comedy and together these
two theatrical genres became the foundation upon where the modern theatre genres
are formed.
DIFFERENT ART PERIODS

A. Ancient Theater (700 B.C.E – 410 B.C.E.)

Greek Theater (began around 700 B.C)
Theatrical Form or genre: 1. Tragedy 2. Comedy 3. Satyr
Roman Theater (in the 3rd century B.C.)
Theatrical Form or genre: 1. Tragedy 2. Comedy

Tragedy - deals with tragic events, unhappy endings, defeat of the main character, it is the
most admired type of play in Greece. There were only 3 players allowed onstage, a “chorus”
group of up to 15 actors who sang and dance but did not speak, helps in scene transitions.
Thespis - the earliest recorded actor in a tragedy play, introduced the use of masks. Often
called the “Father of Tragedy”. “Thespian” is a common English term for a performer.
Comedy: Purpose of the writer is like holding a mirror up to society to reflect their own bad
doings and decide to do right in the future.
Satyr – combination of tragedy and comedy (tragicomedy – coined by Titus Maccius
Plautus, a Roman playwright). A spoof of tragedy known for its vulgar and indecent
amusement. Usually performed after a set of three tragedies.

B. Medieval Theater (500 C.E. -1400)

Transition and Early Medieval Theatre (Byzantine Empire): Theatrical Forms:
1. Mime, Pantomime scenes, or recitations from tragedies and comedies
2. Liturgical dramas or Religious plays - dramatized versions of particular biblical events
ex. Mystere de Adam or Mystery of Adam
High & Late Medieval Period:
3. “Feast of Fools” festival (where lesser clergy get to ridicule the superiors and routine
church life)
4. Mystery Plays – earliest formally developed plays in Medieval Europe, actors were all
male amateur locals and uses the vernacular in their plays
5. Morality Plays - examples are: “The Castle of Perseverance” and “Everyman”
6. Secular performances- (not religious) ex: “Play of the Greenwood” by Allan de la Halle
7. Farces - comedy with highly exaggerated and extravagant situations
8. Masques - festive courtly entertainment in the 16th & 17th was developed in Italy

C. Renaissance Theater (1400 – 1600)

1. Emergence of the Commedia dell ‘arte – from Italy. Theatre troupe that performed
lively improvisational playlets across Europe for centuries. Actor centered, requires little
scenery and props. Plays come from the “Lazzi” or stock comedic routines that provide the
framework of the story from which the actors improvise.
2. History plays (English or European history), Tragedy (ex. Revenge plays), Comedy
(with subgenre City comedy), from the older genres were the Pastoral plays, Morality plays,
Tragicomedy, and Masque,
3. The Companies of Players became the foundation of professional players performing
on the Elizabethan stage.
4. William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright during this period.

D. Baroque Theatre (1600 – 1750)

Tragedy was the overall preferred genre, but the aristocrats preferred the lighter
tragicomedy. Pierre Corneille, a tragedian produced works that were un-tragic having
happy endings, like his “Le Cid”. For English theatre, this was a time for “restoration
comedies” (comedies written during the restoration period). “Sentimental comedy”, a genre
that counters the immoral tone of restoration comedies – its aim was to be more realistic on
the nature of human beings that may go astray but return to the right path after overcoming
trials. A type of comedy that ends in tears rather than laughter as the main character
triumphs over trials.
Technological development made way for broadways and commercial plays as ropes
and pulleys were utilized to support special effects and scene changes within seconds.
Another important product of this period was the Opera.

E. Neoclassical Theatre (1800 – 1900)

Theater was dominated by Neoclassicism (art forms inspired by the classics). Emphasis
was on the exact adherence to the classical unities that has largely contributed to proper
decorum (audience etiquette) when watching a play. This period was characterized by
lavish and complex scenery, costumes, large gestures and melodrama. Politically satirical
comedies outshined the sexual farces of the Restoration.
In Germany, historic accuracy in costumes and settings was the trend. Theatre
architecture was greatly improved and German Romanticism theatrical form was
introduced.
The emergence of “Theatre Movements” i.e. Realism (depicts life as it is naturally) and non-
realism - Symbolism (expressing the intangible or unseen internal feelings by means of
visible or sensuous representations) and forerunner of Expressionism. (Express emotion
and meaning rather than reality). Naturalism (naturalistic) which was influenced by Darwin’s
theory of Evolution founded on the belief that one’s character is determined by its heredity
and environment.
F. Romantic Theatre (1800 – 2000)
Melodrama and Operas were the most popular theatrical forms.

There was an abundance of Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde

theatre), a rejection of the conventional theatre styles, the experimental theatre changes
the theme, language even the relationship of the actors to the audience. Through the
breaking of the “fourth wall” where the actors address dialogues (questions) to the audience.

Hollywood came out and endangered American theatre. But theatre was not
affected instead it continued to be known and noticed worldwide.

WHAT’S MORE

Multiple Choice: Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer in your
answer sheet.
1. Earliest theater forms were rituals and festivals, all an upshot of the following:
A. gods C. music
B. myths D. composers
2. When we talk about Ancient period we are actually talking about these great cities.
A. Rome & Athens C. Athens & Israel
B. Greece & Athens D. Rome & Italy
3. Which of the following is a common English term for a performer?
A. Actor C. Shakespearian
B. Playwright D. Thespian
4. Tragedy goes back to Ancient times where it was the most preferred sort of play. The first
performer in a tragedy plays who was later on considered the Father of tragedy was.
A. Dionysus C. Plautus
B. Thespis D. Magnus
5. In Greek theater, performers were limited to only 3 persons playing different roles,
the transition between scenes and the storyline itself is taken care of by one of the
following:
A. the narrator C. the host
B. the guest D. the chorus
LESSON 2: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THEATRE
WHAT’S NEW
Direction: Pick some words from the first box that you think, when put together will result
to a good theatre experience for the spectators. Write those words in your answer sheet.

Blueprint Actor Chorus Gesture

Sound Music Movement Masonry tools
Carpentry skills Plot Make – up Costume
Structure Spectacle Theatron Harmony
Tragedy Variety Rhythm balance

Dictionary.com defines the word Element as “a part or aspect of something, it is a

component or a constituent of a whole”. By this definition we understand that we will be
talking about things or aspects hat composes a play. One of the pioneers of theatre who
wrote about these elements was Aristotle (384-322BC). He was a Greek philosopher and
scientist who first analyzed and wrote about the essential elements of drama more than
2,000 years ago. In that list he came up with “six” elements which later on grew gradually
in number and became more specific and emphasized as modern playwrights and other
theatre enthusiasts applied some changes to it over the years. Here is Aristotle’s list:
“Six Aristotelian Elements of a Play”

Plot - the “organization of incidents” in a play.

(mythos) - Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play
- the moral or ethical character of the agents, revealed when the agent
makes moral choices
Character - people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the
(ethos) play.
- It is the characters who move the action, or plot, of the play forward.

Thought - the story background being delivered in a spoken reasoning

(dianoia) - the meaning of the play (theme)
- This refers to the quality of speech in a tragedy
Language/
Diction - the expression of the meaning of words.
(lexis) - The dialogue helps move the action of the play along.

- can also mean “music – dance”

Melody - While music is often featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was
(melos) referring to the rhythm of the actors' voices as they speak (as in the case
of the “chorus”)

- This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special

Spectacle
(Opsis) effects, etc.
- Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.
 Just like any other products, those that came later as a development of the former is
expected to be more complex and emphasized just like the list of elements below:

Elements of Drama in the Modern Theatre

Literary Elements Technical Elements Performance Elements

This contains the six 1. Scenery (Set) – theatrical 1. Acting – Use of face, body and
Aristotelian equipment’s like curtains, voice to portray character.
elements platforms, backdrops 2. Character Motivation – The
- Plot 2. Costumes – clothing and reason/s for a character’s
- Theme (thought) accessories worn by actors to behavior.
- Character portray the character & period 3. Character Analysis – the
- 3. Properties (Props) – any process of examining how the
Language/Dialogue
articles except costumes and elements of drama – literary,
- Rhythm/Music scenery used as part of a technical and performance are
- Spectacle dramatic production. Any used.
With the addition of movable object that appears 4. Empathy – The capacity to
the following: on stage during a relate to the feelings of others.
performance.
7. Genre /Theatrical 5. Speaking – the mode of
form 4. Lights – every placement, expression or delivery of lines
8. Audience – intensity and color of lights
group of people who have to be set as needed to 6. Breath Control – Proper use of
watch the play help communicate the lungs and diaphragm muscle
9. Convention – environment, mood or feeling for maximum capacity and
Techniques and efficiency of breath for speaking.
5. Sound – the effects the
methods used by 7. Gestures – any movement of
audience hears during
the playwright and the actor’s head, shoulder, arm,
performance to communicate
director to create hand, leg or foot to convey
character context or
the desired stylistic meaning
environment.
effect.
6. Make-up – includes 8. Facial expression – Physical or
costumes, wigs, and body vocal aspects used by an actor to
paint used to transform and convey mood, feeling or
actor into a character. personality

Note: That the use of these elements depends on the complexity of the play because there
are instances where some of the elements do not apply, for example, an open stage play
in the broad daylight would not need lights unless efforts will be used to enclose the area to
darken it so that the lights will have their effect.

Moving forward, let us now discuss the “principles” of theatre art. Dictionary.com
define the word principle as “a fundamental, primary, general law or truth from which others
derive.” This tells us that a principle is something that serve as a guideline. It relates to the
elements in a way that cement relates to the blocks in building something. We can use as
many elements as we want but if we do not apply the principles of arts our work will be futile.
The following is a list of the principles of art – that generally apply to all areas of art including
theatre. We should understand that principles are not things but rather they are guiding
laws that should be observed when using each of the elements.
 Principles of Arts (Theatre)
indicates movement, created by careful placement of repeated
1. Rhythm
elements in a work of art to cause visual tempo or beat.
2. Movement Movement is the principle of art used to create the look and feeling
of action and to guide a viewer’s eye throughout the work of art
3. Balance a way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or
stability to a work of art.
4. Emphasis a way of combining elements to stress the differences between
those elements
5. Harmony/ Unity organized elements within a work of art

6. Variety is a principle of art concerned with combining one or more

elements to create interest by adding slight changes
7. Proportion the principle of art concerned with the relationship of one part to
another and to the whole work.

WHAT’S MORE Let’s apply it.

Direction: Classify the following theatre features according to the elements of theatre that we
just learned. Choose your answers from the list given here.
Plot Genre Lights Empathy
Character Audience Sound Speaking
Thought/ Theme Convention Make-up Breath control
Language/Diction Scenery/set Acting Gestures/movement
Melody Costumes Character motivation Facial expression
Spectacle Properties Character analysis
Ex. Eyes growing big and hands clapping Answer: Gestures/movement
1. Love story, fantasy, war 1.
2. Introduction – conflict – resolution 2.
3. in the woods, rice fields or in a hospital 3.
4. tuxedo and rubber shoes, kimono, 4.
5. the servant, the hunchback, the priest 5.
6. Watch, necklace, umbrella, train 6.
7. grade 7 students watched the “Popular Pope” 7.
at St. Michaels College 8.
8. banging in the wall, howling fox, rain splatter, 9.
fart 10.
9. a wig on top of the body paint
10.
Jocasta-
stabbed herself
Oedipus –
pinched his
eyes
Polynices and
Eteocles – kill each
other
 ANSWER KEY

LESSON 1 5. C
4. A 5. D
3. C 4. C
2. D 3. D
1. B 2. A
Pre -Test 1. B
What I Know- What’s More

Shakespeare
Melodrama Opera William
Theatre decorum Comedy dell’arte Feast of Fools Satyr
Experimental Concept of Sentimental Commedia Morality plays Tragedy
1400 BC
1800-2000 1800-1900 1600-1750 1400-1600 500C.E. – 700 BCE-410
Theater Theater Theater ‘Theater Theater Theater
Romantic Neoclassical Baroque Renaissance Medieval Ancient
What ‘s New?

LESSON 2
Rhythm Balance Movement
10. Genre/spectacle 5. Character
Variety Plot Music
9. Make-up 4. Costumes
Harmony Make-Up Sound 8. Sound 3. Scenery/set
7. Audience 2. Plot
Gesture Costume Spectacle 6. Properties 1. Theme
What’s New: My Playlist What’s More: Let’s Apply It

R E F E R E N CE S
https://www.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html
Mark Cartwright, 2013: Greek Tragedy, Retrieved from: https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Tragedy/
https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/genres/ancient-roman-drama-iid-21412
https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy
https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-life/medieval-theatre-images/
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/English_Renaissance_theatre
"Baroque Theatre History." Study.com. January 31, 2018. https://study.com/academy/lesson/baroque-theatre-history.html.
Norman, Larry. "The Theatrical Baroque: European Plays, Painting And Poetry, 1575-1725". Fathom.Lib.Uchicago.Edu, 2020.
http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/10701023/.6
"Definition Of MELODRAMA". Merriam-Webster.Com, 2020. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melodrama.
"Introduction To Theatre -- 19Th-Century Melodrama", Novaonline.Nvcc.Edu, 2020,
https://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/melodrama.htm.2020. https://brainly.ph/question/1345202.
"Definition Of Element | Dictionary.Com". Www.Dictionary.Com, 2020. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/element.
"SIX ARISTOTELIAN ELEMENTS OF A PLAY". Www2.Bellevuecollege.Edu, 2020.
https://www2.bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/materials/drama/Hoffman/101SIXARISTOAPLAYspr03.asp.
"Mardiatun Nisa". Slideshare.Net, 2020.
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