Messages laws of theatrical art. Theatrical art and its features

It all started in primitive society, when man was completely dependent on the forces of nature that he did not understand. Changes of seasons, unexpected colds, crop failures, fires, diseases - everything was attributed to supernatural forces that had to be won over. One of the surefire ways to achieve success was magic or sorcery. It consisted in the fact that before the start of any work, a scene was played out depicting the successful completion of this process. Participants in these performances used complex pantomime, accompanied by singing, music and dancing. And in these ritual actions, elements of modern theater have already begun to appear... Photo-1L

In Ancient Egypt, already at the end of the third millennium BC. Every year, theatrical skits were staged at the temples about the patron saint of farmers and artisans - the god Osiris.

In Greece, carnival-type rituals in honor of rural gods have long been widespread. The cult of the god Dionysus played a major role in the development of Greek theater. These performances consisted of three tragedies and three comedies. Theaters were built in the open air and were of enormous size. The actors were only men who also played female roles. Comedy characters were supposed to evoke laughter, so the masks the actors wore had flattened noses, protruding lips and bulging eyes. Folk theater performances called mimes were also popular in Greece. A mime is a small scene of an everyday or satirical nature, in which both market thieves and mythological heroes were depicted. Not only men but also women performed in them, and in these theatrical productions the actors performed without masks.

The theater of Ancient Rome was a spectacle intended primarily for the entertainment of the public. And actors were considered people of the lowest classes, but some actors achieved universal respect.

Theater of the Renaissance, these performances were cheerful, full of sharp satire and rich humor. Theatrical performances were held in squares, on wooden stages, around which there was always a large crowd of people. Theaters began to concentrate in large industrial and cultural cities. During the same period, theater was divided into types. Opera, for example, arose at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, ballet from the mid-18th century, operetta from the mid-19th century.

A feature of the dramaturgy of this era of theater was the presence of a high heroic principle, the division of concepts into good and evil, a free transition from the sublime to the base, from the tragic to the comic.

The Renaissance gave impetus to the further development of the theater and bringing it closer to the one we know now.

Theater

noun, m., used often

Morphology: (no) what? theater, what? theater, (see) what? theater, how? theater, about what? about the theater; pl. What? theaters, (no) what? theaters, what? theaters, (see) what? theaters, how? theaters, about what? about theaters

1. Theater is an art form, a stage performance of dramatic works performed by actors in front of an audience.

Amateur and professional theatre. | European, oriental theater. | Theater of masks, miniatures, pantomime. | Get involved in theater. | He knows theater and especially ballet well.

2. Theater called an organization that organizes performances and staging performances.

3. Theater called the building in which the performances take place.

Luxurious, cozy theater. | Theater with a thousand seats. | Construction, reconstruction of the theater. | Foyer, auditorium of the theater. | Rebuild and repair the theater.

4. Summer theater called a pavilion in the park, where amateur performances are performed during the warm season.

5. One-man theater called a dramatic performance that is played and performed by one person.

6. Home theater are called amateur performances that are performed by members of the same family for relatives, guests, etc.

7. Shadow theater called manual pantomime, in which shadows on a wall or screen represent animals, people and move.

A night light was burning behind the curtain, and a familiar shadow theater was playing out on the screen.

8. Anatomical Theater is a hospital facility that is used to train medical students in the techniques of autopsy and dissection of corpses.

9. Theater of war- This is an area for large-scale army combat operations during the war.

Leave the theater of operations.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Dmitriev. D. V. Dmitriev. 2003.

Synonyms:

See what “theater” is in other dictionaries:

theater- theater … Nanai-Russian dictionary

- (from the Greek thеatron place for spectacles, spectacle), a type of architectural building intended for theatrical performances. The first theater buildings appeared presumably in the 6th century. BC e. in Ancient Greece. They were open and... Art encyclopedia

If two people are talking and a third listens to their conversation, this is already theater. Gustav Holoubek Theater is a department from which you can say a lot of good to the world. Nikolai Gogol Let us not confuse theater with church, for it is more difficult to make a booth into a church than... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

THEATER, theater, husband. (Greek theatron). 1. units only Art that consists of depicting, representing something in persons, performed in the form of a public spectacle. Music and theater are his strongest hobbies. The Soviet era was a time of great... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Theater- Theater. Representation of ancient Greek tragedy. THEATER (from the Greek theatron, a place for spectacle, spectacle), a type of art, the specific means of expression of which is stage action that arises in the process of an actor’s performance in front of an audience.… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Theater 19 ... Wikipedia

THEATER, huh, husband. 1. The art of presenting dramatic works on stage; just such a performance. Music, etc. Get involved in theater. 2. An entertainment enterprise, a room where such works are presented on stage. Dramatic, operatic t... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Theater Studio album by Irina Allegrova Release date November 25, 1999 ... Wikipedia

Stage, stage, stage, booth. See the place... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. arena theater, temple of melpomene, (theater) stage, theater art, dramaturgy, ... ... Synonym dictionary

- (from the Greek theatron, place for spectacle, spectacle), a type of art, the specific means of expression of which is stage action that occurs during the actor’s performance in front of the public. The origins of theater in ancient hunting and agricultural... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

The history of the theater goes back to Ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. The most ancient art originated as spectacular entertainment for the public, festive scenes of costumed actors. The performances were originally timed to coincide with the Great Dionysius - a major religious holiday.

Now the theater is undoubtedly more than a procession of singing men in goatskins through the city. It has become high art, a way of relaxation for high society, and a place of cultural enlightenment. The history of the theater is a fascinating process of development that continues to this day. We will tell the reader this in our article. You will also find many interesting facts in the presented material. So, let's begin.

Start

In Athens of the 5th century BC. e. theatrical performances were an integral part of religious holidays. Processions with the statue of Dionysus were accompanied by cheerful chants and dramatic games. We can say that the history of the Athenian theater began as an amateur performance for a small number of onlookers. Initially, only tragedies were staged; comedies were shown later. It is noteworthy that plays, as a rule, were shown only once. This stimulated authors to create relevant, interesting works. The playwright not only wrote the play, he was a full-fledged participant in the performance, playing the roles of director, composer, choreographer and even actor. Naturally, these were extremely talented people.

But to become a choreg (choir director), great talent was not required. All they needed was money and connections with government officials. The main responsibility of the choregas was to pay bills, provide full material support and support the theater. In those days it was a place of competition; the winners were the choregas, the poet and the protagonist. The winners were crowned with ivy and awarded prizes. Victory was given to them by decision of the jury.

An interesting fact is that the ancient Romans were real fans of realism. A production in which the actor played the role 100% was considered ideal - if necessary, he had to be ready to even die.

The Greek theater had no roof; spectators and actors were, in fact, on the street. The size of ancient theaters was enormous, they accommodated from 17 to 44 thousand people. At first, wooden platforms were used to seat spectators, then natural stone slopes were adapted for the theater. And only then, in the 4th century BC. e., a stone theater was built.

You will probably be interested to know that the government, starting with Pericles, has given the opportunity to visit the theater and experience beauty even to financially disadvantaged citizens. To achieve this, everyone was given a subsidy for one visit to the theater, and subsequently for three visits.

The history of ancient theater has one characteristic feature: the actors played their roles without the help of their own facial expressions. It was replaced by all kinds of masks, often very grotesque. The actor paid great attention to body movements and clothing. The actors were men, even in female roles. They occupied a privileged position in society and were exempt from taxes.

An interesting fact is that Livius Andronicus, an ancient Roman playwright, became the father of the world's first "phonogram". He was left without a voice, but got out of the situation by finding a boy who spoke for him.

Some terms of ancient theater

Many definitions used in ancient theaters have survived to this day. A small dictionary of terms from ancient times is presented below:

The orchestra is a round-shaped part of the theater with two entrances, intended for the performance of dramatic and lyrical choirs. In the Athens theater its diameter was 24 meters.
Skena is a place for changing clothes. Originally a simple tent, it was then combined with pieces of stage decoration, such as a backdrop.
Proskenium - a colonnade in front of the skene.
Paraskenium – side stone extensions.
The stage is a raised area above the orchestra, where actors began to play in late antiquity.
Ekkiclema is a mobile platform made of wood that allows you to transform the scene of action and move actors around the stage.
Koturny - shoes with high soles, reminiscent of stilts. With the help of such shoes, actors became taller, more impressive and similar to mythical creatures.

A remarkable fact is that it was in Rome that the phrase “Finita la comedia” was first uttered.

Puppets in the theatrical world

The history of puppet theater originates in Egypt, where priests used a doll of the god Osiris to perform ritual actions. In the beginning, puppet theater was purely ritualistic, but now the religious connotation has faded away. Famous ritual puppet theaters exist in many countries: Japan (“Bunraku”), Indonesia (“Wayang”), Catalonia (“El Pastores”), Belarus (“Batleyka”) and others.

In the history of puppet theater in America, a theater created in 1962 called “Bread and Puppet” stands out. It features giant papier-mâché dolls, an obvious political overtone, and a treat of delicious bread at the entrance. This interaction between actors and spectators is symbolic: theatrical art should be as close to the people as possible.

Dolls come in different sizes and appearances. There are finger and glove puppets, cane and tablet puppets, puppets and giant dolls. Being a puppet theater actor is not so easy, because you need to be able to bring an inanimate object to life, give it character and voice.

A characteristic feature of any puppet theater is the ridicule of something, the presence of morality, an educational element in the skits. No matter what age the viewer of the puppet theater is, he will find there not only something to laugh at, but also something to think about. Often the heroes in the puppet theater are unattractive, even ugly characters, for example, the French Polichinelle with a hooked nose.

You will probably be interested to know that actors are not always rich people. In the history of American puppet theater, there are facts that theatergoers could watch the production in exchange for food.

Drama

The history of the dramatic theater dates back to ancient times. This is one of the art forms, along with puppet theater, pantomime, opera and ballet. The main distinguishing feature of dramatic theater is that the actor’s actions are combined with the words he speaks. Particular attention is paid to stage speech in this type of genre. The basis of a dramatic performance is the play. In the process of acting, improvisation is possible; the action may include dancing and singing. The performance is based on a literary work. The main interpreter of a play or script is the director.

It is quite remarkable that theater workers believe that dropping a script is not good. If this trouble occurs, you must definitely sit on it.

The emergence of domestic theatrical traditions

The history of theater in Russia is divided into stages:

Initial (“playful”)
Average.
Mature.

Playful stage

As in Ancient Rome, the history of theater in Russia began as a not entirely serious activity. Theatrical performances were called “fun”, and performances were called “games”. The first chronicle mention of buffoons dates back to 1068. In fact, anyone could become such an actor entertaining the public. From a religious point of view, the activities of buffoons were shameful. In the chronicles they are called servants of the devil, and mockery, satire and mummery are called sins. Sharp satire was not welcomed by the church, however, this did not really stop anyone.

Buffoonery was also not considered an art pleasing to the authorities; on the contrary, the acute social themes of the skits and the ridicule of modern shortcomings made the actors dangerous and harmful. But the people loved to watch and laugh at the performances of the buffoons. However, it should be understood that the classical theater as we know it now did not grow out of these buffoonish skits, but independently of them, even, rather, in spite of them.

Middle stage

The next stage in the history of Russian theater is intermediate between playful and mature. At this phase, court and school theaters emerge. At that time, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ruled, the actors in the court theater were foreigners, and the actors in the school theater were students. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, the activity of the court theater was suspended until Peter I came to power. He had a positive attitude towards “spectacles”, but, in addition to entertainment, it also became endowed with a propaganda function. In 1702, a public theater for the masses appeared. Its building was called the “Comedy Temple”; performances were given there by a German troupe. The people did not accept this theater. Although Peter I did not achieve his goal, he did not make the theater a favorite place for people, accessible and popular, but he laid all the necessary prerequisites for this.

A mature stage in the history of theatrical art

This period in the history of the creation of theater in Russia is the most important. At this stage, the theater began to acquire those features that are familiar to modern people and formed into a serious professional community. On August 30, 1756, the start was given, namely, the Imperial Theater opened. The same date is the founding day of the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. This happened under Elizaveta Petrovna.

A feature of the theater of that time was the simultaneous participation of both Russian and foreign artists in productions. It was at this stage that the performance of roles was first entrusted not only to men, but also to women. Catherine II attached great importance to the theater; under her, there were three troupes in St. Petersburg, and a fantastic amount of money was spent on the development of this industry.

In addition to the development of state ones, Catherine also paid attention to the private theaters of the nobles; for example, there was the theater of Sheremetyev, Volkonsky, and Rumyantsev. Even in the provinces their own landowner troupes were created. The Russian theater, namely the productions themselves, was built according to the models of their French colleagues. The head of the French school of acting was I. A. Dmitrevsky, who trained more than one generation of wonderful actors.

Did you know?

We present to the reader some more interesting facts from the history of theatrical art.

At the time when Pushkin was alive, theaters in Russia were not completely seated. The back rows were filled with people standing on their feet throughout the entire performance.

A landmark play in the history of Russian theatrical art is “The Minor” by D. I. Fonvizin, which became the first attempt to make fun of officials, nobles, and typical characters of the 18th century. Starodum (a positive character) was first played by the above-mentioned Dmitrevsky.

In 1803, the imperial theaters were divided. Dramatic and musical troupes, opera and ballet, appeared as parts of the musical troupe. The dominance of the French school of playing on the Russian stage lasted until the 19th century. It was then that the Russian theater finally stood up and went its own way. The experience adopted became a good base, and the discovery of new talented Russian composers, actors, and dancers raised the theater to a high level.

P. N. Arapov was the first to describe the entire history of Russian theater in one encyclopedia - “Chronicles of the Russian Theater”. Theater magazines and professional critics appeared. Thus, the development of the theater gave impetus to Russian literature, among other things.

The most famous theater in Moscow

The history of the Bolshoi Theater begins on March 28, 1776. It was on this day in Moscow that Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” for Prince Peter Urusov, allowing him to maintain the theater for ten years. It was first called the Petrovsky Theater (in honor of the street on which the entrance faced). In 1805, the building completely burned down, and the architect Osip Bove created a new project. In 1820, construction began, lasting 5 years.

The theater that was built became larger, which is why it got its name. This beautiful, harmonious, rich building brought joy to the residents of Moscow until 1853, when the second fire occurred. This time the reconstruction was entrusted to the architect Albert Kavos. The theater was restored in 1856. The Imperial Bolshoi Theater became famous not only in Russia, but also in the world: it had excellent acoustics. In 1917 after the Revolution, the name was changed to the State Bolshoi Theater. The decoration was supplemented with Soviet symbols.

He was seriously injured during the Great Patriotic War, taking on a bomb. The building was reconstructed again. Until 1987, the building underwent only minor cosmetic repairs. Now the Bolshoi Theater is a building with a new stage where modern effects can be used. At the same time, it has retained the spirit of classical architecture and its “signature” acoustics, which gives it the right to be considered one of the best theaters in the world. This is the history of the Bolshoi Theater.

And finally, one more, no less interesting fact. Films set wholly or partly in a theater: Birdman, The Disaster Artist, La La Land, The Phantom of the Opera, Burlesque Tales, Knockout, Stumbling on Broadway, Black-ish Swan”, “The Puppeteer”, “A Terribly Big Adventure”, “Shakespeare in Love”, “Murder in a Small Town”, “Quai Orfevre”.

The history of theater (drama and other genres of this art) will continue to develop, since interest in it has remained unchanged for more than two thousand years.

The first theatrical performances were once staged right on the street. Basically, the performances were staged by traveling artists. They could sing, dance, put on various costumes, portraying animals. Everyone did what they did best. The new art form gradually developed, the actors improved their skills.

The first theater in the world

The word “theater” translated from Greek means a place for performing spectacles and the spectacle itself. The first such cultural institution supposedly arose in Greece. This happened in the V-IV centuries BC. e. This era was called "classical". It is characterized by harmony and balance in all elements and components. Ancient Greek theater arose from the worship of various gods.

The Theater of Dionysus is the oldest theater building. The god of wine, vegetation and nature was highly revered by the ancient Greeks. Cult rituals were dedicated to Dionysus, which gradually developed into real tragedies and comedies. Ritual celebrations turned into real theatrical performances. The structure was an open-air space. Spectators were initially seated on wooden seats. was so revered in Ancient Greece that the authorities gave money to poor citizens for performances. Married women were prohibited from watching productions.

The first temple of arts had three main parts:

orchestra - dancers and a choir performed there;
auditorium - located around the orchestra;
Skena building, where rooms for artists were located.

There was no curtain or the usual stage, and all the female roles were played by men. The actors changed their roles several times during one performance, so they had to dance and sing excellently. The appearance of the actors was changed using masks. Next to the building was the temple of Dionysus.

The ancient theater laid the foundations and essence of the modern one. The closest genre can be called drama theater. Over time, more and more different genres appeared.

Theater genres

Theater genres in the modern world are so diverse. This art synthesizes literature, music, choreography, vocals, and visual arts. They express different emotions and situations. Humanity is constantly evolving. In this regard, various genres emerge. They depend on the country in which they originate, on the cultural development of the population, on the mood of the audience and their needs.

Let's list some types of genres: drama, comedy, monodrama, vaudeville, extravaganza, parody, mime, farce, morality play, pastoral, musical, tragicomedy, melodrama and others.

Genres of theatrical art cannot compete with each other. They are each interesting in their own way. Viewers who love the opera theater visit the comedy theater with no less pleasure.

The most popular types of theater genres are drama, comedy, tragicomedy, musical, parody and vaudeville.

In the drama you can see both tragic and comic moments. It is always very interesting to watch the actors work here. Roles of this genre are not easy and easily involve the viewer in empathy and analysis.

Comedy performances have the main goal of making the audience laugh. To make fun of certain situations, actors must also try hard. After all, the viewer must believe them! Comedy roles are just as difficult to play as dramatic ones. The element of satire makes the performance easier to watch.

Tragedy is always associated with a conflict situation, which is what the production is about. This genre was one of the first to appear in Ancient Greece. Just like comedy.

The musical has many fans. This is always a bright action with dancing, songs, an interesting plot and a dose of humor. The second name of this genre is musical comedy. It appeared in the USA at the end of the 19th century.

Varieties

The types of theaters are directly related to the genres that are represented in them. Although they express not so much a genre as a form of acting. Let's list some of them:

operatic;
dramatic;
children's;
author's;
one-man theater;
theater of light;
musical comedy;
theater of satire;
poetry theater;
dance theater;
pop;
robot theater;
ballet;
animal theater;
theater for the disabled;
serf;
shadow play;
pantomime theater;
song theater;
street.

Opera and Ballet Theatre

Opera and ballet appeared in Italy during the Renaissance. The first appeared in Venice in 1637. Ballet emerged as a separate theatrical genre in France, transforming from dances at the courts. Very often these types of theaters are combined in one place.

Opera and ballet are accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Music becomes an integral part of these productions. It conveys the mood and atmosphere of everything that is happening on stage and emphasizes the performances of the actors. Opera singers work with their voices and emotions, while ballet dancers convey everything through movement. Opera and ballet theaters are always the most beautiful theatrical institutions. They are located in the richest city buildings with unique architecture. Luxurious furnishings, a beautiful curtain, large orchestra pits - this is how it looks from the inside.

Drama Theater

Here the main place is given to the actors and the director. They are the ones who create the characters’ personalities, transforming into the necessary images. The director conveys his vision and leads the team. Drama theater is called the theater of “experiences.” K. S. Stanislavsky wrote his works while studying the work of dramatic actors. They stage not only performances - plays with complex plots. The drama theater includes comedies, musicals and other musical performances in its repertoire. All productions are based only on dramatic literature.

Theater for every taste

Musical theater is a place where you can watch any of the theatrical acts. It hosts operas, comedies, operettas, musicals and all those performances that contain a lot of music. Ballet dancers, musicians and actors work here. Musical theater combines opera, ballet, and operetta theaters. Any type of theatrical art related to pop or classical music can find its fans in this theater.

Puppet show

This is a special place. Here you plunge into the world of childhood and joy. The decoration here is always colorful, attracting the attention of the youngest spectators. The puppet theater is often the first theater that children attend. And the child’s future attitude towards the theater depends on what impression it makes on an inexperienced viewer. A variety of theatrical actions is based on the use of various types of puppets.

Recently, puppeteer actors do not hide behind screens, but interact with puppets on stage. This idea belongs to the famous S.V. Obraztsov. He put a glove puppet named Tyapa on his hand and played miniatures superbly on stage, acting as his father.

The origins of this type of theater lie far back in Ancient Greece. When creating dolls for rituals, people did not know that it would develop into real art. Puppet theater is not only an introduction to art, but also a method of psychological correction for the little ones.

Comedy Theater

Combined actors who can sing and dance. They should easily get used to comedic characters and not be afraid to be funny. Very often you can see “Drama and Comedy Theatres”, “Musical Comedy Theatres”. Combining several genres in one theater does not interfere with preserving its flavor. The repertoire may include operettas, satirical comedies, musicals, dramas, and musical productions for children. People go to the comedy theater with pleasure. The hall is always full.

Variety theater

Replenishment of types of theaters relatively recently. And the audience immediately fell in love with him. The first pop theater appeared in the middle of the last century. It became a theater in Leningrad, which opened in 1939. In 2002 it was named “Variety Theater named after. A.I. Raikin." Variety artists include modern singers, dancers, and presenters. Variety artists are show business stars, dancers and showmen, as they are now called.

Variety theaters often hold solo concerts, concerts dedicated to some memorable dates, and performances by contemporary authors. Humorists hold concerts here, stage comic plays, and performances of classical works. Musical theater can offer similar performances.

Satire Theater

We love the audience very much! Since its appearance, it has reflected the life of the townspeople, showing all the shortcomings and ridiculing them. The actors were always known by sight; they performed excellent comic roles not only on stage, but also in films. Satire theaters have always been in the forefront of those who were prohibited from staging certain productions. This was due to censorship. By ridiculing the negative aspects of human behavior, it was often possible to cross the line of permissibility. The bans only attracted even more viewers. Magnificent satire theater actors who are well known: A. A. Mironov, Olga Aroseva, Spartak Mishulin, Mikhail Derzhavin, Alexander Shirvindt. Thanks to these people, satire theaters became loved by audiences.

Over time, types of theaters appear that are either long forgotten or completely unlike anything that exists.

New trends

New types of art temples surprise the most sophisticated viewer. Not long ago, the first Robot Theater appeared in Poland. It features robot actors who convey their emotions with their eyes and gestures. The productions are currently intended for a children's audience, but the project's leaders intend to constantly expand the repertoire.

In summer, theater productions take place outside. This has already become a tradition. This year many festivals took place outdoors. Small stages were built right next to the theaters, on which the performance was fully performed. Even opera and ballet artists are already going beyond the theater to attract as many spectators as possible.

Moscow State University

them. M.V. Lomonosov

Faculty of Journalism

Essay on aesthetics

THEATER AS AN ART FORM

Completed:

5th year student

group 506

Sannikov Oleg

Introduction

1. The essence of theater

2. Theater arts

2.1 Stage image

2.2 Actor in the theater

3. Theater in the 20th century

4. "Children's" theater

Conclusion

No one in the world has established, or will ever establish, the exact year of birth of the theater.

No one in the whole world has said, and no one will say, on which piece of the calendar its original date should be indicated.

The lifetime of the theater is measured by a measure unprecedented in historical terms - the lifetime of the human race itself.

The day of the emergence of the theater is hidden behind the mountain range of long-gone centuries and millennia, in the depths of the most ancient, most distant era of human history. That era when a person, who first took into his hands the tools of primitive labor, became a man.

Introducing himself to work brought him poetic insight: a person began to find within himself a poet, the aesthetic ability of poetic perception of the world.

In those distant centuries, the newly emerging poetry did not have powerful wings; it had not yet been touched by the powerful breath of free flight. Until a certain time, until a certain time, its purpose was reduced only to the subordinate accompaniment of rites and rituals that were established in the life of the primitive community. And when the time had come for her to mature, to become an independent poetic existence, poetry broke free, breaking the shackles of its former inseparability from everyday life. And then the time came for the fate of poetry to converge with the fate of the theater.

In the golden age of humanity's childhood, the first poets of the earth - the great Greek tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, like good geniuses of poetry, bent over the cradle of the theater. They brought him to life. And they turned him to serving people, to glorifying the spiritual power of man, his indomitable strength, and the moral energy of heroism. Behind them, their mighty predecessors, rose Euripides, the most tragic poet of the ancient world. Renouncing the predetermination of mythological plots, he forged the real characters of people living with intense passions, intense feelings, thoughts, and experiences.

Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides laid - according to history - a great beginning to a great work. Century after century - at all times, in all eras lived by countless human generations, theater has invariably, inextricably accompanied the movement of human history.

Theatrical creativity, as is known, is collective creativity. This is the unconditional strength of the theater, the source of its internal energy. At the same time, this is his weakness. Experts, for example, claim that a modern car contains more than 10 thousand different parts. All it takes is one part in the engine to break, and the car, even if it is a Mercedes, will stand and not move.

In the theater there are much more such “details”, which means there is much more risk that the theater can often stand still, stand motionless, without any signs of life.

The theater has always lived, delighting audiences with its unique art, helping to affirm the ideals of goodness and justice, and giving hope in the most difficult hours, of which, unfortunately, there have been too many in our history.

What kind of changes took place on earth - era followed era, one socio-economic formation replaced another, states, countries, empires, monarchies arose and disappeared, Atlantis disappeared in the depths of the ocean, the angry Vesuvius flooded the unfortunate Pompeii with hot lava, the sands for many centuries They brought the Troy glorified by Homer to the Hissarlik Hill - but nothing ever interrupted the eternal existence of the theater.

The most ancient creation of man, to this day it retains an unchanging attractive force, indestructible vitality, that miraculous elixir of youth, the secret of which was never discovered by the alchemists of the Middle Ages. In all previous eras, no matter how many of them there are, there has always been an eternal need for theater in man. That need that once arose at the ancient Dionysian festivals of the Rhea grape in honor of the mythical deity of earthly fertility

Tens of thousands of spectators - almost the entire population of city-republics - traveled to theatrical performances in Ancient Greece. To this day, majestic amphitheaters, dilapidated by time, built in times infinitely distant from us, serve as reminders of this.

In ancient times, more than twenty centuries ago, the Greek comedian Aristophanes reflected on the innermost essence of the force that so imperiously draws a person to the theater. Why do people love theater, why do they value its masters so much?.. They love and appreciate, answered the first comedian of humanity, for truthful speeches, for good advice and for making the citizens of their native land smarter and better.

In Aristophanes' words, which have not faded over the long series of past centuries, the highest aesthetic, moral, spiritual, social purpose of the theater is recognized. Its purpose is to be a school of life for people.

The school of life is the oldest, most amazing and emotional, the most festive, inspiring, great school like no other - that’s what theater is.

Theatrical art is one of the most complex, most effective and most ancient arts. Moreover, it is heterogeneous, synthetic. The components of theatrical art include architecture, painting and sculpture (scenery), and music (it sounds not only in musical, but also often in dramatic performances), and choreography (again, not only in ballet, but also in drama ), and literature (the text on which a dramatic performance is based), and the art of acting, etc. Among all of the above, the art of acting is the main thing that determines the theater. The famous Soviet director A. Tairov wrote, “... in the history of the theater there were long periods when it existed without plays, when it did without any scenery, but there was not a single moment when the theater was without an actor.”

The actor in the theater is the main artist who creates what is called the stage image. More precisely, an actor in the theater is simultaneously an artist-creator, the material of creativity, and its result - an image. The art of an actor allows us to see with our own eyes not only the image in its final expression, but also the very process of its creation and formation. The actor creates an image from himself, and at the same time creates it in the presence of the viewer, before his eyes. This is perhaps the main specificity of the stage, theatrical image - and here is the source of the special and unique artistic pleasure that it gives to the viewer. The spectator in the theater, more than anywhere else in the arts, directly participates in the miracle of creation.

The art of theater, unlike other arts, is a living art. It arises only at the hour of meeting with the viewer. It is based on an indispensable emotional, spiritual contact between the stage and the audience. There is no such contact, which means there is no performance that lives according to its own aesthetic laws.

It is a great torment for an actor to perform in front of an empty hall, without a single spectator. This state is equivalent for him to being in a space closed from the whole world. At the hour of the performance, the actor’s soul is directed towards the spectator, just as the spectator’s soul is directed towards the actor. The art of theater lives, breathes, excites and captivates the viewer in those happy moments when, through the invisible wires of high-voltage transmissions, there is an active exchange of two spiritual energies, mutually directed towards each other - from actor to viewer, from viewer to actor.

When reading a book, standing in front of a painting, the reader and viewer do not see the writer, the painter. And only in the theater does a person meet eye to eye with the creative artist, meet him at the moment of creativity. He guesses the emergence and movement of his heart, and lives with it all the vicissitudes of the events that took place on the stage.

A reader alone, alone with a treasured book, can experience exciting, happy moments. And the theater does not leave its audience alone. In the theater, everything is based on active emotional interaction between those who create a work of art on stage that evening and those for whom it is created.

The viewer comes to a theatrical performance not as an outside observer. He cannot help but express his attitude to what is happening on stage. An explosion of approving applause, cheerful laughter, tense, unbroken silence, a sigh of relief, silent indignation - the audience's participation in the process of stage action is manifested in a rich variety. A festive atmosphere arises in the theater when such complicity and empathy reach the highest intensity...

This is what his living art means. Art in which the beating of the human heart is heard, the subtlest movements of the soul and mind, which contains the whole world of human feelings and thoughts, hopes, dreams, desires, is sensitively captured.

Of course, when we think and talk about an actor, we understand how important not just an actor is for the theater, but an acting ensemble, unity, and creative interaction of actors. “Real theater,” Chaliapin wrote, “is not only individual creativity, but also collective action, requiring complete harmony of all parts.”

Theater is a doubly collective art. The viewer perceives a theatrical production and stage action not alone, but collectively, “feeling the elbow of a neighbor,” which greatly enhances the impression and artistic infectiousness of what is happening on stage. At the same time, the impression itself comes not from one individual actor, but from a group of actors. Both on stage and in the auditorium, on both sides of the ramp, they live, feel and act - not individual individuals, but people, a society of people connected with each other for a time by common attention, purpose, common action.

To a large extent, this is what determines the enormous social and educational role of the theater. Art that is created and perceived together becomes a school in the true sense of the word. “The theater,” wrote the famous Spanish poet García Lorca, “is a school of tears and laughter, a free platform from which people can denounce outdated or false morality and explain, using living examples, the eternal laws of the human heart and human feeling.”

A person turns to the theater as a reflection of his conscience, his soul - he recognizes himself, his time and his life in the theater. The theater opens up amazing opportunities for spiritual and moral self-knowledge.

And even though theater, by its aesthetic nature, is a conventional art, like other arts, what appears on stage before the viewer is not the real reality itself, but only its artistic reflection. But there is so much truth in that reflection that it is perceived in all its unconditionality, as the most authentic, true life. The viewer recognizes the ultimate reality of the existence of stage characters. The great Goethe wrote: “What could be more nature than Shakespeare’s people!”

In the theater, in a lively community of people gathered for a stage performance, everything is possible: laughter and tears, grief and joy, undisguised indignation and wild delight, sadness and happiness, irony and mistrust, contempt and sympathy, guarded silence and loud approval - in a word , all the riches of emotional manifestations and shocks of the human soul.

2.1 Stage image

The stage image - here only the image created by the art of cinema can be compared with it - is perceived by us as the most authentic of all images existing in art. The most authentic, despite its obvious conventionality. How can this be explained? Why is the image created by an actor so reliable and affects us so vividly? First of all, because it is as adequate as possible to its material. In the theater, the image of a person is created by a person. We do not need special efforts, much work of imagination, to imagine a human character in a human actor. Of course, in the actor we see not himself, but another person, perhaps even from a different era, but still a person. What is assumed in the image is inherent in the actor himself.

We can mention Moskvin, who perfectly played the role of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich in the performance of the Moscow Art Theater. The great actor played this role in such a way that for the audience he was no longer Ivan Mikhailovich Moskvin, but the genuine, living Fyodor Ioannovich. When Moskvin-Fyodor said, throwing himself on Irina’s neck: “Arinushka! My dear! Perhaps you blame me for not holding him back now?.. What can I do, since I was not born to be a sovereign! ", for whom the "Monomakh's hat" turned out to be too heavy. It was almost impossible to imagine Fyodor Ioannovich not the way Moskvin created him. But the amazing feeling of the truthfulness of the artistic image is explained not only by Moskvin’s unique acting skills, but also by the very nature of theatrical art - by the fact that the image of a person on stage is created by a person.

The maximum authenticity of the stage image is also associated with another important property of theatrical art - a special sense of time. Each type of art has a specific artistic time. In sculpture it is “zero”, which means the absence of time boundaries, a setting for eternity. In epic or lyric poetry, this is usually the past tense. In dramatic art - the present tense. When we read Homer’s “Iliad” or even the most modern story - say, F. Abramov or V. Belov - we perceive all the events described there as already past. When we watch a theatrical performance - whether a tragedy, drama or comedy - everything that happens on stage happens for us in the present. Events on stage take place simultaneously with their perception by the viewer. Psychologically, this leads to the fact that in the theater we feel not just spectators, but also, as it were, participants in the action. This makes the theatrical action especially convincing and impressive.

Meanwhile, the desire to become an active participant in events in the atmosphere of the theater is no longer so rare and distinguishes not only children. The story of a madman who, mistaking art for life itself, cut up Repin’s canvas “Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan” is quite unique. There is no doubt that the illusion of credibility and authenticity in painting, sculpture or poetry is less than in theatrical art. Less, in particular, because only theater lives in the present time, and from a psychological point of view it is the most reliable and genuine.

It is no coincidence that the concepts of “truth” and “falsehood” as evaluative ones are applied to theater much more often than, for example, to painting or sculpture, not to mention architecture and music. It is more natural to call for direct truthfulness in art - and in relation to the theater such calls are heard all the time - it is more natural when such almost immediate truthfulness is already contained in the very nature of this art and the artistic image it creates.

2.2 Actor in the theater

Theatrical art is both truthful and conventional. True - despite its conventionality. As, indeed, any art. Types of art differ from each other in both the degree of truthfulness and the degree of conventionality, but without the very combination of truthfulness and conventionality, no art can exist.

What is unique about the work of a theater actor? Much in an actor’s performance in the theater not only brings him closer to the truth of life, but also takes him away from it. For example, the theater loves the expression of feelings “loud” and “talkative”. “The theater is not a living room,” wrote the great realist actor B.K. Coquelin, to whose statements I have already referred more than once. - One and a half thousand spectators gathered in the auditorium cannot be addressed as two or three comrades with whom you are sitting by the fireplace. If you don't raise your voice, no one will hear the words; If you don’t pronounce them clearly, you won’t be understood.”

Meanwhile, in reality, human emotions can be deeply hidden. Grief can be expressed in subtle trembling of the lips, movement of the facial muscles, etc. The actor knows this very well, but in his stage life he must take into account not only the psychological and everyday truth, but also the conditions of the stage, the perception capabilities of the audience. It is precisely in order for the character’s words and feelings to reach them that the actor must somewhat exaggerate the degree and form of their expression. This is required by the specifics of theatrical art.

For a theater actor, communication with the audience creates an important creative impulse. During the performance, invisible strong threads are stretched between them, through which invisible waves of sympathy and antipathy, sympathy, understanding, and delight are amazingly transmitted. This internally controls the actor’s performance and helps him create.

“The theater, whatever its structure,” says Alexey Batalov, “is always a date, always the warmth of live communication. The soul of the theater appears only during the performance itself... An actor truly connected with the audience sometimes accomplishes the almost incredible. Like a Polynesian on a board, he moves only thanks to these living waves coming from the hall.”

Unlike literature, painting, and sculpture, the viewer who comes to the theater becomes not a creator of what has already been created, but a direct participant in creativity. He is actively involved in the theater's lively and exciting process of creating a stage work - a performance. After all, the performance begins to live only from the very moment when the theater curtain opens in front of the viewer and ceases to exist when the curtain closes when the auditorium is empty and the theater lights go out.

A good performance remains in the theater repertoire for a long time. But every time, with every new meeting with the viewer, he re-emerges, is born anew. And then, as expected, he will be gone: the actors will go home, the scenery will be removed from the stage, the props and props will be taken away, and on the empty stage there will be nothing left of the performance that just so excited and touched the viewer.

But no matter how much time passed after that time, the day indicated on the theater poster did not arise, just as it had arisen more than once before. Between the stage and the auditorium, the fire of the relationship between soul and thought will again flare up. And the intensity of this emotional, spiritual exchange will certainly affect both the actor’s performance and the entire atmosphere of the auditorium.

In the following days, weeks and months everything will happen again and again. But a constantly repeated performance will not be the same. Each time, depending on the current internal state of the audience, on the current mental state of the actors and on many other reasons and circumstances that can increase or decrease the emotional tone of creativity, it will be different in some way.

The same performance can be performed with a surprisingly warm, excited perception of the audience, with the festive inspiration of the actors, and the improvisational brilliance of their skill. And it can pass sadly, with unexpected audience indifference, without any uplift, as if someone had replaced the actors who only yesterday performed with such enthusiasm in the same performance, in the same roles.

2.3 Opera is part of theatrical art

In its most general form, opera can be defined as a theatrical performance in which people sing rather than speak. Singing and song form an indispensable part of this art. Here the song appears in different forms: it is an aria - a song - a monologue, a confession song; duet - dialogue song; recitative - imitation of spoken forms in music, etc. A special place in opera is occupied by choral singing, in which not an individual, but a mass image is revealed - the image of a people or some large group of people. In some operas, choral forms play a leading role. This is typical for musical folk dramas. As an example, we can cite Mussorgsky’s brilliant opera-dramas “Boris Godunov” and “Khovanshchina”.

Of course, opera is not only a song. This is also the music that exists in opera and outside of direct connection with the song. And the acting of the actor-singer. And elements of fine art - in the scenery, in the props. Opera is a synthetic art. But at the same time, as in any form and genre of art, it has its own leading principle. Such a beginning in the art of opera is music, song. First of all, it makes opera a unique art of spiritually sublime truth.

Due to the special nature of its imagery, opera conveys predominantly the extra-everyday, poetic side of life. Goncharov's "An Ordinary Story" or Chekhov's "A Boring Story", with all the depth of their content, could hardly serve as a good plot basis for an opera performance. An opera libretto can be a sad, tragic or heroic story, but not an “ordinary” or “boring” one. The entire opera is based on singing. But as it is said, “a girl can sing about lost love, but a miser can’t sing about lost money.” You can’t sing about any topic. There are forbidden areas here and they cannot be ignored, since they are determined by the internal laws of art itself.

Closer to opera than other arts is ballet. Ballet is a combination of music and choreography (dance, pantomime). One can say about him that he is “doubly musical.” The element of sounding and, no less, visible music dominates here. Dance in ballet is such “visible music”. Only outwardly he appears to be mute. Essentially, the basis of the dance is music, filling it from the inside.

This musical fullness and at the same time the “inexpressibility” of the choreographic image results in the fact that the content of the ballet cannot be directly “retelled” and cannot be sufficiently fully and accurately expressed through verbal explanations. The ballet image has a multi-valued, generalized symbolic character. Reducing the essence of the ballet image to everyday meaning not only does not explain it, but also largely destroys it. In this case, the same thing happens as with all kinds of presentations of the content of symphonic works.

Ballet, like opera, does not allow a too grounded plot. Of course, there can be no categorical prohibitions in art. But absolute freedom is also impossible. It is possible, for example, to translate even Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” into the language of ballet. Rodion Shchedrin and Maya Plisetskaya proved that it is possible. However, this translation is by no means adequate - it is intentionally selective. Understanding the problems of Tolstoy's social novel based on Shchedrin's ballet is not just difficult, but impossible. Ballet doesn't pretend to do that. “Anna Karenina” by Shchedrin is a song of beautiful and tragic love. This is a ballet based not even on Tolstoy’s novel, but on Tolstoy’s plot. The same can be said about Minkus's Don Quixote, Gliere's The Bronze Horseman, etc. The very selection of plot material in such ballets shows what ballet art can and cannot do. It cannot be too everyday, nor too edifying, nor momentarily topical.

An important problem of our time cannot be solved in a straightforward manner in ballet. Its very artistic nature does not allow this. K. S. Stanislavsky, as an obvious curiosity, gave the example of staging a ballet on the topical topic of fighting malaria: “Malaria was rampant in the city, and it was necessary to popularize means to combat it. For this purpose, a ballet was staged in which a traveler inadvertently fell asleep in the marsh reeds, depicted by beautiful half-naked women swinging. Bitten by a nimble mosquito, the traveler dances like a fever. But the doctor comes, gives quinine or another remedy, and in front of everyone, the patient’s dance becomes calm.”

This production dates back to the first years of the revolution, when art especially intensively sought to “intervene in life,” to be extremely active, and to overcome traditions. Unfortunately, similar examples (although not so anecdotal) occurred in the history of ballet in later years.

The famous ballet critic Krasovskaya spoke with bitter irony about the ballet N. Chervinsky - A. Andreev “Native Fields” (1953). The heroine of this ballet expresses through dance her call to her groom to come to his native collective farm to build a power plant, and he expresses his excitement before defending his thesis, pleasure at his successful defense and doubts whether to choose graduate school or a collective farm,

This ballet, with its straightforwardly understood “relevance” and “vitality,” is far from the specifics and possibilities of the dance image, and the mistake of its creators is fundamental. As the critic noted, “musical theater is, after all, first and foremost a theater of generalizations, and this applies to ballet even more than to opera.” “Ballet, like music, is capable of conveying the subtlest shades of feeling and its highest, grandest, heroic ascents. But ballet is unable to convey everyday and prosaic actions; it cannot express itself in prose, even if inspired ideas and great thoughts are hidden behind it.”

“Children’s” theater - is it very different from “adult” theater, is theatrical activity well known and understandable to teachers? Speaking about the education of a truly creative personality, we must remember that theatrical art - like any creative process - does not tolerate duplication. And here comes the first problem. The main technique that teachers use in theatrical activities is to show themselves or their child, that is, most often we get children to copy their own activities.

Any theater includes a fairly large number of different areas of activity: literary (knowledge of texts, figures of speech, their presentation); musical (singing songs, musical accompaniment); visual (design of theatrical performances, preparation of scenery) and, of course, gaming, where the actor himself is visible in all his uniqueness. Unfortunately, today most teachers take on a leading role (choosing a play, preparing costumes, scenery, etc.), leaving the child the role of an obedient performer, but not a creator.

As a survey of teachers conducted during advanced training courses for educators showed, many see a serious problem in introducing children to theatrical culture. The form of classes usually does not give a positive result, which confuses educators.

What basics of theatrical culture can a preschool child master? First of all, this is knowledge of theatrical genres: puppetry, where the actors are any puppets; dramatic, where an adult or the child himself is an artist; animal theatre, musical theatre, pantomime theatre...

Some teachers ask the question: is it worth introducing children to subtypes of theatrical genres (comedy, tragedy, opera, operetta, etc.)? Getting to know the structure of the theater and the professions of people who create theatrical performances should also be carried out primarily in activities that are interesting and desirable for children - role-playing games.

Speaking about another area of work of a teacher in theatrical activities - familiarization with various types of puppet theaters, it is necessary to note the following.

Puppet theater not only creates a good mood and enriches children with impressions, but also contributes to their overall development and aesthetic education.

Puppet theater for preschoolers has some advantages over theater in which human actors perform.

It is this theater that is offered to children as the first theater, because it, more than any other, by its nature is close and understandable to young children. On the stage of this theater, children see familiar and favorite toys, dolls or pictures. When “come to life” dolls or pictures begin to move and speak, they transport children to a completely new, fascinating world, the world of living toys, where everything is extraordinary, everything is possible.

Children are often afraid of Santa Claus, a wolf, a bear and other characters performed by human actors, but they enjoy playing with toys that represent them.

When teaching children puppeteering skills, you should pay attention to some points.

To organize a children's theater, we need puppets of various systems that develop in children certain skills and abilities, stimulate children's creativity (singing, dancing, playing), encouraging improvisation on children's musical instruments.

You can introduce children to puppet theater from a very early age. Small performances (picture theatre, shadow theatre, puppet theater and many others), shown by teachers and older preschoolers, will not only bring the joy of interacting with a puppet, but will also provide first knowledge about various types of theaters.

Tabletop toy (puppet) theaters are varied: soft toy theater; theaters of Dymkovo, Bogorodskaya, Kargopol toys, etc.; wooden toy theater; theater of crocheted or knitted puppets (put on bottles or baby skittles); theaters made of paper cones and boxes of different heights; foam toy theater, etc.

Another type of theater that children 2-4 years old can master is a plane theater made of paper, cardboard, plywood, etc. Manipulating “actors” with the pronunciation of individual words or the entire text gives good puppeteering skills.

From the age of 4, a transition to more complex types of theater is possible. This is primarily a theater with ready-made puppets. The basis of such a doll is a wooden rod - gapit. Typically, the following theaters are offered to preschool children: spoon; theater with three-dimensional puppets; planar images.

At an older age, children should be introduced to puppets and dolls with a “living” hand. Theater, where the actors are “human dolls,” is also interesting for children of this age.

We should not forget about another type of theater - shadow: motionless and moving, using lighting devices. And since the main task of getting to know any type of theater is independent use, we transfer work with these types of theater to an older age.

Let us note one more point. The age proposed in these recommendations for getting acquainted with this or that type of theater is quite relative and depends, first of all, on the beginning of work in this area, its systematicity and, of course, on the skills of the children.

But the creation of a subject-specific developmental environment is not the only important point for the teacher, although it is of considerable importance, especially at a younger age. Creating a creative atmosphere and activating sensations is the main task of the teacher. Creative manifestation is a strictly individual phenomenon. It is necessary to provide conditions for the creativity of each of the children.

Theater classes can increase children's level of emotional responsiveness, organization, mobility and training of attention, memory, teamwork skills, and a responsible attitude towards their words and actions, which determine every moment of communication between people.

Theater is a school of life. This is how they spoke about him from century to century. They spoke everywhere: in Russia, France, Italy, England, Germany, Spain...

Gogol called the theater the department of goodness.

Herzen recognized him as the highest authority for resolving vital issues.

Belinsky saw the whole world, the whole universe with all its diversity and splendor in the theater. He saw in him an autocratic ruler of feelings, capable of shaking all the strings of the soul, awakening a strong movement in minds and hearts, refreshing the soul with powerful impressions. He saw in the theater some kind of invincible, fantastic charm for society.

According to Voltaire, nothing tightens the bonds of friendship more closely than the theater.

The great German playwright Friedrich Schiller argued that “the theater has the most beaten path to the mind and heart” of a person.

The immortal creator of Don Quixote, Cervantes, called the theater “a mirror of human life, an example of morals, a model of truth.”

Literature

1. Abalkin N. Stories about the theater. - M., 1981.

2. Bakhtin M. M. Questions of literature and aesthetics. – M., 1975

3. Kagarlitsky Yu. I. Theater for centuries. - M., 1987.

4. Lessky K. L. 100 great theaters of the world. - M., Veche, 2001.

6. Nemirovich-Danchenko Vl. I. The birth of the theater. - M., 1989.

7. Sorochkin B.Yu. Theater between past and future. - M., 1989.

Tairov A. Ya, Notes of the director. Articles. Conversations. Speeches. Letters. M., 1970, p. 79.

Stanislavsky K. S. My life in art. - Collection op. in 8 volumes. M., 1954, vol. 1, p. 393-394.