BUNAWAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

MAPEH 9 (ARTS)
Fourth Quarter: Week 3

Name: __________________________________ Grade and Section: ___________________

Teacher: JEMALYN H. LASACA Cellphone Number: 09476136811

I. TITLE: WESTERN CLASSICAL PLAYS/OPERA

II. LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

1. Identify selected theatrical forms from different art periods; A9EL-IVa-1
2. Research on the history of the theatrical forms and their evolution; A9EL-IVb-2
3. Identify the elements and principles of arts as manifested in Western Classical plays and opera.
A9EL-IVc-3

III. INSTRUCTIONS:
This activity sheet focused on the Theatre Arts of the Western countries produced and performed in
different periods that have had great influence from the Ancient Greek and Roman theatre art. Write your
answers in a separate sheet of paper.

IV. ACTIVITIES:

HISTORY OF THE THEATRICAL FORMS AND THEIR EVOLUTION THEATER

History of the Theatrical Forms and Their Evolution Theater began from myth, ritual and ceremony. Early
society perceived connections between actions performed by groups of people or leaders to a certain society
and these actions moved from habit, to tradition, to ritual, to ceremony due to human desire and need for
entertainment. The repeated rehearsals, performances and creation of different actions broke the ground for
theater. Let us now study the theatrical forms of the different art periods. Theater means ―place of seeing,
but it is more than the buildings where performance take place. To produce theater, a playwright writes the
scripts, the director rehearses the performers, the designer and technical crew produce props to create the
scenes, and actors and actresses perform on stage. Then it will only be a true theater act when an audience
witnesses it.

Ancient Theater
700 B.C.E.-410 C.E.
(Greek and Roman Theater)

Greek Theater
European theater began in Ancient Greece. It began around 700 B.C.
with festivals honoring their many gods such as, Dionysus (Di-on-i-sus), the
god of wine and fertility. This religious festival was called, The Cult of
Dionysus. The city-state of Athens was the center of a significant cultural,
political, and military power during this period and where the festivals and
competitions were usually performed.
The three well-known Greek tragedy playwrights were Sophocles,
Euripides and Aeschylus.
The theater of ancient Greece consisted of three types of drama: Tragedy, Comedy and the Satyr
play. Tragedy is a compound of two Greek words, ―tragos or "goat" and ―ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song,
referring to goats sacrificed to Dionysus before performances, or to goat-skins worn by the performers.
In Greece, tragedy was the most admired type of play. It dealt with tragic events and have an unhappy
ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. Thespis was the first actor and
introduced the use of masks and was called the "Father of Tragedy”.
The actors, directors, and dramatists were all the same person. After some time, only three actors
were allowed to perform in each play. Due to limited number of actors allowed on-stage, the chorus played a
very active part of Greek theatre. Music was often played during the chorus. Men performed songs to
welcome Dionysus and women were not allowed to perform. Competitions in song, dance, music, scenic

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representation and bodily exercises were done during the festivals. And to promote a common identity,
Athenians spread these festivals to their numerous allies.
Comedy plays were derived from imitation; there were no traces of their origin. Aristophanes wrote
most of the comedy plays. Out of these 11 plays Lysistrata survived, a humorous tale about a strong woman
who led a female coalition to end war in Greece; Cyclops, an adventure comedy by Euripides.
Satyr plays contain comic elements to lighten the overall mood or a serious play with a happy ending.
The satyr play was a short, lighthearted tailpiece performed after each trilogy of the tragedies. It is an ancient
Greek form of tragic comedy. It featured half-man / half-goat characters known as Satyrs. They were awful,
ridiculous, and usually drunk. The Satyr characters lusted after everyone on stage, and they delivered the
most humorous lines, often at the expense of others.

Ancient Theater Terms

Theatre buildings were called a theatron. The theaters were large, open-air structures constructed on
the slopes of hills. They consisted of three main elements: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience.
Orchestra: A large circular or rectangular area at the center part of the theatre, where the play, dance,
religious rites, and acting took place.
The Greek Theater (Epidauros)
Theatron - viewing place on the slope of a hill

Skene – Stage Theatron

Parodos- side entrance Parodos
Orchestra
Skene

Parodos
Roman Theater
The theatre of ancient Rome started in the 3rd century BC. It had varied and interesting art forms, like
festival performances of street theatre, acrobatics, the staging of comedies of Plautus, and the high-verbally
elaborate tragedies of Seneca. Although Rome had a native tradition of performance, the Hellenization
(historical spread of ancient Greek culture) of Roman culture in the 3rd century BC had an intense and
energizing effect on Roman theatre and encouraged the development of Latin literature.
According to Roman historian Livy, in the 4th century BC, the
Etruscan actors were the first who experienced theater. While in 240
BC, Roman drama began with the plays of Livius Andronicus,
remained popular throughout late Antiquity. By the mid-4th century
AD, 102 out of 176 ludi publici (public games) being dedicated to
theatre, besides a considerably lower number of gladiator and
chariot racing events.
Greek theatres had a great influence on the Roman’s theater
too. The Triumvir Pompey- was one of the first permanent (non-
wooden) theatres in Rome whose structure was somewhat similar
to the theatron of Athens. The building was a part of a multi-use complex that included a large quadriporticus
(a columned quadrangle), directly behind the scaenae fron-, an elaborately decorated background of theatre
stage, enclosed by the large columned porticos with an expansive garden
complex of fountains and statues. There were rooms also that were dedicated
to the exposition of art and other works collected by Pompey Magnus which
were located along the stretch of covered arcade.

The usual themes for Roman theater plays were chariots races,
gladiators, and public executions. The Romans loved a good spectacle. They
loved to watch combat, admired for blood sports and gladiator competition.
The more realistic the violence, the more it would have pleased Roman
audiences. The Christians however opposed the barbaric themes of the plays
and closed down all theaters.
Roman Chariots “A winner of a Roman chariot race,

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 Comedy plays were popular too in the Roman Theater from 350 to 250 B.C.E. and women were
allowed to perform on stage.

Medieval Theater
500 C.E.-1400

During the Medieval era, theater performances were not allowed throughout
Europe. To keep the theater alive, minstrels, though denounced by the
Church, performed in markets, public places and festivals. They travelled
from one town to another as puppeteers, jugglers, story tellers, dancers,
singers, and other theatrical acts. These minstrels were viewed as
dangerous and pagan.
Churches in Europe started staging their own theater performances during
Easter Sundays with biblical stories and events. Eventually, some plays were
brought outside the church due to their portrayal of the devil and hell. An
example of this kind of play is the ―Mystére d’Adam” or "The Mystery of
Adam”. The story revolves on Adam and Eve and ends with the devil
capturing and bringing them to hell.
Over the centuries, the plays revolved around biblical themes from
the Story of the Creation to the Last Judgment.

Image from: Wikipedia -USA PD Tag “-Book of Days” by Robert Chamber

(died 1871) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChesterMysteryPlay_300dpi.jpg

Activity 1: Arrange!
Instructions: Using the table below, arrange the different elements based on their classification in theatre
arts. Do this in your answer sheet.
Music Body Texture Voice Dialogue Color
Plot Sound Rhythm Character Emotion Line
Space Shape Movement Theme

Basic Elements of Musical Play/Theatre Elements of Artistic Expression Tools of an actor/actress

Activity 2: Determine!
Instructions: Underline the word that does NOT belong to the group and determine the classification/theme
of the group. Do this in your answer sheet.
CLASSIFICATION/THEME
1. Chariot Racing Gladiator Story Tellers _________________________
2. Jugglers Public Executions Puppeteers _________________________
3. Biblical Stories Comedy Satyr _________________________
4 Last Judgment The Cult of Dionysus The Mystery of Adam _________________________
5. Parodos Quadriporticus Skene _________________________

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Activity 3: Venn Diagram
Instructions: Determine the similarities and differences between the 3 Ancient Theater: Greek, Roman and
Medieval through Venn Diagram. Be mindful of the intersections in each theater. Do this in your answer
sheet.

Activity 4: 1st SUMMATIVE TEST IN ARTS 9

Instructions: Read the questions carefully and identify what is being described. Write your answers in a
separate sheet of paper.
Readings for items 1-3.
Ancient Greek Theater
Greek theatre with its large audience, use contorted facial masks. They conveyed specific emotions. Two
of the masks is now iconic. The face of comedy presented by the Muse of comedy Thalia and the face of
tragedy represented by the Muse of tragedy Melpomeme.
The use of masks enabled actors in Ancient Greek Plays to portray different roles without confusing the
audience. Exaggerated expressions on the masks helped distinguish the characters so they will be
recognized even to audience members seated far away from the audience.
1. From the information given, what would be the purpose of mask for the audience in ancient Greek theater?
a. The mask is worn by the actors to entertain the audience.
b. The mask is used to give more intense feeling for the audience.
c. The mask is used to deceive the audience in identifying the characters.
d. The mask will be able to bring the character’s face closer to the audience.
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2. What is the main function of the mask for the actors in ancient Greek theater?
a. The mask will help the actors transform to different characters.
b. The mask will prevent the audience from identifying the actors.
c. The mask is used to protect the face of the actors from the audience.
d. The mask is designed to help enhance the appearance of the wearer.
3. Who are the Greek muses that represent the two iconic masks of Ancient Greek Theater?
a. Aphrodite and Electra b. Athena and Venus c. Thalia and Mepomeme d. Thetis and Tyche
4. Theater is derived from the ancient Greek word theatron, which means seeing place, therefore theater is
_____________.
a. a place for seeing c. a place for enjoying
b. a place for meeting d. a place for celebrating
5. Greek drama has three types. Evaluate what type of play that features the structure and characters of
tragedy while adopting a happy atmosphere.
a. Comedy b. Farce c. Satyr d. Tragedy
6. A Greek poet serves as the first actor and introduced the use of masks and often called as the “Father of
Tragedy”.
a. Aristhophanes b. Eurippides c. Sophocles d. Thepsis
7. He was known as the greatest representative of ancient Greek comedy and one of his humorous tale in
entitled Lysistrata.
a. Aristhophanes b. Eurippides c. Sophocles d. Thepsis
8. The following are parts of ancient Greek theater, EXCEPT:
a. Parodos b. Quadriporticus c. Skene d. Theatron
9. For the ancient Roman theater, what type of drama that is consists of jokes and mockery, intended to
make an audience laugh and a play with happy ending.
a. Comedy b. Farce c. Satyr d. Tragedy
10. It was considered as the center of entertainment in Ancient Rome.
a. Amphitheater b. Coliseum c. Court d. Epidaurus
11. Which Roman historian in the 4th century BC who concluded that Etruscan actors were the first who
experience theater?
a. Livy b. Polybius c. Sallust d. Suetonius
12. Theatron is a viewing place on the slope of a hill, while skene is ___________.
a. a chair b. a stage c. the entrance of the theater d. the exit of the theater
13. When was the theater of ancient Rome started?
a. 3rd Century BC b. 4th Century BC c. 6th Century BC d. 9th Century BC
14. The following are the usual themes for Roman theater, EXCEPT:
a. Chariot Races b. Gladiators c. Public Executions d. Romances
15. Who is the God of Wine and Fertility?
a. Dionysus b. Jupiter c. Vulcan d. Zeus

V. CLOSURE/REFLECTION:
What have you learned or discovered about our topic for this week?

VI. REFERENCES:
Badiola, Mary Grace J., et. al., (First Edition, 2014). Music and Arts 9 Learner’s Material. Pp. 259-
268.

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