Shakespeare: Father of Composite Theater

By Dr. Surinder Mohan Devgun

William Shakespeare not only influenced the theatre of his contemporary age, but his influence on theatre comes down to our own age. His stagecraft, theatre architecture, and theatrical effects leave an indelible influence on Greek, Roman, Indian, Kabuki, and Western Theatre. This stagecraft of Shakespearean theatre helped the smooth and spontaneous flow of the action. This encompassed the human emotions and feelings. It proved purgative for the human heart. Shakespeare enlivened the printed page of the drama. The present work describes the comparative study of various theatre forms of East and West. Shakespeare successfully established a deep emotional relationship between the actors and the audience. The theatre became a passionate urge for the people with Shakespeare.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Oct 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781482838060

Dr. Surinder Mohan Devgun

The author was born in 1949 in Punjab, India. He graduated with honors in English and obtained a postgraduate degree in English Literature. He taught literature in undergraduate and postgraduate classes in college and university and obtained a doctor’s degree in Shakespeare studies. He penned novels, poetry, anthologies, and books on education and personality development. He has presented research papers at various academic platforms.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Surinder Mohan Devgun.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Partridge India

000 800 10062 62

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

Contents

I Shakespeare: A Theatre Genius And His Stage Craft

References

II Shakespeare: Master Of Theatre Science

Management And Planning

References

III Shakespearean And Greek Theatre

References

IV Shakespeare And Theatre In India

Expressions (Acting)

References

V Back To Shakespeare

References

VI Indelible Influence

References

Illustrations

About The Author

Suggested Reading

Journals/Brochures

Dedication

Dedicated to the sacred memory of my revered Mother

Shrimati Phoolan Rani.

Drama Educates

Foreword

Theatre since times immemorial has been people’s passion. It has always been a source of entertainment and self-identification. Man visualizes his own feelings, thoughts, emotions in theatre. In fact no other art has been so close to humans as theatre has been. It has always proved to be purgative for human heart. It is an alive social organ. It has grown with civilizations and human psyche. It has reflected human relationships, rituals and culture unambiguously. This dynamic form of art has inspired man’s fancy to seek identification with Nature and its mysterious powers.

In Greek the theatre in its earliest history began to symbolize man’s joys, curiosities and fears with native myths, mysteries and furies. Theatre joined the men with assumed Gods and Goddesses. Theatre became a media to satiate Gods so that mankind is saved from the curse of Gods and furies of Nature. The theatre became a link between the man, Nature and Gods. No other form of art was an alternative to it. Theatre expanded and became a suggestive meaning to the vast universe. The Indian classical theatre also substantiated this view of Greeks that theatre is suggestive reflection of super-powers. God Brahma, supposed to have created the world had given the ‘Natyasastra’ to sage Bharata as 5th Veda, a religious scripture. The ‘Natyasastra’, a volume that carries theatre architecture, details of acting to be followed by actors and the other stagecraft components like costumes, colours and dresses. Human emotions and feelings have been discussed in this dramaturgy. But theatre still remained connected to the realm of kings and Gods.

The third land mark in the history of theatre is Elizabethan theatre, most significant and popularly known as Shakespearean theatre. With William Shakespeare Theatre became both secular and human. The author Dr. S M Devgun has rightly called Shakespeare as Father of Composite Theatre. With Shakespeare stagecraft became a science, a science to be studied and further to make theatrical productions commercially viable. Mr. Devgun has studied Shakespearean theatre from two angles. First that Shakespearean theatre assimilates the various stagecrafts from various theatres viz, Greek theatre, Indian theatre, Roman theatre, No and Kabuki Japanese theatre, Bali theatre and other Western theatres. Second that Shakespearean stagecraft is most successfully employed to produce all plays of all ages and regions. Thus Shakespearean stagecraft is universal. This stagecraft which includes theatre architecture, theatre management, costumes, colours, lights, demarcations of stage into various sub-stages. This helps to flow of dramatic action very smoothly. No other stagecraft provides such smooth flow of action.

The beauty of Shakespearean theatre as expressed by the author is that Shakespeare enlivens the printed pages and that Shakespeare encompasses the emotions of the audience in entirety. The amphi-theatre unifies actors and audience physically where as the Shakespearean theatre unifies the performers-audience emotionally.

In Shakespearean theatre the performers have more space, more freedom to perform, hence the performers entre the character role with ease. This improves the delivery of theme and character in the theatrical productions. Thus Greek plays and the players find themselves more comfortable on a proscenium stage of Shakespeare. Indian plays too have been more comfortable on proscenium stage. Even pure theatre proved itself more effective in style of Shakespearean stagecraft.

The flow of action is smooth and spontaneous on Shakespearean stage. Theatre personalities like Peter Brook, Craig, Beckett and Brecht always go back to Shakespeare in search of theatre.

The work of Mr. Devgun is highly suggestive to those who are either in search of more conducive theatre or are in search of the ways and methods to improve theatrical productions. Shakespearean stage has unique skill to unify performer and audience to produce optimum theatrical effect. The book shall help not only to study the wide-ranging Shakespearean stagecraft but shall help to have a comparative study of Greek,Indian and Shakespearean theatre. Shakespearean theatre transcends time and space to become a universal pole star for all theatrical productions carrying from all languages, civilizations, regions and ages.

As an ardent student of theatre and literature Dr. Devgun has successfully directed a number of plays employing Shakespearean stagecraft. He has closely watched and observed several plays in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Greek and concluded that where there is theatre there is Shakespeare. All plays and players were more comfortable with Shakespearean theatre craft than any other theatre form. The book will help to establish theatre craft as science.

Sept 10, 2014

Dr. Yogesh Gambhir

Formerly Head Theatre & Television

Department & Director EMMRC,

Punjabi University, Patiala (Pb)

147001

Urban Estate II-147

Patiala (Pb), India.

Preface

William Shakespeare’s Theatre, themes and stagecraft had relevance on contemporary and modern theatrical productions. The application of his theatre craft helped to improve the quality of theatrical productions.

The Shakespearean stagecraft is both, an art and a skill which promote the flow of the theatre-action with pace, spontaneity and smoothness. Some of the theatrical productions by the Nation School of Drama, New Delhi and OMMATheatre Company of Crete, Greece explicitly reflect that where there is theatre, there is Shakespeare.

Though Shakespeare is unfathomable yet an effort has been made to appreciate his stagecraft. It has been found that his work has influenced all the theatrical forms and the generations down to our own age.

William Shakespeare one of the greatest theatre genius of all times transcends all geographical, national and linguistic barriers. He even transcends the barrier of time. His creative genius and astonishingly exhibitive theatrical skill are unparallel unto this date. It has been found that he is the father of composite Theatre culture and stands as landmark after the Greek Theatre and Indian Theatre. Indian Theatre has been expounded by Bharata in Natyasastra. Despite massive work on Theatre in Greek and India the themes and stagecraft of Shakespeare are better well knit and more intelligible.

Shakespeare in totality had blended the art and skill of theatre to become a theatre science. His stagecraft comprises architecture, set designing, make-up, lighting, sound effect, background music and Theatre management. These were so interwoven and powerful that all human emotions stirred. The skill of his craft exhibited locale while the art of the stagecraft transported the audience to that locale. It was a skill to create an effect of supernatural elements. The stagecraft provided socio-historic authenticity both to the theme and the characters. His stagecraft had virtually no substitute specially the architecture. The various parts of stage helped the smooth flow of dramatic action while the costumes and make-up generate emotions and establish the authenticity. The lightning and sound effect help to concretize the abstract. A number of events that took place off the stage were driven to the imagination of the audience, may it be a storm, a war, shipwreck, an earthquake or the fire. Similarly background music plugs the scene gaps and covered all audible disturbances. The stage management of Shakespeare was so fine that the productions could be produced successfully in the Royal Court before the Queen Elizabeth and James-1.

The stagecraft of Shakespeare was adopted by all the theatrical personalities in India as well as in the West. Peter Brook expressed that we cannot whistle-up a second Shakespeare. Therefore we have to look back to Shakespeare for an effective innovative theatre.

Stage was divided into 7 parts. The 7 parts were Forestage, Middle stage, Rear stage, Balcony stage, Window stage, Gallery &Tarras. Some scholars have included ‘Trap’ as a part of the stage which was useful for a specific theatrical action. For example music in the galleries, bedroom in balcony stage, deliverance of soliloquy at forestage, court scene at the middle stage, ‘death’ and far off battles at the rear stage. Because of such judicious demarcation of stage the display of each scene and action was highly effective.

Use of curtains, painted screens have also been incorporated in the stagecraft. Costumes provide socio-historical authenticity to the role-character and establish the suggestive period and culture of the locale presented in the scene. The costumes and make-up not only added glamour but also provided intensity to the emotive state of the actor and the audience.

Shakespeare had obtained valuable and indispensable properties for his sets. These properties were corroborative to the thematic and chronological significance of the play. There was a vast variety of costumes, robes, masks, furniture and furnishings, which Shakespeare used in theatrical productions.

The lightning effect was produced with the help of lantern. Lowering or raising of the shutters controlled the glow of these lanterns. The candles and indigenous fire-sticks made of seeds were used to obtain the various shades. The light source was put behind bottles full of colored water to obtain requisite coloured illumination.

Sound effects were produced with the help of slates of iron, stone and wood. The sound of horse-hoofs was produced by striking shallow halves of coconut on a stone slate. Similarly storm sounds were produced with the help of grinding of stones or by the creaking sound of the heavy machines.

The theatre management comprised of procurement of properties, the use of procured properties and the financial viability of the theatrical productions. It has been observed that all the components of Shakespearean stagecraft are being used and supplemented with modern technological improvisation in the modern theatrical productions.

The Greek Theatre in particular began with man’s latent urge to seek identification with vast, astonishing and horrifying universe. Man tried to act beyond his very self, in communion with Nature as a para-force. He started symbolizing his mirth, joys and furies with the moods of Nature. Theatre, which is larger than life, took off from this mental plane of man. Theatre with such an urge began with Greeks and Indians. Both in Greek and in India theatre began with religious rituals. In Greek it was attached to Dionysus and in India it had been traced out to ‘Natyasastra’ the 5th Veda (a religious scripture) from God Brahma.

Theatre tradition in Greek was born in ancient Athens with Aeschylu’s play Persians (472 B.C.). The city of Dionysia was established in Athens where festivals were held in the honour of Dionysus, a God concerned with fertility and prophecy. It was a ritual presented in a chorus by two actors. The Greek dramatist Sophocles added a third performer to the chorus. Ever since the chorus declined and drama took place. This drama was performed to propitiate Gods and Goddesses and to save Greeks from curse. Theatre was thus a means of vicarious purgation. Since theatre was for the good of all, it attracted all. Greek Theatre began with Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes. It began with amphi-theatre at Epidaurus in southern Greece about 2200 years ago. Theatre at Epidaurus has been recently restored to its original form. Every year the Theatre festival is organized in this amphi-theatre. The stage is a raised platform surrounded by up-slanting rows for seating. This Theatre can accommodate thousands of audiences. The Theatre’s audibility is wonderful. Even if a coin falls on the floor of the stage the sound of the coin is audible to every one in the Theatre. But the visibility is not as good as the audibility. Spectators sitting in the last rows can’t see the actors properly nor can watch their body movements. Therefore costumes were developed in such a way so as to present the characters in enlargement. Heavy masks, long robes and heavy boots were adopted as the costumes. The masks also broadened the visual effects. Masks were adopted differently for the characters playing Gods, men, women and animals.

Under the Roman influence the amphi-Theatre was reduced to semi-circle. The height of the stage was increased and behind the stage a rear stage was also set. The skene was set behind the stage along with sounding board. The machines were used to bring down or take up characters who used to play the roles of heavenly figures. With the passage of time the Greek theatre declined, not because of its thematic aspect but because of cumbersome stagecraft. New proscenium theatre that separated actors from audience had come up with Shakespeare in which Greek costumes remained undigested. In modern Greek theatre the costumes have been replaced by the costumes used by Shakespeare.

The Greek plays have been played in almost all the regions with success but with varying stagecraft. In the modern days the Greek theatre has started following Grotowski’s pure theatre (poor Theatre). The Greek theatre companies have produced all the plays of Shakespeare in Greece as well as in other countries with success. OMMATheatre of Greece has produced A Mid Summer Night’s Dreams, Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth with great success. They did not employ Greek costumes but rather adopted Shakespearean costumes. It has been found that Shakespearean stagecraft is relevant to Greek themes. These plays have been exhibited by Royal Shakespeare Company as well as Oxford University Dramatic Society. The Murder in Cathedral by T.S. Eliot has a Greek subject but was played with Shakespearean stagecraft very successfully.

Modern Indian theatre developed in the mid of 18th century under Western influence.

There are three landmarks in the realm of theatre,the Greek theatre, the Indian theatre and the Elizabethan theatre which is the Shakespearean theatre.

The publication of Bharata’s Natyasastra and production of Kalidasa’s Shakuntla at the close of eighteen century drew the attention of the Western world towards Indian theatre.

The history of Indian theatre goes back to 4th century B.C. when Bharata’s Natyasastra was brought out by his sons and followers. The Natyasastra itself refers to the assumed fact that God Brahma gave 5th Veda to the celestial beings and humans as an art of Natya (Drama). Natyasastra is the only and the best treatise on dramaturgy giving details of acting, direction, emotions, feelings, body gestures, body language, costumes, make up, use of colors, shades, lights, music and dance. It is a wide ranging treatise on theatre on theatre architecture, aesthetics, philosophy of rituals, phonetics, grammar and geography.

In ‘Natyasastra’ two most important classifications of drama are Nataka (heroic), which deals with exalted themes of Gods and kings. Kalidasa’s play Shakuntala falls into this category. The other is Prakarana (social) dealing with plots having ordinary human beings such as men of low morals, courtesans. Sudraka’s play Mrcchakatika (The Little Clay Cart) falls into this category.

The Indian classical theatre continued with success till the beginning of medieval age. With the advent of foreign invasions and political disintegration of India into smaller sovereign states, classical theatre was affected. It suffered decline. However the folk theatre emerged in its place and continued in the interior of the country.

By the end of 18th century the Elizabethan theatre started having its impact on the Indian Theatre. The Little Clay Cart and Shakuntala were produced on the new pattern of stage provided by Shakespearean Theatre.

The first theatre known as Bombay Green was established in 1750 and it was made permanent in 1772 to entertain the British soldiers in India. Thereafter a number of companies were registered in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal and Tamil Nadu. These companies followed the Shakespearean pattern from 1750 onwards. The spirit of theatre initiated a revolution among masses. The craze and quest for the stagecraft of Shakespeare continued to such an extent that even plays like Yakshgana and plays by Dr. Ajit Ghosh, Aga Hashar Kashmiri and Vishnu Das Bhave were produced under the influence of Shakespearean theatre craft.

Dr. Laxmi Narayan Lal formed a Company Theatre that descended from Parsi theatre. It followed set designing and costumes of Shakespearean stage.

Thus Shakespearean stagecraft had influenced Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu plays. These theatrical productions employed curtains to demarcate stage and set designs which were very effective. The action could move smoothly. In Shakespearean tradition musicians were kept either in pit or in galleries so that they remain invisible and do not distract the audience eye. Soliloquies were delivered at forestage while court scenes were performed at middle stage.

The concept of realism enveloped theatre. But the phase of realism was short-lived from 1910 to 1940 only. Again classicism of Shakespeare was revived. People’s Theatre Movement (1940) and PrithviTheatre (1944) in Bombay and Tamil Theatre Company (1947) adopted Shakespeare’s presentation technique.

Post Independence Indian theatre began in 1962 with the production of Mohan Rakesh’s Aashad Ka Ek Din by E. Alkazi. He also produced with grand success Oedipus, Othello, Murder in Cathedral, Antigone and Waiting for Godot". His productions were very successful in New proscenium theatre. Theatrical productions