Historical Development of Theater and Theater from Past to Present

Dating back to the 6th century BC, theater is based on the display of emotions, thoughts and situations on stage. It derives from the Greek word theatron, meaning a place of spectacle. It is accepted that theater was born in Ancient Greece during religious ceremonies in the name of Dionysus, the god of the vintage. However, cave paintings unearthed through archaeological studies show people in various disguises performing rhythmic movements. For this reason, it would be appropriate to say that the history of theater dates back much further and is one of the oldest branches of art.

The theater, which dates back to the 6th century BC, is based on the display of emotions, thoughts and situations on stage. It derives from the Greek word theatron, meaning a place of spectacle. It is accepted that the theater was born in Ancient Greece during religious ceremonies in the name of Dionysus, the god of the vintage. However, cave paintings uncovered by archaeological studies show people in various disguises performing rhythmic movements. For this reason, it would be appropriate to say that the history of theater dates back much further and is one of the oldest branches of art.

What is the Difference of Theater from Other Literary Works?

The most important feature that distinguishes theatrical works from other works of literature is that the story is told by enactment, that is, by showing it to the audience. Another important feature is that it is a collective art. The play is put on stage with the collaborative work of the playwright, actors, director and many other laborers. The audience is the complement and receiver of this art.

Let's take a look at what stages theater has gone through from past to present.

Ancient Greek Theater and Its Characteristics

It was a theatrical tradition centered in Athens in the 6th and 3rd centuries BC. Mythological stories and legends formed the subject of the plays. There are two main forms: comedy, in which ridiculous situations are described, and tragedy, in which sad situations are described. Later, drama emerged with the merger of these two forms.

The outlines of tragedies were described by Aristotle in his book Poetics. The unity of event, place and time, called the rule of three unities, is the most important feature of these plays. There is also a choir that acts as a narrator in the plays. It explains the events that need to be explained to the audience and acts as a bridge between the scenes. The genre of comedy, which emerged after tragedy, attracted more attention and love of the public. While tragedy dealt with the issues of the nobility and the upper class, comedy told the funny stories of ordinary people. The most important playwrights of the Ancient Greek period are Sophocles, Euripides and Aiskhyleos.

Roman Theater and Things to Know

Romans preferred to follow the Greek theater rather than innovate in the art of theater. However, unlike the ancient period, the plays did not have a religious character. While the social and educational aspect of the theater came to the fore in the Rome of the Republican period, entertaining, funny and exciting events were preferred during the imperial period. Important comedy writers are Plautus and Terentius. Seneca is one of the famous tragedy writers.

Medieval Theater

A period spanning nearly a thousand years and ending with the conquest of Istanbul is known as the Middle Ages. During this period, the Catholic Church, whose authority in Europe was almost unlimited, exerted intense pressure on the people, science and art. Theater also took its share of this oppression. However, religious officials, who later realized the power of the theater, began to stage religious plays to make the public accept their views. The theater, which became more and more popular over time, was freed from the domination of the church after the 1600s and returned to the people.

The Origin and Most Distinctive Characteristics of Renaissance Theater

This is the period when William Shakespeare, the legend of the theater, appeared on the world stage. It was also the period when the theater rose to prominence, competent works began to be produced and the foundations of modern theater were laid. Both entertainment and social, cultural and political issues are the subject of the plays. Despite the late Renaissance, England provides the best examples of this field. The task of theater in this period was to entertain and educate. The rule of three unities was generally followed. "Theater is not meant to be read, but to be played" was adopted. Famous writers of the period are William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, John Webster and Lope de Rueda.

Romantic Movement in Traditional Turkish Theater

This period began in the late 18th century and lasted until the mid-19th century. The Romantic movement was first influential in Germany and then in France. After the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen in 1789, concepts such as freedom, equality and fraternity began to be used more frequently. Romantic Theater also started to focus on these concepts and turned its face towards a bright and optimistic world. Human life gained value and enthusiastic and lyrical expression was preferred. While reason was brought to the forefront in classical theater, emotion was brought to the forefront in romantic theater. Important writers of the period are Goethe, Friedrich Schiller and Alfred de Musset.

Contemporary Theater

The 20th century was marked by major political events in almost every part of the world. Two world wars and the destruction they brought changed and diversified people's views on life and art. This diversity was also reflected in theater. New forms such as epic theater, theater of the absurd, expressionist, surrealist, existentialist emerged. However, the effort to explain human beings to human beings in the best way has never diminished, on the contrary, this desire has grown exponentially. In this period, strict rules were rejected and traditionalism was challenged. Search and innovation characterized the period. Important writers include Bertholt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Albert Camus, August Strindberg and Jean Paul Sartre.

Traditional Turkish Theater and Development Stages

When we want to analyze theater in Turkey, we can divide it into two periods: traditional and modern. Traditional Turkish theater is not based on a written text and is performed improvisationally. There are song, dance and word plays. Although laughter is at the forefront, the plays also have a teaching aspect. Costumes, decor and light are almost non-existent in traditional theater. Karagöz and Hacivat, middle play, meddah, village spectacle plays can be given as examples.

Modern theater came to Turkey during the Tanzimat period. In these years, when the influence of Westernization efforts was seen, a troupe called the Ottoman Theater was established by Güllü Agop. Plays written by famous literary figures of the period and translations from foreign languages into Turkish were staged by this troupe at the Gedikpaşa Theater.

The first play to be staged was Namık Kemal's Vatan Yahut Silistre . Turkish and Muslim actors started to appear on stage for the first time in this period. Sultan Abdülmecid also showed great interest in theater and had a theater built in the palace. In the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, a conservatory called Dârülbedâyi, which means beautiful things, was established. Here, both actors were trained and new works were put on stage. Today, this institution continues its existence as City Theaters.

One of the most important names in our theater history, Muhsin Ertuğrul laid the foundations of Contemporary Turkish Theater with his work at Dârülbedâyi. He translated many plays into our language, encouraged writers to write theater works and became one of the greatest artists of our theater with his creativity in staging. In 1949, with the establishment of the State Theaters, theater began to be popularized in Turkey.

The critical-realist approach was the preferred style of writers in the early years of the Republic. Political, economic and cultural problems and the problems of the working class and the peasantry were the main subjects in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1980s, there was a stagnation in playwriting due to the political environment of the period.

Our important writers include Haldun Taner, who brought innovations to the subject of substance and form, Haldun Dormen, the author of the comedy plays called boulevard comedy, Musahipzade Celal with his plays in the style of honor comedy, and Turgut Özakman, who made important contributions to the Turkish Theater with his productivity.