Religion in Asian Theatre
Religion in Asian Theatre
From 350-1350 c.e. theatre began to die off in the western countries due to Christianity and the fall of Rome. At about this time, the performing arts began to emerge on the Eastern hemisphere. The creators of Asian theatre new nothing of the theatre in Rome or Greece so there was no influence during the fabrication of this new form of theatre. Eastern theatre is much more stylized in that they believe in “total theatre,” which is using every element of theatre be it music, dance, text, etc. Asian theatre relies heavily on movement and also emphasizes the power of symbolism combined with their religious influences to tell compelling stories (Wilson, and Goldfarb 85-110). This is what separated the East from the West.
India was the first Eastern country to introduce theatre to its public. In 2000 b.c.e. Sanskrit works were found written by the Aryans. This is the base of India’s literary traditions and where their storytelling begins. In around 400 b.c.e. Buddhism reached its peak and because of Gautama Buddha’s teaching of keeping the body and mind pure, theatre was not seen fit as entertainment. During the “Indian Golden Age” of c. 320 c.e., however, Hinduism flourished and it greatly influenced the Sanskrit dramas that were being performed at this time. The goal of obtaining oneness with the gods and the concept of Brahman was the center theme of most Sanskrit dramas. The two most famous Sanskrit dramas are the Mahabharata, which is the longest epic poem in the world, and the Ramayana. Today, only about fifty Sanskrit plays remain and are still being performed in various court circles (Wilson, and Goldfarb 85-110).
After the “Indian Golden Age” came a more structured form of Indian theatre. Bharata Muni wrote a book sometime between 200 b.c.e. and 100 c.e. entitled Natyasastra which loosely translates to “The Study of Theatre” or “The Art of Theatre.” This book is often compared to the Roman/ Green De Architectura in that is
From 350-1350 c.e. theatre began to die off in the western countries due to Christianity and the fall of Rome. At about this time, the performing arts began to emerge on the Eastern hemisphere. The creators of Asian theatre new nothing of the theatre in Rome or Greece so there was no influence during the fabrication of this new form of theatre. Eastern theatre is much more stylized in that they believe in “total theatre,” which is using every element of theatre be it music, dance, text, etc. Asian theatre relies heavily on movement and also emphasizes the power of symbolism combined with their religious influences to tell compelling stories (Wilson, and Goldfarb 85-110). This is what separated the East from the West.
India was the first Eastern country to introduce theatre to its public. In 2000 b.c.e. Sanskrit works were found written by the Aryans. This is the base of India’s literary traditions and where their storytelling begins. In around 400 b.c.e. Buddhism reached its peak and because of Gautama Buddha’s teaching of keeping the body and mind pure, theatre was not seen fit as entertainment. During the “Indian Golden Age” of c. 320 c.e., however, Hinduism flourished and it greatly influenced the Sanskrit dramas that were being performed at this time. The goal of obtaining oneness with the gods and the concept of Brahman was the center theme of most Sanskrit dramas. The two most famous Sanskrit dramas are the Mahabharata, which is the longest epic poem in the world, and the Ramayana. Today, only about fifty Sanskrit plays remain and are still being performed in various court circles (Wilson, and Goldfarb 85-110).
After the “Indian Golden Age” came a more structured form of Indian theatre. Bharata Muni wrote a book sometime between 200 b.c.e. and 100 c.e. entitled Natyasastra which loosely translates to “The Study of Theatre” or “The Art of Theatre.” This book is often compared to the Roman/ Green De Architectura in that is
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