Renaissance Theatre Vs Today's Modern Theatre

Renaissance Theatre vs Today’s Modern Theatre

As society grows, theatre is forced to evolve to meet the needs of its audience. During the

Renaissance, theatre would convey it stories using low-budget and every day materials; this

was mainly due to society being from a less technology driven time in history. Today, society

has not only evolved into a wealthier one, but a society with growing technologies allowing

theatre to pull out all the stops, conveying its stories in a more elaborate production of today's

standards.

The Renaissance period took place during 1562 to 1642. During this time, productions were

much different than they are today. Renaissance theatre companies would rarely perform the

same play two nights
in a row or even twice in the same week. At this Pace the workload on

the actors ( especially the main actor ) must've been tremendous. These performances would

only take place in the afternoon, as there was no artificial lighting at this time. When the light

began to fade they would light candles so the play could continue on until the end. Plays
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contain little to no scenery during the Renaissance time as the scenery would be described

by the actors through the course of the play.
But the most distinctive feature of the

Renaissance era was in the fact that they hired only male actors as women did not work during

this time. Female roles were played by adolescent boys dressed in women's costumes. Today,

production can run for months or years, making the workload easier for the actors

involved. These performances can take place anytime as artificial lighting as resolved this issue.

Actors no longer have to describe scenery to their audience. Today sceneries are often made to

enhance each scene, act and set.

During the Renaissance, costumes did not play a major role in the production.. Costumes

were often bright in colour, visually entrancing but were not often made because of the

expense. Due to the fast-paced nature of these productions, time-specific costumes could not

be made and actors often wore they're every day attire. Just like today, costumes are used to

show character and social status. However, today’s costumes are a key part of every

performance with actors being allowed to wear any costume regardless of their social
status

unlike during the Renaissance when actors could only wear above their status if they belong to

a licensed acting company.

As like actors in the Renaissance, the playwrights were also men. These men were primarily

self made from modest backgrounds. The majority of playwrights from this time where not

actors and did not supplement their income by acting. Shakespeare and Johnson were the

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exception to this rule.
The renaissance playwright did not fit today's image of poets and

intellectuals, as most were soldiers. Marlowe was killed in a tavern brawl while Johnson killed

an actor in a duel. The playwrights of this time had no control over casting, performances,

revision or publication and were paid in increments. If and only if their play was excepted they

would then receive the proceeds from one day’s performance. Today's playwrights are both

men and women who come from all walks of life. Modern playwrights owntheir plays and will

negotiate the terms and conditions related to the sale and production. These can include not

only payment but also conditions related to revisions,casting and performances.

Theatre has changed dramatically from the Renaissance to today; although these

changes have forced theatre to evolve from low-budget, no frill productions to high budget,

elaborate productions, it still maintains its fundamental core that has captivated audiences

throughout history. Playwrights from all eras have used different genres to evoke emotions

from their intended audiences. From comedies allowing audiences to escape from the
struggle

of everyday life to the heart-wrenching tragedies that allow audiences to relate to what the

characters are going through. Throughout history, playwrights have always known what strings

they needed to pull when it comes to their audience, making theatre timeless and one of the

most loved art forms in history; "I regard theatre as the greatest of all art forms the most

immediate way in which a humanbeing can share with another the sense of what it is to be a

human being". (Oscar Wilde )