History of performing arts

Author: Grant
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: A history of performance is essentially also a history of human self-expression over thousands of years—on stage, humans freely vent their joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness. From the primitive Dionysian festivals to the diverse variety shows, from the humorous improvisational comedies to the elegant modern ballets, from the countryside to the metropolis, from the early makeshift stages to the dazzling Broadway theaters of today, from Shakespeare's Globe to Hollywood, which leads the new trends in entertainment, performance has brought people countless entertainments, shocks, and lessons. This History of Performance comprehensively records the development of human performance activities—especially theater. In fact, it also showcases the dramatic nature of this process: in the era without film or television, theater performances were the most sought-after entertainment. However, since the 1920s, with silent films reaching their peak, the successive emergence of sound films, color television, and video, as well as the global expansion of the Hollywood empire,，20. Glorious theaters, unique stage designs, brilliant and magnificent performances, along with generations of outstanding playwrights, highly creative directors and actors, and unrestrainedly joyful audiences, constitute humanity's colorful "performance history." As the epitome of stage art, theater is the most developed form of performance. Discussing the performance process centered on the West, the history of theater is particularly worthy of special attention. Over thousands of years, performance has been an indispensable leisure activity for humans. Clearly, The History of Performance aims to encompass stage arts from around the world and comprehensively showcase its evolution—from mask dances in the Paleolithic era to the spectacular Broadway productions, from the Dionysian festivals of ancient Greece to modern, costly Hollywood films. This historical process of human performance is studded with stars: the three great playwrights of ancient Greece, Shakespeare, Molière, Ibsen, Stanislavski, O'Neill, Brecht, Charlie Chaplin, Vivien Leigh, Pavlova, and all the important playwrights, stage designers, directors, and actors are recorded one by one, either for their outstanding works or their brilliant stage performances. The book is rich in its era-specific characteristics and is undoubtedly the best supplement to showcase the full picture of performance history.