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1475
Birth of Sebastiano Serlio
Sebastiano Serlio was an architect who influenced theatrical design and lighting. He used central perspective to make backgrounds for scenes much more realistic. He wrote eight books on architecture and also created an illustrative guide for architects. His ideas and teachings spread across Europe popularizing Italian Renaissance architecture (Cartwright). -
1500
Origins of Opera
Opera originated in Florence, Italy from the influence of the wealthy Medici family. Opera is a dramatic staged performance with vocals, music, costumes, scenery, and movement. Opera includes performers, dancers, instrumentalists, and choral singers. Operas can take over a century to prepare with the original adapted story, then the music is composed, and then someone who coordinates all who are involved into an organized production (Britannica). -
1530
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude is the semblance of reality in dramatic and nondramatic fiction. The idea was popularized by Lodovico Castelvetro who followed Aristotle's ideas that literature should reflect nature and characters should have recognizable human qualities. Castelvetro said that things can imitate things and people can imitate people. This was important in theatre to create more realistic plays and stories (Britannica). -
1550
Use of Periaktoi Becoming Popular
The periaktoi is a hollow triangular prism that is rotated to display different scenes painted on each side. Periaktoi would take up a lot of room on the stage and limited actors' and designers' space on the stage. The periaktoi can be traced back to 14 BCE when Vitruvius described the idea in De architectura but did not become popular until 16th and 17th century English and Italian theatre (LeClair). -
1550
Commedia dell'arte
A humorous form of theatre was performed by professional actors who traveled in troupes throughout Italy. Performers often wore half-masks and would wear clothing to distinguish each character. They would perform mainly in the street using temporary stages or just the scenery they had available. There was music, dance, witty dialogue, and trickery that would contribute to the comedic effects (Hale). -
1556
Invention of the Proscenium Arch
The proscenium arch was invented by Jacobo Pergoles and was an important development for opera and theatre. The arch provides space for the performers while also separating the performers from the audience, so the musicians and actors can focus on their work. Proscenium stages are often deep and sometimes slanted away from the audience (Zachery). -
Apr 23, 1564
Birth of William Shakespeare
He was a famous playwright, poet, and actor. He wrote the plays Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and many more. He is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He greatly influenced the world around him and his works are still being studied, practiced, and performed today (Biography.com). -
1580
Construction of Teatro Olimpico
The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy was constructed by Andrea Palladio at age 72. He was commissioned by Accademia Olimpica, a group to which he belonged. He was inspired by Roman designs described by Roman architect Vitruvius. It is an elliptical terraced auditorium, framed by a row of columns supporting the roof with a border decorated with statues (Teatro Olimpico). -
Construction of Teatro Farnese
The Teatro Farnese is located in Parma, Italy and was designed by architect Giovanna Battista Aleotti. It is the first surviving theatre with a permanent proscenium arch and the first to incorporate flat wings. The proscenium arch is decorated with paintings and statues set into niches. There was a large U-shaped depression used for dancing and processions and could even be flooded for water spectacles. Above the benches are decorated with statues (Britannica). -
Invention of the Chariot and Pole System
Invented by Giacomo Torelli, the chariot and pole system revolutionized scene shifting in the theater. It worked by connecting flat wings to poles that ran through slots in the stage floor to chariots that moved on rails across the stage. This made it where all the flat wings could move simultaneously by pulling a single winch (Britannica).
