Theater Evolution: Restoration to 18th Century
The Evolution of Theater: Restoration to 18th Century
This essay aims to discuss the evolution of theater from the Restoration to the eighteenth century. Theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
Early 17th Century Theatrical Landscape
In the first part of the seventeenth century, theater companies, not playwrights, were the legal owners of plays. All genres were affected by censorship. Since criticism was dangerous, allegories and animal fables were common. In 1642, Parliament closed theaters, forcing theatrical people to find ways to perform without attracting the attention of the authorities. However, Charles II reopened them. John Dryden, who supported Charles II, wanted to create new plays for those theaters. Charles II also accepted the presence of women as actors. Women became theatrical figures as managers, playwrights, and actresses, perhaps because Charles II had affairs with some female actors.
The Restoration Theater
The Restoration theater reflects a time dominated by the figure of Charles II, known as the “gay king.” The Restoration was also a time of significant sexual fluidity, leading to a common taste for crossdressing (women dressed as men or men dressed as women). Furthermore, apart from masques (festive courtly entertainments that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, involving music, dancing, singing, and acting, within an elaborate stage design), pageants were another kind of theater in this period. Pageants were public performances staged in the street, not inside a building. The main difference between these two types of theater is that masques belonged to a specific environment: the royal court.
The Comedy of Manners
The main theatrical genre of this period is the comedy of manners, such as The Way of the World by William Congreve. Comedies of manners laugh at the social conventions of the time, often concentrating on the upper class. These plays intend to make fun of the upper class and demonstrate the author’s wit (expressed through the dialogues and characters). Marriage is central to these plays, providing an opportunity to discuss infidelity and mock cuckolds; it does not address love. In The Way of the World, marriage is more about contractual agreements and greed than about love. Moreover, everyone in this play is after the women’s money, which is the primary concern of most men, as seen at the beginning of the play in the dialogue between Fainall and Mirabell, where Fainall never mentions love (p. 2230 Fainall: “[…] half her fortune […] lady’s approbation”). The characters are more concerned with the potential for a tainted reputation than with any moral or emotional imperative not to cheat on their spouse (p. 2232 Fainall: “Faith, I am not jealous […] to give scandal”). As seen, comedies of manners depict men and women in a very stereotypical way (women as unfaithful and evil, and men as simple-minded and stupid). Furthermore, including women on stage created opportunities for erotic scenes where sexual encounters were common. An example of this can be seen in The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay (explained later), when Macheath is with the prostitutes and treats them like objects (p. 2630 Macheath: “Dear Mrs. Coaxer […] so fond of”). This results in the sexualization of the female body as an object of desire. In terms of characters, we see the emergence of stock characters, who embody specific stereotypes. The Way of the World features rakes (Mirabell and Fainall), fops (Witwoud and Petulant), country bumpkins (Sir Wilfull Witwoud), servants (Foible, Mincing, and Waitwell), widows (Lady Wishfort), and young women (Mrs. Fainall and Mrs. Marwood). The focus is on the superficial manners of the upper-class characters they represent rather than on their deeper emotions or the moral implications of their conduct.
18th Century: Opposition and Technological Advances
The comedy of manners, produced during the Restoration, began to face opposition as society became more conservative in the eighteenth century, with concerns arising about infidelity and sex. Furthermore, the technology behind theatrical productions improved, contributing to more sophisticated and elaborate productions. Companies were formed, and playwrights began receiving fixed salaries. The repertoire system was also created, meaning that a company would be identified with several plays, specializing in a short list of specific works. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, public taste turned against the open immorality of the comedy of manners and towards a more genteel, sentimental, middle-class drama.
Development of Drama (1700-1740)
Between 1700 and 1740, the development of drama brought significant changes, marking the beginning of a new era in English theaters. Drama gradually became more moralistic and satirical. The upper class and corruption became frequent objects of criticism, leading to the passage of the Licensing Act in 1737. This act created a system of censorship, requiring every play to be approved before being performed. Opera was a major obsession in England, but it later evolved into a vernacular opera, like the aforementioned The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay. This work became very successful because people could easily join in and sing along, and because it expressed English identity as the British Empire expanded. In all these plays, not everyone belongs to the upper class, but all of them are criminals or prostitutes. For example, in The Beggar’s Opera, Peachum runs a criminal highwaymen syndicate, and Macheath is a thief, a gambler, and a whoremonger. Focusing on characters, the aforementioned stock characters disappear, and the concept of the ‘rogue’ emerges. Another change is that theater becomes more realistic, with fewer erotic scenes. There’s a shift from the comedy of manners to sentimental comedy, because the goal is now to reform society. Along with this sentimental trend, authors had an obligation to teach people what to feel and how.
Conclusion
In conclusion, theater underwent several changes throughout the Restoration and the eighteenth century, transitioning from an amusing, jokey, and mocking style to a serious, satirical, and reforming one. This change reflects not only the evolution of theater but also the transformation of society.