Differences of English vs French & Italian Theater (Blog #5)

In Catholic theater, many objects and props symbolize parts of their religion.

Theater and play writing was perceived and viewed in different ways between Catholics and Protestants. Between the Protestants, there was dispute; some Protestant followers believed that theater was a form of idolatry and forbidden worship. On the other side, Catholics favored theater and believed that it represented the cosmic divinity of their faith. In England, theater was appreciated and used by Queen Elizabeth in the educational system for young children, and also as a means for relations with political parties. Theater was also very business-like and included attractions including food vendors, prostitution, and others. Catholics used theater to their advantage and increased their number of followers. Their drama's were about very commercial things, staying away from the classic mythology related dramas.

English theater was a huge business, and play writing became a very competitive job. Because of the level of competition, themes moved from classical mythology to themes that would attract a bigger audience including: contemporary, hybrid, unstable narrative and more. The French and Italians played the opposite, often their dramas were filled with morals for the audience to learn from. This type of theater had many strict rules, one of them being that the plays must all be divided into 5 different acts. Another huge rule was that there would be no singing or dancing.


Another one of the big differences between English and, French and Italian theater is that the English had very poor quality theaters, being made from wood while the French and Italians had very grand, magnificent theaters. But while the French and Italians had the higher quality structures, they had trouble with the inner part of the theater, unsure of what stories to put on for play.