Theater Across the Globe
Ben Shelley
Theater in Spain
- Italian actors ventured to Spain and began to compete with the indigenous Spaniards for work. This made the acting scene more competitive.
- Madrid became the center of Spanish theater and contained a rich culture of acting and theatrics all throughout the city.
- By 1550, acting groups were paid to perform all over Spain, usually at different festivals.
Theater in Americas
- The first play written in Spanish was by a Spanish born dramatist in 1574. This was also the first time a professional actor appeared in American theater.
- American theater was a cultural blend. It consisted of the African culture, the Spanish culture, and the American culture.
- The Spanish conquered most of discovered American land, and although the American people already had cultures of their own, Spain ignored them and spread Christianity throughout the area.
Theater in France
- The French made Ballet de cour which brought dramatic storytelling, music, dance, and spectacle into the culture.
- Seven French poets who were called Pleiades created new grammar rules and invented new words in the language.
- The French playwrights wrote comedies about money and sex, and tragedies about biblical topics.