What are restoration comedies? describe restoration comedies. 2. where did commedia dell'arte companies perform? what would have been the challenges of this type of setting? 3. what is experimental theater? how does experimental theater present its characters and plots to audiences? 4. what is classical tragedy? what characteristics did classical tragedy have? 5. what is a musical? with which geographical area are musicals often associated? why?

1. I believe the correct answer is: the type of comedies characterized by wit, satire, licentiousness, cynicism and sexually explicit language in the period of Restoration in England (1660-1710).

     Restoration comedies (also known as comedy of manners) represent the renaissance of English drama, which has flourished in London after the Restoration (1660-1710­­). The popularity of this comedies was influenced by introduction of first female actors (before that female roles were played by boys) which predominantly delighted the male audience as they were curious to see women engage in physical seduction scenes.

     The restoration comedies were characteristic for their complicated plots, which were marked by their wit, satire, licentiousness, cynicism and sexually explicit language (encouraged by the King, Charles II) . But, the audience of this comedies wasn’t wide, so the playwrights had to be extremely responsive to popular taste and go with the flow.

2. I believe the correct answer is: commedia dell'arte companies performed in various cities (building their stage) due to their nomadic nature and persecution.

     One of the most representative characteristics of commedia dell’arte is its nomadic nature – moving stage from one place to another. Performing in various cities required new audience and payment, which is the reason why companies mostly build their stages in the wealthier cities or during the time of public fair and celebrations.

     The challenge of this type of setting may be the material (having to employ carpenters, props masters, servants, nurses, and prompters) or the fear of performances becoming stale and boring to the audience, which is one of the reasons why companies were leaving towns at their peak. The challenge may also be the persecution by Church, public authorities or rival companies.

3. I believe the correct answer is: avant-garde theater, known for the rejection of general, dominant ways of writing and producing plays, and it presented the absurdity of their everyday lives.

     Experimental theater (also known as modern or theater of absurd) represent the modern take of theater by avant-garde artist, starting with Alfred Jerry. Avant-garde period is known for the rejection of general, dominant ways of writing and producing plays, and it presented the absurdity of their everyday lives. The peak of the experimental theater and the embodiment of their manifest were the plays of Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco.

     As avant-garde period does not represent the oneness like all the artistic periods before, the experimental theater also does not present its characters and plots to audiences in one same way. But, there are few similarities, such as introduction of a different use of language and the body to change the audience’s perception and to create a new, more active relation.

4. I believe the correct answer is: classical tragedy is drama from the period of Classicism, which was judged, as playwrights believed, by the rules of Greek classical theater.

      The classical tragedy represents the renaissance of the Greek tragedy, during the period of Classicism (17th century). Classical tragedy, as does the Greek tragedy, thematizes the serious, sorrowful, terrible and tragic events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.

      As the classical tragedy was developed by based on and judged by the rules of the Greek tragedy, the main characteristics stayed the same: the action was developed in five acts, it had the "classical unities" of time (action was developing in 24 hours), place (action was developing in one place) and action (only one course of action), found in the “Poetics” of Aristotle and the tragic guilt which was the hibris made without knowing.

5. I believe the correct answer is: theatrical performance that unifies songs, dialogue, acting and dancing.

     Musical is the term used for the theatrical performance that combines and unifies songs, dialogue, acting and dance. The story usually thematizes the emotional content through humor, pathos, love, anger by communicating through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as one unified piece of art.

     Even though musical are performed all around the world and staged in smaller fringe theatre, Off-Broadway or regional theatre productions, or on tour, the geographical area that musicals are often associated with are New York (Broadway theatre) and London (West End theatre).

     The reason for musicals to be geographically associated with Broadway (New York City) or West End (London) is that they are considered to be highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world, which may be due to the large venues and the big-budget they have at their dispose. The Broadway (which has 41 professional theaters) became influential and the center of musical performances at the time of productions by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.