Book excerpts - Ch4(E28): The Origins of Drama.
Drama as a Transformational Tool
Elements of drama exist in any society, and they appear both in texts and rituals such as play or interpersonal dynamics.
At its core, drama is a valuable social instrument that evolved from communal rituals. The purpose of the rituals from which the drama evolved was to create a commonly accepted perception of reality and to convey essential information that is vital for human existence. Whether a dance rain or a re-animation of a hunting story, the rituals in early dramatic acts were a means of storytelling and a method for transferring information to those who needed to know about certain activities but did not participate in them. We can look at early acts of drama as a primitive form of text in a world where written text is not common or easily transferable.
Over the years, humanity developed these texts and expanded the scope of ideas they contained. Dramatic re-enactments became more than simple demonstrations of practices or events as additional layers of content were added, such as conflicts or challenges along the way. What do we do if the hunted animal attacks back? Why should the gods object to complying with the request for rain? The dramatic act became an interface to share not only descriptions of events but also recommendations for best practices. Dramatic rituals evolved from a bedtime story to a social training tool.
Although religious rituals appeared over 3000 years ago, the earliest documentation of theatrical drama is from 534 BC. In those days, several festivals took place each year. In these festivals, certain rituals that combined singing and dancing took place. However, the most significant festivities were held in honor of the god Dionysus, which is probably where early forms of theatrical drama appeared.
According to Aristotle, the early dramas were simple and were conducted by a single player who played all the roles. When the actor replaced his mask to play a different character, the choir filled the time needed with dances and songs. The role of the choir was more critical than an interlude. The choir became an integrating element in the drama. Later, as the epics played during the theatrical drama evolved, the choir was also in charge of organizing the plot and tying it together. The plot was organized through the idea of - deus ex machina - the god in the machine. Deus Ex Machina was a means of solving complex plot issues by introducing a god, played by the choir member, that was levitating above the stage using a particular machine, a crane. While the actor was busy organizing for the next part of the play, the god in the machine took care of the mess and tied the plot's loose ends. I believe this element of drama had a definite meaning on the general perception and the evolving positioning of technology (via machine) as a means for tying loose ends and fixing complex issues that the mortal humans caused but could not resolve.
The timing in which the theatrical drama evolved is not arbitrary. Drama evolved parallel to the growth and scale of the Greek Polis. The city-states. Starting from the 8th century BC, communities gathered in an organized society called Polis. The Polis were autonomous and independent cities that acted like states or organizations, competing to organize their people's livelihood. As the Polis (city-states) grew, so did conflicts and tensions among their citizens and community members. The gathering of tribes, villages, and small communities into an organized society necessitated an instrument for guiding and training the people on how to best behave as apparent tensions and unfortunate situations occur.
The Greek Drama became a valuable social instrument that organized all the unwritten stories, transformed them into a tutorial, and played for the public on special occasions. It diffused the prevalent ideas, social norms, and cultural best practices. Drama became a transformational tool.
For growing societies, drama became an essential instrument for distributing knowledge and education. As a result, more elaborated scenes evolved beyond simple storytelling and incorporated descriptions of tensions and possible conflicts. Dramas evolved into more epic forms as city-states expanded and used them to promote desired conduct and solve problems. Stories expanded to incorporate more characters, and a mechanism for conflict—a crucial component of the show—was developed. Life will never be dull again.
Drama is the evolution of the unwritten story — an interface for delivering information and sharing experiences and concerns. Drama is among the most influential instruments of human history and culture, and its advantage is its simple prerequisite - Just act. We don't need anything beyond behavior to present or observe drama. Drama is created mainly from things we do, so to spark a drama, we don't need to learn anything, and therefore, dramas have a very low creative threshold. And this is where the strength of drama lies. Observing and interpreting mundane practices, codes of conduct, operations, and activities and allowing ourselves to acknowledge both technical and emotional acts is what it takes to create societies and organizations. At our core, play, the biologically inherited training technique, is what established humans' most magnificent social instrument - the drama - a ritual that allows us to get our acts together and acquire knowledge and skills.