School of Theatre Studies

Centre for Academic Practice

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PROJECT SURVEY

PART ONE

activity 1

PART TWO

activity 2

PART THREE

activity 3

PART FOUR

multimedia resources

Part Three featured a kind of theatre very different from the public spaces shown in Parts One and Two. The Palais Cardinal is just one example of hundreds of private noble or royal performance spaces built throughout Europe. Two of the best known extant court theatres date from the eighteenth century: the Drottningholm Court Theatre of Sweden, and the Cesky Krumlov Castle Theatre in the Czech Republic. Visit the official websites for these historic tourist attractions and try to discern ways in which they are similar to, and different from, the Palais Cardinal.

The Palais Cardinal theatre later became the place in which Molière’s company gave the public performances of his most famous works. By the time this troupe, along with a troupe of Italian actors, took control of the space, it was in a terrible state of disrepair. But apart from cosmetic renovations, what other sorts of changes to the interior layout of the auditorium do you imagine would have been required to turn the court space into a public theatre? (For clues, you can look at an excerpt from a 1660 carpenter's contract for renovations to the theatre.)

Finally, European court theatres were also known for their spectacular productions, which, as you've already heard, also influenced the taste of the public theatregoers in Paris. What sort of technological innovations were characteristic of seventeenth-century spectacle? For some excellent examples, explore Professor Frank Mohler's website, The Development of Scenic Spectacle. Other great examples of special effects techniques are provided by www.phonyweather.com (note especially their page on special effects at Cesky Krumlov).

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