Reading a Play's Social, Cultural and Historical Context
A play is shaped by the world around it. Learn to read the social, cultural and historical context a play is set in, and the theatrical conventions of the period it was created in, then use that context to make strong performance and design choices.
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A play in its world
A play is not written or set in a vacuum. Around every story sits a context: the kind of society, the beliefs of the culture, and the moment in history. Understanding that context unlocks the meaning of the play and guides the choices a performer or designer makes.
Four kinds of context
Examiners want you to read a play through its context. Learn these four ideas.
Match the context
- Social context
- Cultural context
- Historical context
- Theatrical convention
- Class, wealth, family and the way society is organised
- The beliefs, traditions and values shared by a people
- The era and real events that shaped the world of the play
- An accepted way of staging or performing in a period of theatre
Which context?
In a play, a servant is not allowed to sit at the same table as the family who employs them. Which context does this detail show?
- Social context
- Cultural context
- Historical context
- Theatrical convention
Two clocks
Every play runs on two clocks. Keep them separate and you will not get caught out.
Where do conventions come from?
A modern playwright writes a play that is set in ancient Rome. The theatrical conventions of the play come from which period?
- The modern period, when it was written
- Ancient Rome, when it is set
- Both periods equally
- Neither period
Conventions across the ages
Theatre has been staged differently in every age. Ancient Greek plays used a chorus and masks in open-air amphitheatres. Elizabethan plays at the Globe used a thrust stage in daylight with very little scenery, so the words painted the scene. Later, naturalist theatre used realistic box sets and a fourth wall so the stage looked like a real room.
Match the convention
- Ancient Greek theatre
- Elizabethan theatre
- Naturalist theatre
- Non-naturalist theatre
- A chorus and masks performed in an open-air amphitheatre
- A thrust stage in daylight with very little scenery
- A realistic box set with a fourth wall, like a real room
- Devices such as direct address that remind the audience it is a play
Complete the context
The class, wealth and family life of a play is its _____ context. The shared beliefs and traditions are its _____ context. The era and real events are its _____ context. Ancient Greek theatre used a _____ to comment on the action, and Elizabethan plays used a _____ stage that jutted into the audience.
Why it matters
Understanding the context of a play helps a performer or designer make which choices? Choose all that apply.
- The costume, so it fits the period and class
- The set, so it shows the right time and place
- The accent and manner of a character
- The price of a ticket to the show
- The length of the interval
Spot the convention
An interactive activity.
From page to stage
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Name the context
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Explain why context matters
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