Stock character

The tray is a spectrum of theater roles, were dedicated to the actor from about 1700 to 1900.

History

In classical drama was divided since the 17th century, the various persons ( Personage ) a play on their character and their function in the piece in different subjects, also known as stages or roller trays. The role of subjects were related to the composition of the troupes (and later the ensemble in the city theaters ). For each subject an actress or an actor had to be present to cover (see repertoire System), the range of roles in the repertory pieces can. These technical terms were relevant to the 20th century for actresses contracts. Legally, this information is meant for the actor both a claim for use in his role as trade protection from its compartment distant tasks.

The specified expression to the role subjects were a constraint, but also a competence area and leaves room for the performers, while they were still on their own. Role subjects lead to a unification of the stylistic device, which was expected at that time. To date, there are actors that occur in a standing role (which is no longer highly valued, at least in the German and occasionally provided with pejorative names such as Bang batch). In place of the previous definition on roll fan sometimes the application range is specified to small, medium or large roles in actor contracts today.

By naturalism in the theater since 1900, the role of subjects have increasingly dissolved and made ​​an individual design space. The development of the theater director and the growing supremacy of the director have the importance of the role subjects increasingly reduced. In the drama, there is no longer, at least superficially. The traditional subjects have proved particularly stubborn held on the opera stage, where they are closely connected with the song subjects, ie with the vocal possibilities.

Classification

The objects clause under there was a social distinction between serious and comic roles that has been softened since about 1800, but continues to resonate today. In the 18th century passed to the fundamental distinction classy / caracter ( fine / coarse or noble / rural ), an intermediate compartment called demi - caractère ( usually translated as " plain " ), which serves as a vessel for the bourgeois figures. In this step, there were about the noble mothers, tender mothers ( demi - caractère ) and the funny mothers ( caracter ).

For the classification of the actors in role subjects had age, stature, voice, social background, experience, talent, but also about the bring your own wardrobe (especially in the touring companies ) a meaning. At a professional role owned a presumed repertoire of gestures and behavior rules.

• Mother role
• Schemer
• Comic Old, batch roller

• Father role
• Intriguer
• Comedian, batch roller

Among the subjects often occur differentiating adjectives added as teen, tender, funny. Furthermore, the first cast of each compartment are often referred to: first hero, first lover. The character actors were usually distinguished from the lower comedians.

Related phenomena

A primitive form of stage compartments are the stereotypical characters of the Commedia dell'arte or the folk theater, which in some cases to typologies in the ancient comedy (such as the Miles Gloriosus ) cause to be back (see Funny person ). Other theater traditions such as the Spanish, French and English have different, partially differentiated and still exists to this day role subjects such as the vice of the Shakespeare - time. About the Musical For example, the U.S. Ingenue in continental Europe has become known for which there is no exact German equivalent.