The notion of is not like today. At that time, the author was in charge of supervising the stage set-up. Traveling troupes usually dreamed of performing in Paris. The 17th century was the century of the theater.
Theaters in the 17th century
Plays were most often performed in the "jeu de paume" halls, which are the ancestor of tennis. These were narrow rooms with a rectangular shape. The stage was placed at one end. Most of the spectators enjoyed the show usually standing. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Hôtel de Bourgogne was the only theater in the city of Paris. The construction of other halls was done thereafter, namely the Hotel de Paris, the Petit-Bourbon, the Marais theater, etc. The classical theater rooms are made up of an orchestra, a corneille, a balcony and a second balcony.
Theater in the 17th century: tragedy
Tragedy was ubiquitous in 17th century theater. It was often based on the rule of the three units, namely action, time and place. The purpose of this rule is to hold the attention of the audience. It was essential that they focus primarily on the plot. As far as the unity of action is concerned, it is a question of staging a single main action. For unity of time, the action occurs in one day. As for the place, the action takes place in a single place.For the theater in the seventeenth century, the tragedy had to conform to propriety. The play had to respect moral principles.
Theater in the 17th century: the comedy
The play focused on comedy to entertain the audience. It aimed to make people laugh. Comedy enjoyed a good reputation in 17th century theater. The outcome of this type of play is usually happy. Jean François Regnard is an author of comedies that enjoy an excellent reputation. Molière, a great name of the French theater is a major author of comedy. During his career, he wrote many plays. Apart from being an author, he was also a comedian and a leader of troops. Dancourt is also a well known author of comedies. Comedy holds an important place in the world of 17th century theater. The spectator adds a capital importance to the sense of morality of the plays.
