Origin of One-Act Play

 

1. Origin of one-act play:

Drama form began as ritualistic performance (धार्मिक विधी). The early humans enacted religious stories, myths (पौराणिक कथा), and festivals. These performances were short, and consisting of a single episode or event. These performances were close to what we now call a one-act play. Here, the emphasis was on action and emotion, not on plot or structure.

2. Classical Origins:

Around 6^th century BCE, in ancient Greece, a full-length drama form developed. But along with this, there were short, humorous plays. They were known as Satyr plays (सॅटर प्लेज). Such plays were performed between long tragic dramas to provide comic relief. These early short plays focused on a single situation or theme.

3. Medieval Period:

Around 12-13^th century AD, in Europe, the Miracle plays, Morality plays, and Mystery plays became popular. They had short episodes based on biblical stories (बिब्लीकल स्टोरीज/बायबलमधील गोष्टी) or moral lessons. Many of these were one-act performances. They were staged in marketplaces or churches to teach religious values to common people.

4. 15th to 18th Century:

During the 15^th century, full-length drama became popular. However, the tradition of performing short plays between acts continued to exist. Such plays were known as ‘interludes’. Writers such as John Heywood in England (16th century) wrote short humorous interludes, which were early examples of one-act comedies.

5. Modern Revival:

The modern one-act play began to take shape in the late 19th century. ‘Curtain raiser’ (कर्टन रेझर) was the final stage for the emergence of the modern one-act play. The custom of presenting curtain raisers began in the late 19th century England. To keep audience entertained, theatres would start the program with a short play or ‘curtain raiser’ before the main play. Playwrights (प्लेराईट/नाटककार) such as J. M. Barrie, W. W. Jacobs, and Harold Brighouse wrote some famous curtain raisers.

At last, in the 20^th century, the playwrights like Anton Chekhov (अँटन चेखॉव्ह) (in Russia) and August Strindberg (ऑगस्ट स्टाईनबर्ग) (in Sweden) experimented with short plays that captured a moment of life with psychological depth. This period marks the true beginning of the modern one-act play.

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