| A popular Italian comedy, "Troupes of the | | | | theatergoers.Denis Diderot, an 18th century |
| commedia dell'arte was very popular | | | | French encyclopedist, became fascinated with |
| throughout Europe in the early 1600s. They | | | | Garrick who was on tour in Paris. The actor |
| would work on makeshift stages and without | | | | feeling less emotion is what Diderot believed |
| scripts. These companies, which included | | | | could achieve a more consistent and stronger |
| women actor's spread a new wave between the | | | | performance.Diderot's essay "Le paradoxe sur |
| actor's and audiences. Actor's improvised | | | | le comedien" (1773; translated as "The |
| their own words and comic actions using a | | | | Paradox of the Actor, "1883), compared to |
| basic plot and character types, which created | | | | famous rivals who performed at the Comedie |
| theatrical creativity and would capture the | | | | Francaise, Marie-Francoise Dumesnil and |
| interest of the audience as a whole group. | | | | Hippolyte Clairon.Dumesnil believed it was an |
| This was so unlike the opera or literary | | | | actor's responsibility to become the |
| theater, where the emphasis from the audience | | | | character and represented the so-called |
| concentrated on a playwright's speeches or | | | | emotional school. She was very uneven as an |
| individual. Scenic displays and literary | | | | actor and normally coasted through a |
| concepts were not common, thus inspiring the | | | | performance until a tragic point was reached. |
| art of acting.Theatergoers in England by the | | | | She had emotional depth and tremendous |
| beginning of the 17th century learned how to | | | | power. She made claims she new the secrets |
| distinguish Hamlet by actor-manager, Thomas | | | | of great acting. To find out who she was as |
| Betterton. This was accomplished by other | | | | a character, where she was and what she had |
| productions of Shakespeare's plays. Using | | | | done, Dumesnil would use prayer. Alcohol |
| different staging of familiar and classical | | | | stimulation was unfortunately a big part of |
| plays sharpened spectator's senses. Good | | | | her inspiration.Clarion claimed she created |
| acoustics were designed into theater halls to | | | | her characters through movement and speech |
| help performers to be heard differently and | | | | and not from becoming them or playing them. |
| to have more subtle and natural reflections. | | | | By rehearsing endlessly and perfecting the |
| Visual details of a performance were easily | | | | "look of emotions, she was able to develop a |
| perceived and critiqued with the introduction | | | | natural and reliable character. She believed |
| of indoor stage lighting. Individual actor's | | | | audiences applauded the actor, not the |
| faces and hands were then displayed by the | | | | characters.By these two actors' comparison's, |
| indoor stage lighting.Charles Macklin and his | | | | Diderot uncovered polarities of inspiration |
| student David Garrick became one of the first | | | | and technique.Problems of inspiration and |
| modern actors on the British stage in the | | | | expressiveness were not solved for other |
| 18th century. Commedia-like farces and | | | | actors, however. For example, any schools or |
| pantomime was Charles Macklin's background | | | | treatises that were left behind seemed to be |
| and why he was hired, based his character | | | | more philosophical than technical. Actually |
| Shylock (a Jewish businessman in | | | | with Garrick's natural school of acting |
| Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice") on | | | | disappeared after his death. It was more of |
| Jews in London. Lifelike details of movement | | | | a fad with British audiences that was |
| and speech were added to written text. These | | | | associated with the actor. Basically, |
| details might not have been noticed 50 years | | | | Garrick and the rest couldn't teach their |
| earlier if not for the stage lighting, | | | | techniques.In the 19th century emotional and |
| acoustic changes and other technologies.Under | | | | anti-emotional acting styles of the great |
| better lighting conditions and more | | | | actors ran in cycles. Actor's of one |
| plausibility, David Garrick continued natural | | | | generation championed the first technique and |
| acting. Mimicry was brought to the stage | | | | then was replaced by a younger actor who |
| through Garrick's practices of imitating | | | | championed a different technique, which |
| facial expressions of actual people. In his | | | | happened in every country. The romantic and |
| performance of Shakespeare's King Lear, | | | | emotive Edmund Kean followed Sarah Siddons, |
| Garrick used a crazed neighbor to reenact the | | | | who followed Garrick and so on.The limelight |
| accidental killing of his infant daughter. | | | | gave way to the rise of gas lighting and then |
| Garrick never dropped his character during a | | | | on to electricity. More and more physical |
| performance and he would listen and react in | | | | detail appeared on stage and costumes and |
| character to all the dialogue around him. | | | | scenic displays grew in complexity and size, |
| Because of this, he was very popular with | | | | which dwarfed the actor. |