Theater in glorantha?

[sufiazafran]

¡Happy godtime, everyone!

I come with a few questions and a song.

The questions are about theater in Glorantha and they're, quite simple: ¿Is theater a thing in glorantha? ¿Where is it practiced? ¿are there any theaters in Glorantha? ¿Are there any theater contests anywhere?

And this is the song:

Vamos por Glorantha con los Hsunchen a cazar, beber y batallar
Los lotari ¡Qué graciosos! Hacen risas sin parar
Y los trolls venga a tragar.

A la orilla del Eliari
Existe una ciudad
No les mola a los aldriamy
No les va ese rollo.

¡Voy camino Zoria!
¿Tú hacia donde vas?
Dicen que hay una tal Gloria
Que le gusta por detrás.

Ash el muy cabrito que no para de chingar
Todo el día a bombear
Las sacerdotisas de Uleria sin cesar
Te dan su amor y más.

A la orilla del Eliari
Existe una ciudad
No tiene ni una muralla
¡No le hace falta!

¡Voy camino Zoria!
Tú hacia donde vas?
Voy a ver si encuentro a Gloria
Y lo que dicen es verdad
Siempre queda en mi memoria
Mi paso por Zoria.

Adapted by Jaskier Balls from the song Voy camino a Moria by El reno renardo.

[Bill the barbarian]

41 minutes ago, sufiazafran said:

¿Is theater a thing in glorantha?

And quite religious (obviously) as well. The Puppeteer Troupe come to mind.... as do any sacred time/holy day/ceremonies in general, as well.

The Puppeteers have not made a mark in the new RQ as of yet but are mentioned in some detail on page 20 of the Gloranthan Sourcebook (ETA and a brief mention on RQ RiG page 14. I am not sure I feel comfortable posting it here (if someone else wishes spoilers would be cool), but I will mention they have hands in low entertaining and... <snip>... so have a boo.

 

41 minutes ago, sufiazafran said:

are there any theaters in Glorantha?

I would assume there are found in the best clan house in a central local or in a natural amphitheatre near a stead... Would love to hear about other ideas as well!

 

41 minutes ago, sufiazafran said:

Are there any theater contests anywhere?

There will be in my games from now on!

Later ETA

this is small enough I can copy it and it being in the core rule book I did not add spoilers...

Edited December 27, 2021 by Bill the barbarian

[Sir_Godspeed]

Many religious ceremonies in Glorantha are effectively "theatrical" with the main focus being a number of people acting in specific roles according to a pre-set "script" while the larger body of people present watch them, although there is a lot of "audience participation" in this.

In the case of purely "secular" (in this case basically meaning non-worship) theatrical entertainment, I would guess that the Lunar Empire has something like that in its urban areas, and I wouldn't surprise if Esrolia had too. Wandering troupes living off temporary hospitality and local-bigwig-patronage seems like a doable thing too.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Sir_Godspeed

[Joerg]

King of Sartar (pdf/hardcover edition) p.32 and p.114 explicitly mentions a Kethaelan play about Sarotar and Arkillia.

@jajagappa's map of Nochet has a theatre as the Donandar temple (or vice versa) in Nochet, between Kena Hill and the necropolis. 

We don't know whether the plays resemble Greek drama or comedy, or whether the use of Illusion magic might give Gloranthans the equivalent of cinematic experiences when watching Donandar actors presenting a play. At the very least, something like Gandalf's fireworks dragon at Bilbo's birthday party should be available on stage.

[Eff]

Theatrical productions in Glorantha seem to be slightly anachronistic not just for the Bronze Age (about which theater nothing is really known) but also for antiquity in general. We have in the Puppeteer Troupe complex dramas with multiple roles, major parts and bit parts both. This is certainly not Aeschylus's or Sophocles's tragedies, which were marked by having two and three actors, as a significant shift from the actor-and-satyr-chorus plays of Thespis. We are probably looking at something more like Roman theater, if not medieval European or early modern drama, in terms of its complexity and extent. But the forms are probably more antique in style, alternating between tragedies and comedies, probably with multiple subgenres within these two.

[Erol of Backford]

Wouldn't the Puppeteer Troupe performance, no matter the experience, a play, music/song, drama, poetry, etc be an ideal venue whereby the audience is presented with numerous "riddles" by invoking thought/answering riddles placed/presented therein? Wouldn't any traveling entertainer be viewed with skepticism due to this possibility in certain cultures?

[Nick Brooke]

“Don’t think. Thinking is dangerous. If someone tries to trick you into thinking for yourself, kill them immediately.”

[David Scott]

13 hours ago, sufiazafran said:

are there any theaters in Glorantha?

The Trade Think Theatre (on the border of Starter set book 1 & 2) is clearly the place to go. Likely with major Dragonewt productions: The King & Eye, Uncle Vasana, Orlanth Rex, and of course the latest, She Stoops to Conquer.

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by David Scott

[soltakss]

17 hours ago, sufiazafran said:

¿Is theater a thing in glorantha?

Yes, I think it is. There are descriptions of theatres and plays, so it must be around.

17 hours ago, sufiazafran said:

¿Where is it practiced?

Some cults treat theatre as a sacred act and put on religious plays. Some think it is sacred and put on secular plays. Some think it is not sacred and put on various types of plays.

The Puppeteer Troupe has already been mentioned, but Donandar the Entertainer must have a strong influence on theatre.

I think there are wandering Nysaloran Theatres that put on plays that can increase your chance of Illumination.

Mystery Plays should be a thing in Glorantha, teaching cult mysteries and cult lore to spectators.

As a Brit, Pantomime must be in Glorantha, somewhere.

 

[Tindalos]

15 minutes ago, soltakss said:

As a Brit, Pantomime must be in Glorantha, somewhere.

It's behind you!

[Mameluco]

19 hours ago, sufiazafran said:

¡Happy godtime, everyone!

I come with a few questions and a song.

The questions are about theater in Glorantha and they're, quite simple: ¿Is theater a thing in glorantha? ¿Where is it practiced? ¿are there any theaters in Glorantha? ¿Are there any theater contests anywhere?

And this is the song:

Vamos por Glorantha con los Hsunchen a cazar, beber y batallar
Los lotari ¡Qué graciosos! Hacen risas sin parar
Y los trolls venga a tragar.

A la orilla del Eliari
Existe una ciudad
No les mola a los aldriamy
No les va ese rollo.

¡Voy camino Zoria!
¿Tú hacia donde vas?
Dicen que hay una tal Gloria
Que le gusta por detrás.

Ash el muy cabrito que no para de chingar
Todo el día a bombear
Las sacerdotisas de Uleria sin cesar
Te dan su amor y más.

A la orilla del Eliari
Existe una ciudad
No tiene ni una muralla
¡No le hace falta!

¡Voy camino Zoria!
Tú hacia donde vas?
Voy a ver si encuentro a Gloria
Y lo que dicen es verdad
Siempre queda en mi memoria
Mi paso por Zoria.

Adapted by Jaskier Balls from the song Voy camino a Moria by El reno renardo.

Renardo the Reindeer is a Hsunchen! That explains, like, a lot. * Adding 1% to Illumination... *

I'd like to mention "Voy camino a Moria" is an adptation from "Camino a Soria" by Gabinete Caligari.

[jajagappa]

18 hours ago, Joerg said:

King of Sartar (pdf/hardcover edition) p.32 and p.114 explicitly mentions a Kethaelan play about Sarotar and Arkillia.

@jajagappa's map of Nochet has a theatre as the Donandar temple (or vice versa) in Nochet, between Kena Hill and the necropolis. 

Yes, I think there are a range of epic cycles that are performed.  Urban areas in the Holy Country and the Lunar Heartland are large enough to support this form of popular entertainment.  Donandar would be the patron deity so such amphitheaters would be among his temples.

 

[Alex]

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

Some cults treat theatre as a sacred act and put on religious plays. Some think it is sacred and put on secular plays. Some think it is not sacred and put on various types of plays.

The distinction must be more than a matter of opinion, of course, but of ensuring the two are formally and magically distinct.  It's difficult to imagine a 'method actor' or indeed a production of a play like MacBeth in Glorantha (or at least, in theistic Glorantha):  it'd be a little too on-the-nose and heroformy.  This might be the Big Subcult Secret of the Puppeteer Troupe's form of Donandar worship, how to do such things without getting sucked too far into each individual role.  (A (metric) ton(ne) of llusion SFX and "have you tried acting, dear boy?")

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

Mystery Plays should be a thing in Glorantha, teaching cult mysteries and cult lore to spectators.

Perhaps more like lack-of-mystery rites, where cults conduct some of the forms of worship rituals, but with the cult secrets removed or hidden, in such a way as they can be conducted in public.  Certainly in such cases there's no problem with emulation, it's all to the good.

20 hours ago, Eff said:

This is certainly not Aeschylus's or Sophocles's tragedies, which were marked by having two and three actors, as a significant shift from the actor-and-satyr-chorus plays of Thespis.

The latter type's probably by far the more usual form of 'dramatic entertainment', certainly among the Orlanthi.  Travelling poet/bard/skald pitches up, and recites an epic or three until they get fed, or their hosts get fed up of them.  Scope for "join in if you know the words" in some pieces.  Your trendier type of performer might not just recite the words in a standard metered manner, but actually "do the voices".  Stephen Fry audiobook LARP!  A Donandari (or whatever other cults and subcults we have to cover such things these days) with their own travelling backup group would be pretty fancy and high-end.  Actual multi-performer, multi-part theatre -- as distinct from worship rituals -- I'd take to be about the rarest format, confined to the very largest and most cosmopolitan of locations.  I'm also inclined to say the structures of the pieces are very different from modern, and indeed somewhat different from Classical drama, partly to defray the "anachronistic" thing, but I confess at this point I'm at best handwaving how they might be different.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Alex

[Sir_Godspeed]

I'd like to think we also have "low-art" kind of theatre/stage entertainment (actual stage optional). Skit-like things, poetic improv duels, singsong gatherings, possibly even something resembling stand-up (but probably more over-the-top and jester-like). Displaying weird talents.

[Bill the barbarian]

14 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I'd like to think we also have "low-art" kind of theatre/stage entertainment (actual stage optional). Skit-like things, poetic improv duels, singsong gatherings, possibly even something resembling stand-up (but probably more over-the-top and jester-like). Displaying weird talents.

Me too, and busking would have to be a thing! And leave us not forget my favourite band! Although is this high or low art, good Sir_Godspeed?

Bundalini and His Band

Edited December 28, 2021 by Bill the barbarian

[molmedoz]

"Voy Camino Moría adapted from "Voy camino Soria" from Gabinete Garigaldi. Good song

[Rodney Dangerduck]

Our Eurmali, while in New Pavis, put on an Esrolian themed production of Die Zauberflöte for Gol-Gotti, who really enjoyed it.  Or at least claimed to.  A bit strange but MGF.

[Darius West]

17 hours ago, soltakss said:

As a Brit, Pantomime must be in Glorantha, somewhere.

Behind you!  It's behind you!

[Akhôrahil]

I believe we have sources for puppet theater among the Orlanthi.

[Baron Wulfraed]

6 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

I believe we have sources for puppet theater among the Orlanthi.

Justification for the invention of socks? 👹

[Alex]

22 minutes ago, Baron Wulfraed said:

Justification for the invention of socks? 👹

Excellent point!  Prior to that, too many hands were HeroForming into Bag King Brangbane.  Talk about Dr Stranglove!