What theatrical roles are there? Acting role - what is it?

The emergence of the European role system as a certain set of rules concerning acting, apparently developed in the era of classicism theater. According to the classicist role system, an actor applying for a certain role must have, first of all, external data appropriate for this role (height, build, type of face, timbre of voice, etc.). So, if the actor had high growth, a stately figure, regular facial features, low voice, he could count on playing the role of a hero in a tragedy. Actor vertically challenged, of irregular physique, with a higher voice, was suitable only for comic roles. Transitions from one role to another were not allowed, with the exception of age-related roles: an aged tragic hero-prime minister, for example, became a “noble father.” Each role had its own line of behavior, its own declamatory and plastic features.

In the 18th–19th centuries. the role system existed more orally theater practice, than in theater theory. The role system was used when creating a theater troupe: the list of roles took into account the most common dramatic types and made it possible to recruit the actors needed to play any repertoire. There were various ways classification of actors by role. So, Patrice Pavy in his Theater dictionary names the role by social status(king, servant, etc.), by costume (role in a robe, role in a corset, livery role, etc.), by function in the drama (ingénue, lover, villain, confidant). Actually existing role systems were, as a rule, mixed type. The role system, on the one hand, represents a stable basis for theatrical action, on the other hand, it is more mobile and flexible than the mask system. A specific set of roles, their names change in different eras.

The first fixed Russian role system can be considered, apparently, painting(1766), compiled by Empress Catherine II. By this Murals in the imperial theater troupe (St. Petersburg) it was supposed to have actors and actresses for the following roles: first, second, third tragic lovers; first, second, third comic lovers; per-noble (noble father); per-comedian (comic elder); first and second servants; reasoner; hyoid; two confidants (confidants); the first, second and third tragic lovers; first, second comic mistresses; old woman, first and second maid; two confidantes (confidantes). Troupe composition imperial theater half a century later (in the early 1810s) it already included other roles: the role of a king in tragedies, a petimeter (dandy), a simpleton, a young coquette, an innocent (ingénue); at the same time, some roles (for example, scythe) disappeared from the theater staff.

In the 19th century Many new roles appear, including travesty, grand coquette, neurasthenic, etc. At the end of the 19th century. in Russian theatrical practice there are roles differentiated by national, social and everyday, age and other characteristics. So, in Index of plays for amateur performances with the designation of roles by role and the necessary scenery(M., 1893) the national roles of “Armenian”, “Tatar”, “Jew”, “German”, the social and everyday role of “merchant”, age-related children’s roles of “girl” and “boy” are listed. The movement to increase the list of roles and to specify it is associated with the growing interest in the theater of the 19th century. to human individuality.

Awareness of the role aesthetic category theater occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Opponents of theatrical roles were K.S. Stanislavsky, M.A. Chekhov, who saw in acting according to roles theatrical cliches and routinism, an obstacle to the development of an actor's individuality. Among the supporters of the role system, who recognize it as a properly theatrical method of classification human types, there were V.E. Meyerhold, N.N. Evreinov, A.R. Kugel and others.

In 1922, in a brochure by I.A. Aksenov, V.M. Bebutov and V.E. Meyerhold Role of the actor The acting role was defined as a position held by an actor “with the data required for the most complete and accurate performance of a certain class of roles having established stage functions.” Through the role system, the connection between the typology of dramatic plots and the acting typology was shown. The authors made an attempt to create a timeless, “eternal” table of seventeen pairs of male and female roles, with the help of which it is possible to cover the entire corpus dramatic literature from antiquity to modern times.

A hidden role system also exists in modern theater. For example, in the 1970s, due to big amount production plays, a new role of the “social hero” arose in the dramaturgy of social themes.

Role as a method of typification in drama

Role in drama is a method of typification, akin to the dramatic type-mask and opposite to character.

Dramatic type-role is a conscious simplification, schematization, deliberate idealization or reduction, refusal of an individualized image of a person in order to enhance any of his individual qualities; searches for certain groups (based on gender, socio-psychological, age, etc.) of human society. A character created as a dramatic role type does not reflect a unique human personality, but “a representative of a group,” “one of many.” So, in Optimistic tragedy V. Vishnevsky Woman Commissioner or Leader are “social roles”. The dramatic type-role is closely related to the stage grotesque and is actively used in the theatrical practice of the conventional theater of the 20th century.

ROLE TABLE
I.A.AKSENOV, V.M.BEBUTOV, V.E.MEYERHOLD ROLE TABLE
(based on the book “The Role of an Actor.” M., 1922. P.6-11.)
Required Actor Data Role Examples of roles Stage functions
Male roles
1st. Height is above average. The legs are long. Two types of faces: wide (Mochalov, Karatygin, Salvini) and narrow (Irving). A medium head volume is desirable. The neck is long and round. With broad shoulders, average waist and hip width. Great expressiveness of the hands (hands). Large oblong eyes, preferably light. A voice of great strength, range and richness of timbres. A baritone medium with an affinity for bass. 1. HERO 1st. Oedipus the King, Karl Moore, Macbeth, Leontes, Angello, Brutus, Hippolytus, Lantenac, Don Garcia, Don Juan (Pushkin), Boris Godunov.
2nd. Small stature, a higher voice, and less emphasis on the requirements than for the first hero are allowed. 2nd. Edgar, Laertes, Vershinin, Lopakhin, Kolychev, Shakhovskoy, Ford, Erenien, Friedrich von Telramund, Dmitry Karamazov. Overcoming dramatic obstacles in terms of selflessness (logical).
1st. He is not below average height, his legs are long. Expressive eyes and mouth. The voice can be high (tenor). Lack of completeness. Average height. 2. LOVER 1st. Romeo, Molchalin, Almaviva, Calaf.
2nd. Less emphasis on demands. Allowed below average height. Lack of completeness. 2nd. Parsifal, Tikhon (“The Thunderstorm”), Tesman, Karandyshev, Oswald, Treplev, Tsar Feodor, Alyosha Karamazov.
1st. Height is not above average. The voice is indifferent. Slim figure. Greater mobility of the eyes and facial muscles. Imitative abilities (mimicry). 3. Prankster (entertainer) 1st. Khlestakov, Petrushka, Pulcinella, Harlequin, Yasha the Lackey, Pench, Benedict, Grazioso, Stensgaard, Glumov. Playing with destructive obstacles he himself created.
2nd. Greater completeness is acceptable. Possible problems in proportions. The requirements for mimicry are increased. Unexpected voice timbre is acceptable. 2nd. Epikhodov, Sancho Panza, Lamme Goodzak, Tartarin, Firs, Chebutykin, Arkashka, Nahlebnik, Waffle, Leporello, Sganarelle, Rasplyuev, Peniculus. Playing with obstacles not created by him.
Possessing a manner of “exaggerated parody” (grotesque). Data for tightrope walking and acrobatics. 4. CLOWN, Jester, FOOL, ECCENTRIC. Trinculo, Clarin, both Gobbos, Gravediggers, Jesters, Clowns and Fools of the English and Spanish theaters. Servants of the Proscenium.
1st. The voice is either low (Spy in "Angelo") or high (Melot - "Wagner"). Average height is desirable. The eyes are indifferent. (squint is acceptable). Mobility of the facial muscles and eyes for the “two-face game.” Unfavorable proportions are acceptable. 5. THE VILLAIN IS INTRIGUING. 1st. Iago, Franz Moor, Salieri, Claudius, Antony (“The Tempest” and “Julius Caesar”), Edmund, Gesler. Playing with destructive obstacles created by him.
2nd. Less emphasis on requirements than the first. 2nd. Vasily Shuisky, Smerdyakov, Shprikh, Zagoretsky, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Kazarin. Playing with destructive obstacles not created by him.
The requirements are approximately the same as for the first hero. Great charm and significance of stage nature. The voice is of exceptional timbre and rich in modulations. 6. UNKNOWN (ALIEN) Unknown (“Masquerade” and Daughter of the Sea), Monte Cristo, The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin, Petruchio, Pere Bast, Count Trust, Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Neschastlivtsev, Keene, Jester Tantris.
The voice requirements are the same as for the hero. Less emphasis on the physical demands placed on the hero. 7. Restless or renegade (alien). Onegin, Arbenin, Pechorin, Stavrogin, Paratov, Krechinsky, Prince Harry, Flaminio, Protasov, Solyony, Hamlet, Jacques (Shakespeare), Kent, Sehismundo, Ivan Karamazov, Kareno. Concentration of intrigue by bringing it to another extra-personal plane.
The voice is indifferent. The legs are proportionally long. The voice is preferably high. Mastery of falsetto. 8. FAT. Lucio, Osric, Mozart, Mercutio, Repetilov, Baron.
Deep bass. Addition doesn't matter. 9. MORALIST. Duval the Father, Gloucester, Priest (“Feast during the Plague”), Ivan Shuisky, Clotaldo.
With the exception of tragic characters (Lear, Miller), height and voice are indifferent. 10. GUARDIAN (PANTALEONE). Shylock, Stingy Knight, Famusov, Polonius, Arnolf, Lear, Melnik, Rigoletto, Triboulet. Active application in person established standards behavior towards an environment created outside of his will.
The figure and voice are indifferent. The height should not exceed the height of the person with whom it is associated. 11. FRIEND (CONFIDENT). Horatio, Artemis, Banquo. Supporting, facilitating and encouraging the person in the drama with whom he is associated to explain his actions.
Completeness is acceptable. Deep bass. Ability to speak falsetto. 12. BRAGGY (CAPTAIN). Falstaff, Boabdil, Skalozub, warrior Plautus. Complication in the development of action by appropriating someone else's stage functions (for example, a hero).
There are no general requirements. 13. GUARDIAN OF ORDER (SCARAMOUCH). Cranberry, all of Shakespeare's Pompeii, Brothel Keeper ("Pericles"), Prefect of Scribe, Plyushkin, Medvedev ("At the Depths").
There are no general requirements. 14. SCIENTIST (DOCTOR, MAGIC). Doctors Moliere, Bologna, B. Shaw, Krugosvetlov, Shtokman, Don Quixote.
There are no general requirements. 15. NEWSLETTER. Warrior "Antigone", Equerier "Hippolyta", Patriarch ("Boris Godunov"), Shadow ("Hamlet").
There are no general requirements. 16. TRAVESTI. Laundress Sukhovo-Kobylina (Death of Tarelkin).
There are no general requirements. 17. CONTRIBUTORS. Assassins, Walkers, Warriors, Courtiers, Guests.
Women's roles
1st. Above average height, long legs, small head, exceptional expressiveness of the hands. Large almond-shaped eyes. Two types of faces: Duse, Sarah Bernhardt. The neck is round and long. The width of the hips should not exceed the width of the shoulders too much. A voice of great strength and range, a conversational medium with a tendency towards contralto, a wealth of timbres. 1. HEROINE 1st. Princess Turandot (Schiller), Electra (Sophocles), Maiden Tsar, Cleopatra, Infante Fernando (Kovalenskaya), Phaedra, Joan of Arc, Hamlet (Sarah Bernhardt), Little Eaglet, Medea, Lady Macbeth, Mary Stuart, Fru Inger, Jordis . Overcoming tragic obstacles in terms of pathos (alogism).
2nd. Smaller height, a higher voice, and less emphasis on the requirements of § 1 are allowed. 2nd. Portia, Imogen, Magda, Nora, Amalia, Lady Milford, Cordelia, Sofya Pavlovna, Kupava, Rosalind. Overcoming love obstacles from an ethical perspective.
1st. He is not below average height, his legs are long for changing clothes, his eyes and mouth are expressive. The voice can be high (soprano). Not too developed bust. 2. LOVE 1st. Desdemona, Juliet, Phaedra (Euripides), Ophelia, Julia (Ostrovsky), Nina (“Masquerade”). Active overcoming of love obstacles in lyrical terms.
2nd. Less emphasis on demands. Small height is allowed. Lack of completeness. 2nd. Aksyusha, Sonya (Chekhova), Celia, Bianca, Thea, Dagny (Ibsen), Eliza, Angelica (Moliere), lovers. Overcoming love obstacles from an ethical perspective.
1st. He is not taller than average, his voice is indifferent, his figure is thin. Greater mobility of the eyes and facial muscles. (mimicry).. 3. MARKY 1st. Betsy (Tolstoy), Toinette, Dorina, Turandot, Larisa, Elena (Euripides), Lisa, Beatrice, Praxagora, Mirandolina, Lisa Dolittle, Lysistrata, Katarina, Miss Ford. Playing with destructive obstacles created by her.
2nd. Not too full. Lower requirements than the first one 2nd. Mrs. Page, some of characters"Praxagoras", "Lysistrata" of Aristophanes, handmaids leading a parallel intrigue. Playing with obstacles not created by her.
Possessing a manner of exaggerated parody, grotesque, chimera. Data for tightrope walking and acrobatics. 4. CLOWNESS, JOKER, FOOL, ECCENTRIC Beloved jesters, clowns, fools and eccentrics, some of the old women of Ostrovsky, Gogol, the loving old women of the comedy dell'arte, the servants of the proscenium. Deliberately delaying the development of action by breaking up the stage form (removing it from the plan).
1st. The voice is low, of great range and strength. Height is above average. The eyes are large (squint is acceptable), mobile. Extreme thinness and bonyness are acceptable. 5. VILLAIN AND INTRIGGER 1st. Regan, Clytemnestra, Kabanikha, Herodias, Ortrud. Playing with destructive obstacles created by her.
2nd. The voice is indifferent. There are no specific requirements for height and figure. 2nd. Goneril, Evil Fairies, Stepmothers, Young Witches, Cendrillon Sisters, “The Weaver with the Cook, with the Matchmaker Babarikha” (Pushkin). Playing with destructive obstacles not created by her.
The requirements are approximately the same as for the first heroine. Great charm and significance of stage nature. A voice of exceptional timbre, rich in modulations. 6. UNKNOWN (ALIEN) Anitra, Anna Mar, Cassandra, Princess Adelma, Esmeralda, Mrs. Erlino. Concentration of intrigue by bringing it to a different personal plane.
The voice requirements are the same as for the 1st heroine. Less emphasis on physical demands. 7. Restless, renegade (alien) Electra (Hofmannsthal), Tatyana, Nina Zarechnaya, Katerina, Irina (Chekhova), Hedda Gabler, Griselda (Boccaccio), Margarita Totier, Nastasya Filippovna. See the corresponding stage functions of the corresponding male roles
Growth doesn't matter. Correct proportions. The voice is indifferent. 8. Courtesan Laura, Erotia (Plavta), Catherine (Shaw), Queen (Hamlet), Bianca (Othello), Froken Diana (conceived by Ibsen), Acrotelevtia, Quickly. Unintentional delay in the development of an action by introducing it into a personal plan.
Completeness is acceptable. The voice is preferably low. Preferably tall. 9. MATRONA Khlestova, Catherine II (“ Captain's daughter"), Ogudalova ("Dowry"), noblewomen, some Queens, Volumnia. Deliberate acceleration of the development of action by introducing moral norms into it.
Height, figure and voice character are indifferent. 10 GUARDIAN Murzavetskaya, Frau Hergentheim (Suderman), Nurse (Phaedra), Mother of Balladina, Abbess, Mother of Dmitry Tsarevich, Volokhova (Tsar Fedor). Active application of personally established norms of behavior to an environment created outside her will.
There are no general requirements. 11. FRIEND, CONFIDENT Emilia, Maids, Friends who do not conduct independent intrigue. Support and encouragement of the person involved in the drama to explain their actions.
There are no general requirements. 12. Matchmaker (MATCHmaker) All pimps, matchmakers, except the clown. Moralistic defense of immoral acts.
There are no general requirements. 13. GUARDIAN OF ORDER Mrs. Pearce (Shaw) and most of the housekeepers, aunts, spinsters, mothers-in-law (preferably the eccentric). The introduction into the plan of police norms of a situation that is beyond their control, which causes complications in the development of the action.
There are no general requirements. 14. SCIENTIST (SUFFRAGIST) It is preferable to give these roles to eccentrics and pranksters. Equipping an action by introducing into it an interpretation alien to it.
There are no general requirements. 15. MESSENGER Transfer of events taking place off stage.
There are no general requirements. 16. TRAVESTI Boys, pages, Conrad (Jacquerie), Fortunier (Musset), Cherubino.
There are no general requirements. 17. CONTRIBUTORS Guests, walkers, girlfriends, etc. Taking on such functions of the main characters that those cannot be performed to save action.

Olga Kuptsova

Cultural interaction with different peoples, leaves a mark on development native language. There is an irreversible process of mutual enrichment of vocabulary, and in Everyday life new phrases and terms appear. What is a role, and this word came to us from French, can be read below.

Foreign words and terms in Russian

The successful use of foreign words in our language allows us to make it modern and dynamic. Reasons for borrowing new terms:

  • Development. When denoting new technologies and phenomena, finding an equivalent word is problematic or simply impossible ( printer, skateboard, fax);
  • Culture. The influence of the culture of another people, which, through information channels, they try to idealize. From American films, popular in the early 90s of the last century, words such as shop- shop, cop- police officer, teenager- teenager;
  • Brevity. Instead of a cumbersome descriptive phrase, use one word ( sniper- a person who can shoot accurately, jam- jelly-like sweet mass of berries and fruits);
  • International. Some words are used all over the world without changes. For example : broker, manager etc.

The use of some terms in the Russian language, either due to illiteracy or laziness, is considered groundless. For others, and below we will look at the meaning of the word “role,” it is impossible to find an exact equivalent term.

What does role mean: examples

The history of the word role begins at the beginning of the 18th century. Term emploi applied to stable types of theatrical characters. In the 20th century, the expression expanded its meaning somewhat:

  • Role as a certain image of a person. Examples: everyone is used to the fact that Mikhail Boyarsky wears a black hat with a wide brim, and the author television project“The other day” Leonid Parfenov walks around with three days of stubble on his face. Maybe in any other place they change their appearance, but in public they “ maintain their role»;
  • Role as habitual way of activity. A man has been practicing design all his life, and one fine day he decided to become a programmer. In this case they say - “ he changed his role»;
  • Role How Lifestyle. One person is silent, the other loves to scandalize. And suddenly the “silent man” begins to lead active image life: he is cheerful, communicates tirelessly, etc. They say about such people - “ he showed himself in a completely different role»;
  • Role as specialization to perform a specific task. Ice hockey is a favorite game for many. Each player on the court has his own importance - left back, forward, etc. Their specialization is called " player's role».

As it turned out, the term role can be used in various aspects life: specification in the profession, difference in the type of artist, appearance or a person's character.

What is a role in football

Football is one of the most accessible games for the general population. All you need for practice is a pair of sneakers, a field, a goal and a leather ball. Let's consider what role (role) individual players play in the team's actions:

  • Goalkeeper. Protects the goal from the ball hitting it. Within the perimeter of the penalty area, he can play with his hands; in another part of the field, his capabilities are similar to field players;
  • Defender. Right, left and center - focused on defending the penalty area. Right and left backs can join attacks;
  • Midfielder. The role of midfield is to “deliver” the ball to the attackers. In addition to the left and right midfielders, depending on the coach's strategy, there may be a central midfielder (libero) on the field;
  • Attack. The striker is a threat to the opponent's goal. If a team promotes defensive football, there may not be a forward on the field at all. His role shifts to the midfield players.

The role of the individually selected player is determined by the coach. Even at a young age, he watches the actions of the boys and decides in which position the future football player will act most effectively.

Role in the theater

Thanks to the theatrical stage, and in the Middle Ages each artist performed only one role, the world learned about a new term - role. The special specialization of the actor was associated with the type of master:

  • Lover. The role is played by handsome young men;
  • the villain. Usually this is a middle-aged man, short in stature, who has a low and unpleasant voice.

In the mid-18th century, the term role covered genres of productions:

  • Comedy;
  • Tragedy;
  • Pantomime, etc.

The artist's specialization was related to his creative abilities. For example, an actor playing comedic roles, as a hero with tragic fate the audience simply did not perceive it.

What does the phrase “change role” mean?

The habitual image of a person forms a stable personality role. Those around them get used to the characteristics of an individual: character, appearance, way of life - everything meets the general expectations of society. But the time comes, and a person decides to change his life (role):

  • Appearance. Changes concern appearance: a man wearing a long hair, began to cut his hair short, and a woman with light brown hair dyed it red;
  • Job. Changes associated with professional transformation: a mechanic becomes a driver, and an accountant becomes an economist;
  • Personal. A native bachelor who promotes a brutal lifestyle gets married and has children. Second example: an ailurophobe gets a cat at home.

In this way, a person radically reorganizes his usual way of life - changes his role. In most cases, this is due to complexes - dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, financial or marital status.

The use of new terms allows you to avoid cumbersome descriptions. You met one of them today. The definition of “role” can be explained as follows: a certain image of a person, role and position in some public matter. Verbose - you say. This is true. Comes to the rescue French word emploi, and now the term role cumbersome categories covering many aspects of modern life can be aptly and clearly summarized.

Video: how the roles of actors influence the viewer

In this video, film critic Vladimir Abdulin will tell you how an actor’s role can influence the viewer’s opinion about a film:

Role - type acting roles. The role takes into account the external and psychophysical features of the character and the actor’s corresponding data.

In the second half of the 15th century, the specialization of actors according to a certain type of character appeared in European theater. It is called role (translated from French - application).

The most ancient roles are tragedian and comedian. They arose from the basic masks of ancient theater.

The emergence of the European role system as a certain set of rules regarding acting took shape in the era of classicism theater. According to the classicist system of roles, an actor applying for a certain role must have, first of all, external data appropriate for this role (height, build, type of face, timbre of voice, etc.). So, if an actor had a tall stature, a stately figure, regular facial features, and a low voice, he could count on playing the role of a hero in a tragedy. An actor of short stature, irregular physique, and with a higher voice was only suitable for comic roles.

Transitions from one role to another were not allowed, with the exception of age-related roles: an aged tragic hero-prime minister, for example, became a “noble father.” Each role had its own line of behavior, its own declamatory and plastic features.

The first fixed Russian system of roles can apparently be considered the Painting (1766), compiled by Empress Catherine II. According to this Painting, the imperial theater troupe (St. Petersburg) was supposed to have actors and actresses in the following roles: first, second, third tragic lovers; first, second, third comic lovers; per-noble (noble father); per-comedian (comic elder); first and second servants; reasoner; hyoid; two confidants (confidants); the first, second and third tragic lovers; first, second comic mistresses; old woman, first and second maid; two confidantes (confidantes). The composition of the troupe of the imperial theater half a century later (in the early 1810s) already included other roles: the role of the king in tragedies, the petimeter (dandy), the simpleton, the young coquette, the innocent (ingénue); at the same time, some roles (for example, scythe) disappeared from the theater staff.

In the 19th century Many new roles appear, including travesty, grand coquette, neurasthenic, etc. At the end of the 19th century. in Russian theatrical practice there are roles differentiated according to national, social, everyday, age and other characteristics. Thus, in the Index of plays for amateur performances with the designation of roles by role and the necessary scenery (M., 1893) the national roles of “Armenian”, “Tatar”, “Jew”, “German”, the social and everyday role of “merchant”, age children's roles of “girl” and “boy”. The movement to increase the list of roles and to specify it is associated with the growing interest in the theater of the 19th century. to human individuality.

The awareness of role as an aesthetic category of theater occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Opponents of theatrical roles were K.S. Stanislavsky and M.A. Chekhov, who saw acting in roles as theatrical cliches and routinism, an obstacle to the development of an actor’s individuality