The Shocking Aspects of Theater in Ancient Rome

The Shocking Aspects of Theater in Ancient Rome Roman theater began before Roman culture began to emulate the Greeks. However, very little is known of early theater produced by Etruscans and other ancient cultures. The Roman plays that live on in written form were produced in Greek-style amphitheaters, and many of the plays were essentially rewritten versions of Greek stories. In ancient Greece, plays were unlikely to contain graphic violence or sexuality, but the opposite was true in Rome. The Roman Theater and Violence The Roman public loved a good spectacle. They loved to watch combat and admired blood sports and gladiator competition. As a result, there was plenty of gore in most Roman theater. Roman audiences also preferred less subtlety than the Greeks when it came to sexuality on stage. In fact, according to  the book Living Theater by Edwin Wilson, one Roman emperor ordered an entire troupe of mimes to engage in actual intercourse on stage. The fact that this event was recorded for posterity suggests that it wasnt the norm, but it may not have been an isolated event. Famous Roman Playwrights Fewer plays were written in ancient Rome than in Greece. Many of those that were written seemed to be retreads  of old Greek myths (transplanted with the very similar Roman Gods). Perhaps the noted exception to this rule would be the domestic comedies of Plautus and Terence. And of course, Seneca - perhaps Romes best-known tragedian. There were hundreds more playwrights besides the three mentioned below. The Roman Republic and its subsequent empire greatly enjoyed the arts and entertainment. However, while there were many playwrights in ancient Rome, only a small percentage of their works  have survived the passage of time. Plautus If you have ever seen Stephen Sondheims A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, then you have experienced a taste, albeit with a corny 1960s flavor, of the Roman comedy master Plautus. A founder of the comedic theater, he created over a hundred plays in his remarkable career, many of which lampooned iconic figures within Roman society: the soldier, the politician, the clever slave, the philandering husband, and the wise but nagging wife. Terence Terences life story is an ancient tale of rags to riches. Terence was the slave of a Roman senator. Apparently, his master was so impressed with young Terences intellect that he released him from his service and even funded Terences education. During his adult years, Terence crafted comedies which were primarily Roman-style adaptations of Greek plays by Hellenistic writers, such as Menander. Seneca In addition to being a playwright, Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a lawyer and a Roman senator. He witnessed some of the darkest days of Romes empire, as he served under the sadistic Emperor Caligula. The next emperor in line, Claudius, banished Seneca, sending him away from Rome for over eight years. After returning from exile, Seneca became the advisor to the infamous Emperor Nero.  According to dramaturg William S. Turney, Nero ordered the assassination of his own mother and then commissioned Seneca to write a speech that excused Neros crimes. During the playwrights lifetime, he wrote tragedies, many of them re-inventions of Greek myths of decadence and self-destruction. For example, his play Phaedra details the sensual depravity of Theseus lonely wife who lusts after her step-son, Hippolytus. Seneca also adapted the Greek myth of Thyestes, a sordid tale of adultery, fratricide, incest, and cannibalism, with enough carnage to make even modern audiences cringe. Seneca retired from public life assuming that he might spend his elder years writing and relaxing, but the suspicious Nero ordered Seneca to commit suicide. Seneca complied, slashing his wrists and arms, slowly bleeding out. Apparently, it was too slow, because according to the ancient historian Tacitus, Seneca called for poison, and when that failed him, he was placed in a hot bath to be suffocated by the steam. Source Wilson, Edwin. Living Theatre: A History of Theatre. Alvin Goldfarb President, 6th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education, January 10, 2011.

Applications for Canadian Permanent Resident Cards

Applications for Canadian Permanent Resident Cards Updated: 08/12/07 Who Should Apply for a Canadian Permanent Resident Card Canadian immigrants with permanent resident status who arrived in Canada before June 28, 2002 should apply for a Permanent Resident Card. The card replaces the IMM 1000 document. After December 31, 2003 all Canadian permanent residents, including children, returning to Canada by commercial vehicle (plane, boat, train or bus) must use the new card to prove their permanent resident status. Permanent Resident Cards are generally issued for five years, or in exceptional circumstances for one year. Permanent residents who plan to travel overseas should obtain a Permanent Resident Card before their departure. You should apply for a Permanent Resident Card at least two months before your departure. Processing times may vary, so check current processing times provided by Canada Citizenship and Immigration and adjust accordingly. Immigrants who became Canadian permanent residents on or after June 28, 2002 do not need to apply for a Permanent Resident Card. A Permanent Resident Card should have been mailed to you automatically. If you did not provide a mailing address to the Canada Border Services Agency when you entered Canada, you should do so as soon as possible. You must provide your mailing address within 180 days of entering Canada, or you will have to apply for a Permanent Resident Card and pay the appropriate fee. You can provide your mailing address online or by contacting the Permanent Resident Card Call Centre. Renewal of Permanent Resident Cards Since Permanent Resident Cards are issued for five years, or in some cases one year, permanent residents should check the expiry date on their PR Card if they plan to travel outside Canada. Five-year permanent resident cards began expiring in July 2007. Be sure to apply for a new Permanent Resident Card at least two months before you plan to leave the country. Permanent Resident Card Application Kits and Forms You can download the Permanent Resident Card application kit and forms from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada site. The forms must be completed, signed and mailed to the address given on the form. Detailed instructions on completing the form and the documents required to be included with the form are given in the application guide that comes with the kit. If you wish to have a printed application kit mailed to you, you can call the Permanent Resident Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100. Kits can only be sent to addresses in Canada. Allow at least two weeks for delivery. Application Fees for Permanent Resident Cards The fee for processing a Permanent Resident Card application is $50.00. Fees are subject to change. There are two ways to pay the application fee. Pay onlinePay your fee at a financial institution in Canada. To pay the fee, you must complete an original of the Fees Receipt Form IMM 5401, and take it to a financial institution with your payment. The bank will stamp the receipt form. You then attach the middle portion (Copy 2) to your Permanent Resident Card application. The fee is not refundable. Urgent Cases If you plan to travel outside Canada and do not think you will have time to get a Permanent Resident Card before you leave Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada may be able to process your application on an urgent basis. Check Information Regarding Urgent Cases to find out how to request that your application be processed on an urgent basis. Permanent residents wanting to return to Canada who do not have a Permanent Resident Card may contact the nearest Canadian visa office to obtain a limited use travel document to re-enter Canada at a cost of $50 each. You can download the application for a travel document (permanent resident abroad) online. Check the Status of Your Permanent Resident Card Application To check on the status of your Permanent Resident Card application, you can use the Canadian Immigration Client Application Status tool. Please note that the status of your application will not show in the Client Application Status tool until Citizenship and Immigration Canada has begun processing your application. To find out how long it may take to process your application, check the current processing times. There is no point in checking on the status of your application unless the specified processing time has passed. Questions About Your Permanent Resident Card Application If you have questions about your Permanent Resident Card Application, contact the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Call Centre if you are in Canada, or your local visa office if you are outside Canada.