Download 2 Greek Theatre

Greek THEATRE
On the stage:
The first Dramas were Choral and dance presentations
In the mid 6th century an actor was added to respond to the chorus. Thespis is
credited with this.
Aeschylus added a second actor in the early 5th century and reduced the
chorus to 15
Euripides added a 3rd actor
Often the actors took several parts – masks made this easy
Aristophanes used 3 actors – though in one part of the Frogs e has a 4th actor
on stage
Stage
The theatre was constructed of three major parts:
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skene
-The skene was the place where the actors performed. It was
originally a hut, tent, or booth. It was the background for the play.
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orchestra -The orchestra was the main part of the stage where
the chorus was located at. It was the place where the chorus danced
and sang.
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theatron :
The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") is where the
spectators sat. The theatron was usually part of hillside overlooking the
orchestra, and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra
(see the diagram above
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Theatron-”seeing place”; where the audience sat
Orchestra- “The dancing place”; where the
chorus performed
Skene (tent)- low rectangular building with
uncovered passages on either side
– Gives us the word “scenery” because it was
eventually painted and decorated
Parados – passage way into the theatre for the
choros in the ‘parados’
Proscenium- level area in front of skene; most of
the action took place there; not a stage but
possibly raised one step above the orchestra
Altar to Dionysus- in center of orchestra; used
for sacrifices; also a stage prop (tree, boat, etc.)
Thymele: the focal spot acoustically of the
orchestra (also called the “sweet spot”)
Greek Drama and Theatre - Theatres
The hillside on which the Theatre of Dionysus was built
Tragedy
Costumes
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Originally, actors smeared faces with paint to hide their identity.
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Later they wore elaborate costumes with wigs, makeup and masks.
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Stylized masks amplified emotion and acted as small megaphones to
project the actor’s voice.
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kothornoi (high elevated boots or
buskins) to add to size
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onkos (vertically elongated mask
with a high head piece)
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Needed in order to allow all 20 000 of the audience to see and hear wh
was happening
Costumes in Comedy
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Costumes chosen by the playwight, paid for by the Choregos
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grotesque padding, masks, and phallus.
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Phallus a symbol of Dionysus – the god of theatre.
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A chiton – short sleeveless shirt was worn.
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A cloak draped around some actors - himation
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No fancy high buskins for comedies.
Costumes
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The costumes in the ancient Greek
theatre also have a symbolic significance
in the way the production is understood.
Since the hypocrits were all male, it was
necessary to make them look female for
female roles.
"In order to have a female appearance,
they were playing wearing the
‘prosterniad’ before the chest and the
‘progastrida’ before the belly.
In order to look taller and more
impressive they were wearing
‘cothornous’ (wooden shoes with tall
heels)"
The costumes allowed the audience to
know who the actor was trying to portray.
The most essential part of their disguise
was the mask
Masks in Greek Drama
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Masks portrayed character types or character emotions to the entire
audience, which could be up to 20,000 people crowded onto a hillside.
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These masks fit over the head, with a wig attached, and had large
mouth openings so that speech would not be muffled.
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prevented the audience from identifying the face of any actor with one
specific character
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allowed men to impersonate women without confusion
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helped the audience identify the sex, age, and social rank of the
characters
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were often changed by the actors when they would exit after an episode
to assume a new role
Masks
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prevented the audience from
identifying the face of any
actor with one specific
character
allowed men to impersonate
women without confusion
helped the audience identify
the sex, age, and social rank
of the characters
were often changed by the
actors when they would exit
after an episode to assume a
new role
Theatrical Machines (mechanai)
The ekkyklema (“a wheeled-out
thing”) was a cart on wheels
which carried a dead body onto
the stage.
It was sacrilegious to show a
character actually dying on the
stage.
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The mechane (machine) was a crane-like
machine that could lift a character up as
if flying, or could carry an actor, usually
in the guise of a god, to the top of the
skene.
Theater of Epidauros
(built 330 B.C., near modern day Nauplion, Greece)