The chorus in tragedy was typically twelve in number: in this vase painting, a half-chorus of six men probably representing warriors. The reason for this.

•The chorus in tragedy was typically twelve in number: in this vase painting, a half-chorus of six men probably representing warriors. 

•The reason for this incomplete representation may just be that the artist could only find room for six. 

•Letters, which are not visible here and illegible on the vase, come out of their mouths as an indication that they were singing. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•The fact that their faces are alike and their chin lines go all the way up to their ears suggests masks. 

•The small figure could be an icon of Dionysus, placed on the altar to watch the performance.  The six chorus members are moving in a rectangular formation, which is typical of the tragic chorus. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•The best dancers were in the row that had the audience on their left. 

•The chorus leader (koryphaios) was in the middle of this row.

•The next best dancers were in rear row, while the worst were hidden in the centre.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•Although the actors were strictly professional, the members of chorus were amateurs recruited from the citizen body. 

•The only exception was the, the chorus leader (koryphaios), who was a professional, and spoke lines of dialogue, when the chorus conversed with actors.

•Since participation in a chorus with its singing and dancing was very physically taxing, choruses were made up of young men. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•choregos supervised and financed the presentation of drama

•This was just one of the various public services called liturgies (literally ‘work on behalf of the people’), required of wealthy Athenians as a kind of income tax.

•Some citizens even undertook this duty voluntarily or if compelled, they were generous and spent more than the legal minimum. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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The responsibilities of the choregos were the following:

Provide a place to train chorus.

House and feed chorus and actors.

Pay for costumes and props.

Pay for extra actors (mutes).

Choose poet and aulos player from the archon’s list.

Select chorus members.

Hire a chorus director (chorodidâskalos) – this was sometimes the poet.

Pay for dedication to Dionysus, if he won.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•A choregos (‘producer’) who allowed foreigners or disenfranchised Athenians to be chorus members was fined 1000 drachmas and a citizen could forcibly remove a non-citizen chorus member right in the middle of the performance.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•Choral songs were usually organized into stanzas called strophe (‘turn’), antistrophe (‘turning the other way’), and epode (‘added song’). 

•As is clear from their meaning, strophe and antistrophe are dance terms. 

•The strophe and antistrophe were in the same metre. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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On the street leading to the entrance into the sanctuary of Dionysus in Athens, victorious choregoi set up bronze tripods to commemorate their victories in dramatic and other choral performances. Here are 2 of the columns that formerly represented a choregic moumment. 

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•The choregos might also distribute wine and food to the audience, no doubt to try and influence the judges who were amongst the audience. 

•The audience seems to have been anything but polite, expressing loud approval or disapproval of the performances. Disapproval could involve shouting, hissing, clucking, and heel banging – or even throwing food…olives are particularly good for this. 

•Because of the unruliness of the audience, theatre police were present, called “rod holders” (rhabdouchoi)

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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The chorus comprised either 12 or 15 members.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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All of the roles were played by men; women were not allowed to perform in the Greek theatre.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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•Tragic actors wore a tight-sleeved, belted, patterned tunic called a chiton;

• a variety of cloaks over the chiton;

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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The cothurnus, or tragedian's boot, which in later periods became exaggeratedly elevated by the addition of a wooden platform to the sole.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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In comedy, the costumes could be grotesquely padded.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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The helmetlike mask with attached wig, in which the forehead elevation was proportional to the social status of the character represented.

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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The helmetlike mask with attached wig, in which the forehead elevation was proportional to the social status of the character represented. This is a Roman mosaic of a theatrical mask

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

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In comedy, the range of costumes could be more elaborate. This is a depiction of the chorus from Aristophanes’ play Birds where the members of the chorus are depicted as different birds

Ancient Theatres – Chorus, Actors

Costumes