The Greek Theatre

GREEK THEATRETHE BIRTHPLACE OF

WESTERN DRAMA

FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS

� In honor of the god of Wine and Fertility

� Early worship involved orgies and drunkeness

� Myths relate to seasonal growing cycles and passions of Man

� Purpose of worship was inducement of fertility

� 8th-7th Century B.C.--contests of choral dancing held at many festivals ; “dithyrambs”

DITHYRAMB“Ecstatic Hymn”

A RELIGIOUS CHANT OR SONG PERFORMED IN RYTHYM AND

WITH DANCING

First Definite Record of Drama in Greece: 534 B.C.

� “City Dionysia” (late March) reorganized

� Contest for Best Tragedy instituted

� Winner of first contest is Thespis, who also acted in the performance

� Actors today are known as “Thespians”, in honor of the first known Greek actor.

“HYPOKRITE”

GREEK WORD FOR ACTOR, MEANS “WEARER OF MASKS”

“CHORAGUS”

� A wealthy patron, wishing to honor the gods, pays for the cost of a production

� Precursor to the “Producer”

GREEK THEATRE STRUCTURES

� “Amphitheatres”� Built onto hillsides� Originally temporary

wooden structures, later made of stone

� Were considered a form of temple

� Some held up to 20,000 spectators

Parts of a Greek Theatre� ORKESTRA: circular

acting space at center, translates as “dancing place”

� THYMELE: Altar stone at center of orkestra

� TEATRON: Spectator seating; “seeing place”

� SKENE: Stage building behind orkestra; where we get the words “scene” and “scenery”

Parts of a Greek Theatre� PARADOS/PARADOI: entry

ramps for the chorus between the Teatron and Skene; where we get the word “parade”

� PERIAKTOI: Three-sided turnable column used as a scenic device, placed in space between columns of skene

� MACHINA: Crane-like device used to suspend celestial figures above the action; “deus ex machina” means “god from the machine”

SKENE

� STAGE HOUSE: provides scenic background, a place to change costumes, place to exit

� Had one to three doors� May have been raised

up off ground level� Developed a second

story in later years

Side View: Orkestra and Teatron

Orkestra with Thymele, Skene

Teatron

AUDITORIUM“The Hearing Place”

Includes Orkestra and Teatron

Seating for the Priests

The Head Priest’s Chair

GREEK PLAYWRIGHTS� Only 5 playwrights and 45 plays survive� According to Aristotle, drama developed

out of improvisation by the leaders of the dithyrambs

� Early “plays”, such as those by Thespis, were no more than a discourse between one actor (“Protagonist”) and the chorus.

� In later years, playwrights wrote 3 Tragedies and one Satyr Play for the contests at the City Dionysia

AESCHYLUS: 525-456 B.C.

� Tragic Playwright, Introduced Second Actor, “Deuteragonist”

� Encouraged face-to-face conflict between characters

� reduced importance of chorus, size from 50 to @15

� Wrote AGAMEMMNON and PROMETHEUS BOUND

SOPHOCLES: 496-406 B.C.

� Considered greatest Greek dramatist, wrote tragedies

� Created Third Actor� More concerned with

human relationships than religious issues

� Wrote OEDIPUS THE KING and ANTIGONE

EURIPIDES: 480-406 B.C.

� Last of great Greek Tragic playwrights

� Reduced chorus to relatively unimportant role

� Treated Gods with lack of awe

� Wrote MEDEA and THE TROJAN WOMEN

ARISTOPHANES: 450-385 B.C.

� Comic Playwright, “Old Comedy”, discusses “happy idea”

� Wrote LYSISTRATA, an anti-war comedy

MENANDER: 342-292 B.C.

� Comic playwright, “New Comedy”� More secular-based, often a comedy of

“manners”� Copied by the Romans, more like a

“sitcom”� Wrote ARBITRATION and

DYSCOLUS (“The Old Grouch”)

GREEK TRAGEDIES� General pattern developed by Aeschylus� PROLOGOS: establishes dramatic situation� PARODOS: Entrance of Chorus, “exposition”� EPEISODA: main action, equivalent of an “Act”� STASIMA: Choral interlude, makes comment on

the action in the Epeisoda� Climax occurs in last Epeisoda, so that last

Stasima allows final comment by the chorus� EXODOS: Final summation and exit of Chorus