Ancient Greek Theatre

Background

• The Golden Age of Greece

• No empire/ city-states

• Between Persian and Peloponnesian Wars

• Prosperity and advancements in politics, science, philosophy, art, and architecture.

• 510 BC 1st democracy- free male citizens could vote (Athens)

Greece had slaves and women were subservient, but our American

democracy, founded on the same ideals, had similar limitations.

SO, let’s put this into perspective!

In the U.S., what year was slavery abolished?

1865

In the U.S., when were women given the right to vote?

1920

Point Being…

• Having an established democracy for such a large portion of the population in 510BC is still admirable and impressive!

Science and Philosophy Advancements

• Pythagorus-Pythagorean theorem • A2 + B2 = C2

• Hippocratic Oath-Hippocrates came up with oath doctors still take today.

• Socrates and Plato-great philosophers• Architecture-Obviously-stood the test of time

, also withstood manmade and natural disasters!

Theories of the Origin of Theatre

1. Aristotle

Aristotle’s Theory

• Theatre came from man’s natural desire to imitate and communicate.

• Examples: children, Ook and Og

2. Rituals• Many ways of viewing this theory-functionalists,

structuralists, Darwinistic • A ritual is a form of knowledge reflecting a

society’s understanding of the universe.• Didactic-passing on traditions and knowledge• expected to influence or control events• used to glorify• used to entertain or give pleasure• All these functions can be served by theatre

Rituals

• Theatre and ritual employ same basic elements: music, dance, speech, masks, costumes, performers, audience and stage

• Whether it is ritual or theatre depends on our perception of the events function and our relationship to it

Other Minor Theories

• Storytelling; humans have a narrative instinct (related to Aristotle)

• Egyptian myths-Pyramid Texts- no evidence they were acted out or intended to be performed

• Egyptian religious ritual-no primary text survives to support

• Despite Egyptian theories-Theatre was never developed there beyond ritual!

3. Greek Religious Festivals honoring Dionysis-God of

harvest wine, fertility

Greek Festival Theory-Aristotle-Drama (tragedy)

• 1. Dithyramb- lengthy hymn sung and danced by 50 men with one leader/narrator and the chorus sings the refrain.

• 2. 600 BC- dithyramb became literary form-written down.

• 3. Arion-added spoken dramatic words to dithyramb from Lesbos, poet and harpist

• 4. Thespis-1st actor, stepped out of chorus and delivered monologue (thespian=actor)

The City Dionysia-where drama was first presented

The City Festival Dionysia• Festival honoring

Dionysis-where theatre originated

• Lasted 7-14 days• Wars ceased; political

concerns ignored• During festival

everything CLOSED-even prisons

• Athens in Spring end of March

• Lenaia-Jan., Rural Dionysia-Dec.

• In Athens to commemorate Dionysus coming to Athens

• Tragedies added to festival in 534 BC

• Satyr play added in 501 BC

• Comedies added to festival in 486 BC

• 1-2 days of parades and sacrifices

• 2 days of dithyrambs- 1for choruses of boys and 1 for choruses of men

• 3 days of tragedies- 1 day for each author who would present a tetralogy (3 tragedies and a satyr)

• 1 day of comedies- 5 plays each by a different author

• A few days after festival, give awards for best play and best actor, and best playwright like our Oscars and Emmys and Tonys

• Proagon-trailer for upcoming plays, actors would perform small section for public as advertisement

• Archon-person responsible for picking out plays 11 months before festival

• Choregus-producer, pick one playwright to sponsor for one year, paid all major expenses related to chorus: rehearsals, costumes, musicians, considered a form of paying taxes

• City provided theater space, awards and playwright and actor’s salaries

• Representative Body – judge and jury to anyone who behaved improperly during festival, elected

• Plays based on myths or legends that the people were already familiar with.

• Satyr play -a short comic piece making fun of tragic subjects by half-man, half-goat dressed actors

Ticket This ticket allowed people in to view the plays during the festival. The city paid for the tickets of the poor so EVERYONE could attend these religious festivals!

Tickets

• Pericles, ruler of Athens, established the Theoric Fund in 450 BC to assist those who were too poor to afford admission.

• entitled person to section, not seat• tribes had own section and part of that was

reserved for women• Violence in the audience of the theatre was

punishable by death!

Women attended festival because violence NEVER

occurred onstage!(This is debated, but there are primary source references to

women attending as well.)

Background

• Golden Age

• Advancements in many areas

• 510 B.C. first democracy!

Theories of the Origin of Theatre

• Aristotle said theatre came from man’s natural desire to imitate and communicate.

• Rituals

• Came from Greek religious festival honoring Dionysis-dithyramb, literary form, Arion, Thespis.

City Festival Dionysia

• 7-14 days• All closed• Christmas equivalent• Certain events on certain days• Awards• Different people had different jobs• Women attended festival so NO violence in plays