This is where it all began: the theatre of Dionysus in Athens.

The comedy and tragedy that developed in Athens and flourished in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE have influenced nearly all subsequent Western drama, starting with that of the Romans.

When the Romans conquered Greece they brought Greek literature back to Italy and set about making it their own.

The Romans, with their love of spectacle, soon took over the existing theatres in Greece and began renovating and rebuilding them for their own spectacles, which included everything from pantomime (closer to ballet than to the children's 'panto') to mock naval battles.

Most of the remains of the theatre of Dionysus which we can see in Athens today date to Roman times and not the fifth century BCE.

The tragedies and comedies of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE that remain to us today were almost all written for performance in the Theatre of Dionysus at Athens.

Theater is a ritualistic art form which celebrates the Olympian gods who often appeared as characters.

Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, was honored at the dramatic festivals.

Legendary kings and heroes were often portrayed as well.

Business and activities were suspended during the week-long festivals held three times per year.

It was considered a civic duty for people to participate in the productions in some way.

Even prisoners were temporarily released to go see the plays.

The plays were to give a lesson to the people - didactic purpose

The theatron held benches on which the audience sat. The semi-circular theatron was specifically built in to a hillside to provide good views of the action.

The orchestra was the circular dancing place for the chorus.

The parados were two broad aisles which allowed the chorus to enter the theater. Parados is also the term for the entrance song of the chorus.

The skene was a rectangular building with three doors which provided a generic backdrop for entrances and exits of the characters.

The proskenion was a small platform in front of the skene to give actors more visibility to the audience.

Approx. 15,000 people fit in the Theater of Dionysus in Athens.

Limited sets, props, etc. Actors’ lines marked the passage of

time and the setting. Design of theatron was important for

acoustics – no microphones.

Oracle Area ~ 19,000 ppl

Because Greek tragedy and comedy originated with the chorus, the most important part of the performance space was the orchestra, which means 'a place for dancing' (orchesis).

A tragic chorus consisted of 12 or 15 dancers (choreuts), who may have been young men.

Athenians were taught to sing and dance from a very early age. The effort of dancing and singing through three tragedies and a satire play was likened to that of competing in the Olympic Games.

Served as a curtain between acts Commented on the drama Spoke their lines in unison Leader of the chorus was known as the

Coryphaeus 

Plays were initially held with just the chorus singing/chanting the lines.

In 534 BCE Thespis was credited with creating the first actor (thespians). The character spoke lines as a god.

This begins the concept of DIALOGUE – the character interacts with chorus.

Aeschylus – earliest Greek tragedy writer brought idea of second actor.

Sophocles – brought third actor – no more than three actors on stage ever in a Greek tragedy.

Euripedes – also used three actors after Sophocles.

Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes each wrote a version of the Oedipus tragedy, but Sophocles’ version is the most famous.

Actors needed to be LARGER THAN LIFE and thus easy to see.

Size was symbolic of their social status.

Chiton – a long, flowing robe, padded at the shoulders for width, selected in symbolic colors

Cothurni – platform shoes for added height

Participation is a civic duty; many volunteered for the chorus.

Experienced speakers became actors (often govt. officials or businessmen)

Actors were revered and exempt from military duty.

Women were excluded from acting and had to sit in the higher seats in the theatron.

All gestures had to be large and definite so as to 'read' from the back rows. Facial expression would have been invisible to all but the closest members of the audience.

The masks worn by the actors looked more 'natural' than bare faces in the Theatre of Dionysus. The masks of tragedy were of an ordinary, face-fitting size, with wigs attached, and open mouths to allow clear speech.

Theatrical masks were made of wood (like the masks of Japanese Noh drama), leather, or cloth and flour paste (like many masks made for modern productions today).

Actors could not move easily, so lines were delivered in a “speech” style.

Broad sweeping gestures. General movements to express

emotions: Bowed head – grief; beating chest – mourning; stretching arms – prayer.

Minor props – scepter – king, spear – warrior, elderly – cane.

The most distinctive feature of the mask was its ability to limit and broaden at the same time.

It identified a specific character, but it also had generalized features which gave an “Everyman” quality. This allowed the audience to “get” the personal message intended for each member of the audience.