ANCIENT GREEK THEATREANCIENT GREEK THEATRE
Theatre began during the Theatre began during the Golden Age of Greece (5Golden Age of Greece (5thth Century B.C.)Century B.C.)
Each year in the spring the Each year in the spring the Greeks celebrated The Greeks celebrated The Dionyseia, a festival of Dionyseia, a festival of rebirthrebirth
DIONYSUSDIONYSUS,
THE GOD OF
WINE &
FERTILITY
Performers are dressed as satyrs wearing goat skins…
THE AMPHITHEATRE
THE THEATRON
ALTAR
ORCHESTRA
PARADOS ( PARADOI )
SKINA
TRAGODIA = “GOAT SONG” = TRAGEDY
5-5-DAY FESTIVALDAY FESTIVAL
• DAY 1: Procession of Dionysus• DAYS 2-4: Play presentations Each day: 3 tragedies
1 satyrlude 1 comedy
• DAY 5: Parade again
THE WINNERS?
• Best tragedy? • Best comedy?
A JUG OF WINE
OR
A BASKET OF FIGSA GOAT
First actor and playwright to win the contest?
Thespis
thespian= actor
THE GREEK ACTOR
•Professionals•Males• Incredible
projection•3 actors
cover all roles
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CHORUS
•A single actor•Moral or
ethical framework (narrator)
•A spectator•Scenery/
atmosphere
COSTUMES
•Elaborate•Religious•Masks (allow
for actors to double up on roles)
SCENERY
MACHINA
PERIAKTOI
Aeschylus• Theme: Suffering
and what we learn from it
• Trilogy: The Oresteia
• Trivia
OUCH!!
Sophocles• Theme:
Forgetting religion will lead to decay and destruction
• Play: Oedipus Rex
• Trivia
Euripedes• Themes: anti-
war; women’s rights; breaking the class structure
• Play: Medea
• Trivia
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