The Origins of Theatre

Ancient Greeks

What did the Greeks contribute to the modern stage? The theatrical form of tragedy Actors Theatre space Trilogy Masks Raised theatre to a level of art; very highly

respected Terms like “scene,” “proscenium,”

“thespian,” and “theatre.”

Where it started… Athens: the capital of Greece; named after

Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. 5th -6th century B.C. Annual Dionysian festival celebrating

spring and Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.

Derived from prayer to Dionysus, the dithyramb

The golden age of Greece Athens had rid the

city of dictators and established the world’s first democracy

Rebuilt the city and built the Parthenon, a temple to Athena, on top of the Acropolis

A day at the Dionysus Festival… Wild, ecstatic procession bringing the

statue of Dionysus into his theatre Trilogy of tragic plays End of the day, a satyr or comedic

play to close the evening Satyr: a half-man, half-horse Hero is placed in a ridiculous situation

Theatre of Dionysus, at the foot of the Acropolis

The Theatre of Dionysus

skene

proskenion

three doors

scenerytheatron

altar

orchestra chorus

Parts of the stage Skene: stage house at edge of orchestra;

dressing area for actors to make entrances and exits, hence the word “scene;” has three formal doors

Proskenion: refers to the arch frame around the stage; today we call it the proscenium arch

Orchestra: literally means “dancing place;” circular section on the ground where the chorus performs

Theatron: literally means “viewing place;” where the audience is seated; the Theatre of Dionysus could seat around 17-20 thousand people.

Theatre at Epidaurus

The players The Chorus

unique to Greek theatre responded and reacted to the actor similar to a narrator 12-50 members The effort of dancing and singing through three

tragedies and a satyr play was likened to that of competing in the Olympic Games

Chanted and danced the dithyramb, the prayer to Dionysus from which the drama is derived.

Never entered or exited the through the skene

Actors Thespis is considered the first actor, hence the

term “thespian.” The original word for 'actor' was hypokrites,

meaning 'answerer,' for the actor answered the chorus.

Thespis was later called protagonistes (literally 'first competitor').

The introduction of a second actor (deuteragonistes) is attributed to Aeschylus and the third (tritagonistes) to Sophocles.

Ordinarily, each actor would play several different roles in one production.

Webster’s High School Higher Drama 2007

Technical and Artistic elements Music Dance Poetry Masks

Helped to distinguish between characters Made it easier to show emotion in large

theatre space

Masks…

Tragedy Literally means “goat song” A serious form of theatre developed by the

Greeks Involves a hero character who challenges

the gods, but in the end is forced to face the consequences.

The Greek hero character is described as honorable and imperfect.

Struggle which usually ends in death

Three tragedy playwrights: Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

Well known satyr playwright: Aristophanes

Aeschylus Earliest playwright Focused on big epic dramas;

catastrophic events involving the gods, titans, and kings

Reduced the chorus to 12 members Introduced a second actor, and,

therefore, invented dialogue Trilogy called Oresteia:

Agamemnon The Libation Bearers Eumenides

Sophocles All characters were essential in his plays Aeschylus was his teacher Credited with perfecting the Greek tragedy Focused on the human struggle Introduced a third actor Had a chorus of about 20 members Trilogy:

Oedipus Oedipus at Kolonos Antigone

Euripides Wrote about moral and political issues that

were reflective of Athens government Characters are neurotic individuals, bursting

into uncontrolled violence at evil around them Involved Feminist issues and had strong

female characters Trilogy:

Electra The Trojan Women Medea

Aristophanes - The father of comedy Wrote for the two Athenian dramatic festivals: the

City Dionysia and the Lenea. Greek Old Comedy, a mix of political, social, and

literary satire in which chorus, mime, and burlesque played a considerable part. Characterized by bold fantasy, realistic characters, merciless invective and outrageous plots.

Surviving Comedies: The Clouds The Wasps

The Birds Lysistrata The Frogs