Greek Theatre

Greek Theatre Theatre History PowerPoint 2

Sophocles • • • • •

Great writer of Greek tragedy 496-406 B.C. Lived in Athens Studied theatre arts Entered the theatrical competition that honored the god Dionysus as an actor and a playwright • Wrote 123 plays, 24 first prize, rest second

Sophocles

• First to have 3 actors on stage at the same time • Increased number of singers in the chorus • Used ancient tales to comment on his own time period • 7 tragedies survived: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonnus, Antigone, and Electra

Greek Theatre • Festival of Dionysus- annual theatrical competition • Chorus- group of performers who provided commentary and moved the action of play through song, dance, and speaking • Linked with ritual and the social and political system

Theatre Space • Large open theatre that was built into the side of a hill • Held 14,000 to 15,000 on wooden bleachers • Performances occurred during the day • 4th century BC a permanent space, made of stone, was completed

• Orchestra- circular area with an altar in the center • Skene (modern- scene): building behind the orchestra which served as a setting • Proskenion (modern- proscenium)- in front of the skene, framed the stage

Sketch of a Greek Theatre

Greek Theatre in Athens

Performers • Large theatre– needed more than facial expression and vocal inflection • Used large gestures and Masks • Masks could be seen from the top row • Theory- some believe the masks help to project the voice like a megaphone

• Three Actors played all the leading roles through the use of masks • No female actors • Chorus- approx. 15 performers • No stage directions in the original text, so we are not sure of the exact movement of the actors in relation to the chorus

Costumes • Same everyday clothing with some additions • They wore robes made of woven wool or linen that were draped and layered • Simple rectangle shape • Consisted of different colors and sometimes embroidery • Used laces, pins, or belts to hold them in place

• They wore sandals • Men (esp. soldiers)- calf boots • Lead performers would change their mask and possibly add on a robe to portray different characters • The Chorus were most likely dressed alike or in similar robes and masks

Ancient Greek Attire

Masks

Antigone by Sophocles Winthrop University

Sources • Taylor, Robert D. and Robert D. Strickland. Theatre Art in Action. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. • http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/thetr364/images/GreekThea tre.gif • http://www.flickr.com/ • http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/1200/1244/sophocles_1_md.gif • http://records.viu.ca/~mcneil/jpg/sophocles.jpg • http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/pics/p82.gif • http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth4616/images /Greek_mask_100.jpg