1. Origins of Greek Theatre

2. Early Greek Theatre Focused on Athens in 5th century B.C.E.
Athens’ population ~ 150,000
“Wow! That’s a long time ago. What’s still around now?”
43 full plays
Many play fragments and titles
Aristotle’s Poetics – literary criticism that defined theatre
Ruins of many theatres

3. Theatre Space Semicircle of steeply rising tiers of seats
Bottom was rounded orchestra, where the chorus sang and danced
Behind orchestra was open, almost bare stage with several entrances
Actors wore large masks, often decorated to suggest character types (king, messenger, prophet, nurse)
Deus ex machina – god in a machine

4. Theatre of Dionysus - Athens

5. Theatre of Dionysus - now

6. Four Main Playwrights Aeschylus Aristophanes (comedy) Sophocles
The Persians, Seven against Thebes, The Suppliants, Prometheus Bound, and The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides,
Aristophanes (comedy)
The Acharnians (425 BC)
The Knights (424 BC)
The Birds (414 BC)
Lysistrata (411 BC)
The Frogs
Sophocles
Ajax, Trachinian Women, Electra, Philoctetes, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone,
Euripides
Alcestis, Medea, Electra, and The Bacchae.
Sophocles

7. What Was Theatre? A religious ceremony
Each region dedicated performances to god or goddess (like a religious mascot)
Performance was a sacrifice/offering to that god
Athens dedicated its productions to Dionysus, god of fertility, agriculture, wine, and sexuality
Earliest “theatrical performance” was dithyramb
Dance/chant fertility ritual
Told the story of the birth of Dionysus
Performed during a festival each year called orgia
First written versions of appeared about 600 B.C.
Religious events slowly evolved into more secular events that would appeal to a diverse audience

8. From Orgia to Tragedy
Slowly theatrical performances evolved from the dithyramb into more secular theatre
Became less focused on Dionysus
Can be explained like this:
Dionysus (chaos, passion, emotion) +
Apollo (order, art, discipline)
= TRAGEDY
By fifth century B.C.E., transformation or synthesis of theatre had been completed, thus beginning Classical Period of Greek Theatre.

9. Structure of Greek Tragedy
Characters
One protagonist and a few key characters
Chorus – onlookers and commentators – a collective “actor”, speak in choral odes or songs
Formal arrangement of parts
Prologue – opening scene
Parados – first of Chorus’s lyric songs or choral odes
Regular alternation of scenes in dialogue and choral odes
Exodus (concluding scene)

10. The Characteristics of the Chorus
Approximately 15 men
Sang lyric poetry & danced
Were unpaid, drawn from the citizenry at large
Were trained and costumed
Wore the dress of the people they represented and wore light masks

11. Functions of the Greek chorus
Provided link from audience to actors, responding to the play in a manner the playwright hoped the audience would respond – the ideal spectator
Provided tension release
Reflected upon what has happened, what might happen, and asked questions
At times advised central characters

12. Functioned as the conscience of the people
Helped to establish mood & to heighten the dramatic moments
Could be in the play or outside it by either participating in the action or by commenting on the action as merely an observer
Usually through a leader as spokesperson, could interact with the central characters

13. A modern version of a Greek chorus…
Legally Blonde – Positive – Broadway Performance
Mighty Aphrodite – Movie Scene