GREEK THEATRE THE BIRTHPLACE OF WESTERN DRAMA. FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS F In honor of the god of Wine...

GREEK THEATRETHE BIRTHPLACE OF

WESTERN DRAMA

FESTIVALS OF DIONYSUS

In honor of the god of Wine and Fertility

Myths relate to seasonal growing cycles and passions of Man

Purpose of worship was inducement of fertility

8th-7th Century B.C.--contests of choral dancing held at many festivals ; “dithyrambs”

DITHYRAMB“Ecstatic Hymn”

A RELIGIOUS CHANT OR SONG PERFORMED IN RYTHYM AND

WITH DANCING

First Definite Record of Drama in Greece: 534 B.C.

“City Dionysia” (late March) reorganized

Contest for Best Tragedy instituted

Winner of first contest is Thespis, who also acted in the performance

Actors today are known as “Thespians”, in honor of the first known Greek actor.

“HYPOKRITE”

GREEK WORD FOR ACTOR, MEANS “WEARER OF MASKS”

“CHORAGUS”

A wealthy patron, wishing to honor the gods, pays for the cost of a production

Precursor to the “Producer”

GREEK THEATRE STRUCTURES

“Amphitheatres” Built onto hillsides Originally temporary

wooden structures, later made of stone

Were considered a form of temple

Some held up to 20,000 spectators

Parts of a Greek Theatre ORKESTRA: circular

acting space at center, translates as “dancing place”

THYMELE: Altar stone at center of orkestra

TEATRON: Spectator seating; “seeing place”

SKENE: Stage building behind orkestra; where we get the words “scene” and “scenery”

Parts of a Greek Theatre PARADOS/PARADOI: entry

ramps for the chorus between the Teatron and Skene; where we get the word “parade”

PERIAKTOI: Three-sided turnable column used as a scenic device, placed in space between columns of skene

MACHINA: Crane-like device used to suspend celestial figures above the action; “deus ex machina” means “god from the machine”

SKENE

STAGE HOUSE: provides scenic background, a place to change costumes, place to exit

Had one to three doors May have been raised up

off ground level Developed a second

story in later years

Side View: Orkestra and Teatron

Orkestra with Thymele, Skene

Teatron

AUDITORIUM“The Hearing Place”

Includes Orkestra and Teatron

Seating for the Priests

The Head Priest’s Chair

GREEK PLAYWRIGHTS Only 5 playwrights and 45 plays survive According to Aristotle, drama developed out of

improvisation by the leaders of the dithyrambs Early “plays”, such as those by Thespis, were

no more than a discourse between one actor (“Protagonist”) and the chorus.

In later years, playwrights wrote 3 Tragedies and one Satyr Play for the contests at the City Dionysia

AESCHYLUS: 525-456 B.C.

Tragic Playwright, Introduced Second Actor, “Deuteragonist”

Encouraged face-to-face conflict between characters

reduced importance of chorus, size from 50 to @15

Wrote AGAMEMMNON and PROMETHEUS BOUND

SOPHOCLES: 496-406 B.C.

Considered greatest Greek dramatist, wrote tragedies

Created Third Actor More concerned with

human relationships than religious issues

Wrote OEDIPUS THE KING and ANTIGONE

EURIPIDES: 480-406 B.C.

Last of great Greek Tragic playwrights

Reduced chorus to relatively unimportant role

Treated Gods with lack of awe

Wrote MEDEA and THE TROJAN WOMEN

ARISTOPHANES: 450-385 B.C.

Comic Playwright, “Old Comedy”, discusses “happy idea”

Wrote LYSISTRATA, an anti-war comedy

MENANDER: 342-292 B.C.

Comic playwright, “New Comedy” More secular-based, often a comedy of

“manners” Copied by the Romans, more like a

“sitcom” Wrote ARBITRATION and

DYSCOLUS (“The Old Grouch”)

GREEK TRAGEDIES General pattern developed by Aeschylus PROLOGOS: establishes dramatic situation PARODOS: Entrance of Chorus, “exposition” EPEISODA: main action, equivalent of an “Act” STASIMA: Choral interlude, makes comment on the

action in the Epeisoda Climax occurs in last Epeisoda, so that last Stasima

allows final comment by the chorus EXODOS: Final summation and exit of Chorus