Hellenic Festival of Ancient Drama, held annually in the fourth-century BC theatre at Epidauros

Hellenic Festival of Ancient Drama, held annually in the fourth-century BC theatre at Epidauros

Euripides’ Orestes most recently performed at Epidauros in 2010 by the National Theatre of Greece http://www.n-t.gr/en/events/orestis/

• Differences– daylight performances– playwright as director – drama as part of a religious festival and a

competition– drama considered fundamental to the polis

• Space and Staging

• Euripides’ Orestes – 408BC – use of space– working with (and against) audience expectations

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. (Martin Luther King)

Orestes (dressed as a hoplite) stabs Aegisthus, while his sister (Electra) warns him of his mother’s approach with an axe.

Attic red-figure stamnos from Vulci, c.470BC.

Orestes grabs his mother’s hair and

prepares to strike her with his sword as she,

having fallen to her knees, bares her breast

with one hand and reaches up to him in supplication. Above a

Fury with snakes in her hair and in her hands

looks on. Paestan red-figure amphora,

c.340BC.

Tragedies about Orestes – 18% of those surviving

• 458BC Aeschylus’ Choephoroi (in which Orestes returns, kills

Clytemnestra and sees the Furies) and Eumenides (in which Orestes is tried in Athens and acquitted)

• c.413BC Euripides’ Electra (in which Orestes returns, kills Clytemnestra

and sees the Furies; it mentions his trial in Athens)• c.410BC Sophocles’ Electra (in which Orestes returns and kills

Clytemnestra; there are no Furies and no mention of a trial)• 408BC Euripides’ Orestes (in which Orestes has already killed

Clytemnestra and is being driven mad by Furies; he is tried in Argos and found guilty but the trial in Athens is also mentioned)

The cast of characters before Euripides’ Orestes

Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

Orestes Orestes Orestes

Pylades Pylades Pylades

Clytemnestra Clytemnestra Clytemnestra

Aegisthus Aegisthus Aegisthus

Electra Electra Electra

Orestes’ Nurse Orestes’ retainer Electra’s husband

Slave Messenger

Castor and Pollux

Priestess of Apollo

Apollo

Clytemnestra’s Ghost

The Furies

Athena

Athenian jurors

Athenian women & girls

Early C1st BC papyrus fragment

of Euripides’ Orestes (P. Oxy.

1178).Antiquities Museum,

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

Papyrus G 2315, from Hermopolis Magna, Egypt, c.200 BC (80 x 92 mm). Collection of Archduke Reiner, Vienna.Dochmiacs from a choral stasimon of Euripides’ Orestes (lines 338-43, the order of verses is different from that of the medieval MSS). Melodic and rhythmical notation is placed above the syllables of the text, intermittent instrumental notation in the same line as the text.

• http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/

A piper (auletēs) with a chorus of 7 ‘girl’ dancers and a didaskalos (extreme left with stick/staff)

Attic red-figure calyx krater; attributed to the Niobid Painter; c. 470-60BC; British Museum 1856.12-13.1

Aerial view of the Acropolis (2010)

1. All the characters wear masks.2. Maximum of three speaking characters at

one time (there are only three actors).3. All characters and the chorus speak/sing

verse (iambic trimeter is closest to the cadence of normal speech, lyric metre is reserved [in the case of actors] for moments of high tension).

4. The chorus, after their first entrance (the parodos) are present throughout.

5. No murders (or violence) on stage.

Greek Tragic Conventions:

Actor with a mask: crater

fragment, from Taranto,

late 4th century,

Martin von Wagner

Museum der Universitat, Wurzburg

The (named) tragic character Aegisthus on the comic stage in ‘Choregoi’ (‘The Producers’).

Apulian, red-figure, bell-crater, 400-380 BC, New York, Fleischman Collection F93

(Taplin, Comic Angels, 9.1)

Chorus and cast of a satyr play. Attic red-figure volute crater attributed to the Pronomos Painter, end of C5th BC.

Naples 81673 (H3240).

Electra Dearest one, how happy it made me feelWhen you fell into that sleep. Do you want meTo hold you and to prop your body up?

Orestes Yes, hold me. Give me some support. And wipe The dried up foam from my sore mouth and eyes. …Support my side with yours,And push the matted hair out of my face.My eyes aren’t seeing very well.

Electra O this filthy hair, your poor suffering head – So much time has passed since it’s been washed,you look just like a savage.

Orestes Put me back,on the bed again. Once the madness leaves,I’m exhausted… no strength in my limbs.

…Orestes Where… where have I jumped? Out of bed?

After the storm I see calm waters once again.Sister, why wrap your head in your dress and cry?

Orestes and Pylades stand by the tomb of Agamemnon as Electra, her hair cut short in mourning, approaches it with offerings.

This is the moment just before the brother and sister recognise each other.

Two Furies look down from above.

Paestan red-figure amphora from Nola, c.320BC.

Plan of the fifth

century Theatre of Dionysus

from D. Taylor, The Greek

and Roman Stage

Euripides tries stopping the parodos!Electra Here they are again

my friends who sing with me in my laments.They’ll soon end my brother’s peaceful sleepAnd melt my eyes with tears once I see him In his mad fit. You women, dearest friends,Move with quiet step and make no noise,No unexpected sound. Your kindness hereIs dear to me, but if you wake him up,What happens will be difficult for me.Chorus Keep quiet! Silence! Let your steps be light.

Make no sound at all.…Chorus Do you see? His body’s moving in his robes.Electra You wretch, you've forced him to wake up

With your chatter.Chorus No, I think he’s sleeping.Electra Won’t you just go away? Leave the house.

Retrace your steps, and stop the shuffling.

Behind the orkhêstra (‘dancing place’ – where the chorus danced and sang) was a low raised stage...

... with easy access to the orkhêstra and the eisodoi (entrance ways to each side).

At the rear of the stage was the skênê building...

... with a wide central door...

... for entrances and exits...

... and painted scenery panels (skênographia).

Interior tableaux were displayed on the eccyclema (aka ekkyklema) (ekkuklêma), a trolley which could be rolled out...

... and rolled back in again.

Actors could appear on the roof of the skênê building.

WestPathway to Nauplion

EastChariot

Roadway toArgos

(including the agora) and Tombs of

Agamemnon and

Clytemnestra

House of Atreus(with the courtyard before it)

Rooftop

Orestes

Electra

Helen

The Characters by EpisodePro. Electra Orestes Helen (and

Phrygian slaves)

Hermione

1 Electra Orestes

2 Orestes Menelaus (and men)

Tyndareus Pylades

3 Electra Orestes Messenger

(Old Man)

Pylades

4 Electra Orestes (Helen – off-stage)

Pylades

5 Electra Orestes Phrygian slave

Pylades

Ep. Electra Orestes Menelaus (and men)

Hermione Pylades Apollo Helen

More surprises about Helen…

• Helen is heard begging for her life

• We expect the ekkyklema to reveal her corpse

• The Messenger (Phrygian Slave) reports in song (and pidgin Greek) that she has vanished

Darius (named) and a Messenger:

Southern Italian column crater (c. 400BC) by the Darius Painter (detail from name vase depicting a Persian-War themed tragedy).

Epilogue

Menelaus (and entourage)

Chorus of Argive women

Orestes

Hermione

Pylades

Electra

Apollo

Helen

The Characters by ActorActor A Actor B Actor C Silent Extras

Prologue Electra Orestes Helen Hermione Phrygian slaves

Episode 1 Electra Orestes

Episode 2 Menelaus Orestes Tyndareus

Pylades

Menelaus’ men

Episode 3 Electra Orestes Messenger

Pylades

Orestes’ supporters

Episode 4 Electra (Helen)

Episode 5 Electra Orestes Phrygian slave

Epilogue Menelaus Orestes Apollo Hermione

Pylades

Electra

Helen

Menelaus’ men

Alex Clark & Euripides’ Orestes• Adapting the characters and content. Expect:

– The unexpected: Helen, Menelaus & Hermione + ???– The substantially developed: Pylades, the imagery of setting

fire to the house of Atreus and Orestes’ threat of arson– A trial and a guilty verdict– The criminal justice system to be upheld – A devastated and mentally unbalanced Orestes– Reference to Greek myths– A happy end for some

• Adopting Euripides’ attitude to theatrical conventions and stage space. Expect:– Doubling of characters– Original and unexpected handling of stage space– To see inside Orestes’ mind– To wonder whether murders will be committed