Greek Theatre - Lecture Notes

Greek Theatre Origins of Drama  Dithyrambs: the earliest origins of drama; ancient hymns that were sung in honor of the god Dionysus o hymns were later adapted for choral processions in which participants would dress up in costumes and masks Theatre and Citizenship  business and activities were suspended during festivals featuring dramatic performance  it was considered civic duty for people to participate in productions in some way  didactic purpose: plays were performed as a lesson to the people Greek Theater  Greek comedies and tragedies were always performed in outdoor theaters  Early Greek theaters were probably little more than open areas in city centers or hillsides where the audience (standing or sitting) would watch and listen to a chorus singing about the exploits of a god or hero o First performed at the foot of the temple of the god being honored  6th-3rd century BCE: gradual evolution towards more elaborate/ permanent theater structures o Basic layout always remained the same  Orchestra: a circular space where the chorus would dance, sing, with actors who were on the stage near the skene  Theatron: where the spectators sat, usually part of a hillside overlooking the orchestra  Skene: directly at the back of the stage, usually depicted a palace, temple, or other building (according to the needs of the play); had at least one set of doors for entrances/exits  Parados: paths by which the chorus (and some actors) made their entrances/exits, audience used them to enter/exit before, after performances Theater of Dionysus  Built in the shadow of the Acropolis in Athens at the beginning of the 5th century BCE o Structure was so popular the form spread all over Greece  Dionysus: only god born of one god and one mortal parent o god of wine, fertility, revelry o other gods had temples – cult of Dionysus met in the woods o believed to liberate/ inspire man; could endow man with divine creativity, a patron of the arts The City Dionysia  City Dionysia: festival of entertainment held by Athenian ruler Pisistratus held in honor of Dionysus o Featured competitions in music, singing, dance and poetry  Athenian Dionysia: each playwright customarily entered four plays into the competition: 3 tragedies and one satyr play to be performed either at the end of the festival or in between the 2nd and 3rd tragedies of a trilogy, as a spirited entertainment, a comic relief to break the oppression of hours of gloomy and fatalistic tragedy; they were short, half the duration of a tragedy; general theme of heaven, fate, and the gods affecting human affairs in the tragedies was carried through into the festivities of the chorus of satyrs and sileni (companions of Dionysus)  Thespis: wandering bard and most notable winners of competition o Thespian: of or relating to drama; dramatic: thespian talents Qualities of Greek Drama  Performed for special occasions (festivals) o Athens has four festivals worshipping Dionysus  Competitive – prizes were awarded, actors and playwrights competed  Choral – dramas contained singing and dancing; chorus of 3-50 men who moved story along and provided commentary  Based on myth or history Performance Characteristics  Plays were initially held with just the chorus singing/ chanting the lines  The most important part of the performance space was the orchestra, which means “a place for dancing” (orchesis)  A tragic chorus consisted of 12 or 15 dancers (choreuts), who may have been young men just about to enter military service  Athenians were taught to sing and dance from a very early age – effort of performing in 3 tragedies and a satyr likened to that of competing in the Olympics Role of Actors  Aeschylus: earliest Greek tragedy writer brought idea of second actor  Sophocles: brought third actor – no more than three actors ever on stage in a Greek tragedy  Euripedes: also used three actors Actors, Costumes, and Props  Actors wore masks, so their actions needed to be larger than life for the entire audience to see and understand o Participation is a civic duty – many volunteered for the chorus o Experienced speakers became actors o Actors were revered and exempt from military duty o Women were excluded from acting and had to sit in the higher seats in the theatron o Actors could not move easily, so lines were delivered in a “speech” style o Broad sweeping gestures o General movements to express emotions:  Bowed head= grief  Beating chest= mourning  Stretching arms= prayer o Minor propes:  Scepter – king  Spear – warrior  Elderly – cane  Size was symbolic of their social status  Chiton: a long, flowing robe, padded at the shoulders for width, selected in symbolic colors  Cothurni: platform shoes for added height Masks  Large size of the theatre dictated a non-naturalistic approach to acting  All gestures had to be large and definite  Masks worn by actors looked more “natural” than bare faces in the Theatre of Dionysus  The masks of tragedy were of an ordinary, face-fitting size, with wigs attached, and open mouths to allow clear speech  The most distinctive feature of the mask was its ability to limit and broaden at the same time – it identified a specific character, but it also had generalized features which gave an “everyman” quality Greek Tragedy  Stories based of myths and history, but included varied interpretations of events by the poet  Usually set in a single place with contiguous action o Violence and death offstage  Focus on psychological, ethical attributes of characters o Dealt with love, loss, pride, abuse of power, fraught relationships between men and women  Typically the main protagonist of a tragedy commits a terrible crime, then slowly realizes his error as the world crumbles around him  Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides – 3 great tragic playwrights Structure of Greek Tragedy  Prologue: describes the situation and sets the scenes  Parados: an ode sung by the chorus as they make their entrance  5 dramatic scenes each followed by a komos (exchange of laments between the chorus and protagonist)  Exodus: climax or conclusion  Harmartia: a tragic flaw or mistake that leads to the downfall of the protagonist – must result from a characteristic that’s also part of the protagonist’s virtue  Hubris: overwhelming pride which results in the downfall of a character  Peripetieia: reversal of fortune  Apostrophe: addressing a concept as if it were human  Anagnorisis: recognition or enlightenment when the tragic hero realizes their fate Greek Comedy  Not admitted to the Dionysus festival until 487-486 BCE  The first comedies were mainly satirical and mocked men in power for their vanity and foolishness  Aristophanes: first “master of comedy” o Exaggerated farcical, sensual pleasures Structure of Greek Comedy      Prologue: leading character conceives a “happy idea” Parados: entrance of the chorus Agon: dramatized debate between the pros and cons of the “happy idea” Parabasis: chorus addresses the audience on the poet’s view of the topics Episodes: “happy idea” is put into practical application