Triple - Historical Context - Blog 1 (Greek Research) - 19/11/15

Today we started our unit on Historical Context! We started the lesson by deciding who would research which era of theatre; I chose Greek Theatre. Below is my research:

Greek Theatre

Venue:

Almost every Greek city had a theatre; they were called Amphitheatres. The amphitheatres were built on hillsides in the open air and could often hold more than 18,000 spectators. The amphitheatres were open air and built in a semi-circular shape with rows of tiered stone seating around it. The shape of the amphitheatres gave everyone in the audience excellent viewing and also meant they could hear the actors well too. In the centre of the theatre was a circular dancing floor (orchestra), with an altar for sacrifices dedicated to Dionysus. The stage was a raised area within this circle.

Actors:

All the actors were men. They wore large masks that exaggerated facial features and emotions. The mouth hole was large to help amplify the voices. Greek plays were either comedies or tragedies. Comedies tended to be about current and everyday life, whereas tragedies were often about the past. Actors in tragedy roles wore dark colours and boots to elevate them above the other actors. Actors in comedic roles wore bright colours and light thin sole shoes called a sock. The Greeks enjoyed singing and dancing. Plays were part of many religious festivals. The chorus consisted of a group of 12-15 people.The cast of a Greek play in the Dionysia was comprised of amateurs, not professionals (all male).
Ancient Greek actors had to gesture grandly so that the entire audience could see and hear the story.

Some of the costume they wore featured:

• Chiton (robe or tunic)
• Chlaina/himation (overgarment)
• Chlamys (short cloak)
• Cothurnus (short lace-up boots)
• Peplos (cloak)

History

Greek tragedy as we know it was created in Athens around the time of 532 BC; Thespis was the earliest recorded actor. Being a winner of the first theatrical contest held at Athens, he was the exarchon, or leader of the dithyrambs performed in and around Attica, especially at the rural Dionysia. By Thespis' time the dithyramb had evolved far away from its cult roots. Under the influence of heroic epic, Doric choral lyric and the innovations of the poet Arion, it had become a narrative, ballad-like genre. Because of these, Thespis is often called the "Father of Tragedy"

Scenic elements

There were several scenic elements commonly used in Greek theatre:

• A crane that gave the impression of a flying actor

• A wheeled platform often used to bring dead characters into view for the audience

• Pictures hung to create scenery

• More complex pictures built into the second-level scene (3rd level from ground)

• Phallic props were used for satyr plays, symbolizing fertility in honour of Dionysus