Aspects of Greek Theatre (Costumes and masks) By Sim£on £vanson

Masks in Greek Theatre Using masks in performances allows actors to portray more than one character It makes it easier for the audience to remember specific characters. Although masks create distance in a modern theatre with stage lighting , in a large open-air theatre the effect of classical masks was to bring the face closer to the spectator and thus create intimacy . Masks allows the actor to present a situation and not to wallow in emotion

Costumes in Greek Theatre The wearinf of himatation imposed a bodily discipline involving stillness, balance and restricted gesture Upper class male characters in tragedy wore a chiton to the ankle in the old fashioned Ionian style The costume of tragedy was highly ornate and doubtless colourful to emphasise the status of the performance as a ceremony The actors also wore flesh coloured tights to give the impression their naked

What are Greek plays like ? Greek actors wear masks made from stiffened linen, with holes for eyes and mouth. Actors also wear wigs. They wear thick soled shoes too, to make themselves look taller , and padded costumes to make them look fatter or stronger . The masks show the audience what kind of character the actor is portraying. Some masks have two sides, so the actor could them turn them round to suit the mood for each scene

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