Homework Due: today Read the Introductory Note to the Wasps (page 35-37) (yellow cover)/ Preface to the Wasps (page 3-6) (black cover). Make notes of the key ideas from this reading. To be discussed Monday in class: Find someone with the same colour stick and share your notes with them. Do they have anything different? If so, record it. Please ensure you see me with your completed work so I record that it’s done.
The Elements of the Greek Theatre
The Theatre of Dionysus Aristophanes’ main theatre of use was the Theatre of Dionysus. Located in a hollow on the south side of the Acropolis in Athens It could seat 15,000 people Diameter was the length of a cricket pitch
The Plays Athenians went to plays either in the winter or early spring - Winter - the Great Dionysia festival - Spring – Lenaea festival Some minor festivals took place throughout the year Performances began at sunrise and went all day without a break The audience took their own food and a cushion Seats were wooden The day began when the priest of Dionysus made a sacrifice on the altar in the middle of the orchestra, then took his place in the special seat reserved for him in the front row Name of the play was announced by a herald
Who Attended? Most of Athenian society was represented Principal magistrates and priests sat in the front row – especially the Priest of Dionysus Near them sat politicians and city leaders Intellectuals, philosophers, landowners, speakers and soldiers also attended Ordinary citizens attended as it was free 1/3 of the city’s voting population (adult free males) Debate still rages over whether women, children or slaves were admitted: little evidence supports it, however.
The Theatron – ‘Watching Place’ Contained tiers of seats looking down on the dancing circle (orchestra), giving good visibility Seats arranged in arcs, separated by passages For ease of access Stairs radiated out from the centre – these formed wedge-shaped sections Partly raised on a hill and partly on terraces of earth and rubble contained by supporting walls Spectators in the back row were 90m from the stage An actor 2m tall looked 1.8cm high from the back This explains the need for grotesque masks & exaggerated phalloi (phalluses all male characters wore) Semi-circular shape gave great acoustics
Orchestra – ‘Dancing Circle’ This was the heart of the theatre The chorus was usually found in the orchestra Actors in a comedy mingled with the chorus The orchestra: Contributes to the size and openness of the theatre Made of earth inside a circle of squared stone Was 18m in diameter Had a 1m altar in the centre (used by priest, but could be a prop)
Paradoi (sing: parados) The parodoi was a walkway used as an entrance path for spectators and the chorus. Could sometimes be used by actors during the performance The first entry of the chorus-men, marching or dancing along the walkways into the orchestra, was a spectacular feature of plays There were always two on either side of the stage
Proskenion This was the stage in front of the stage building (skene) It was probably decorated with pillars Most likely formed a permanent set Changes could be made to suit each play’s demands – by painting A fixed scene could still represent many different buildings.
Skene The skene is the ‘stage house’ Located between the dancing circle and the hall and temple beyond Stone foundations are only 8m long and 3m wide Probably small because of lack of wood in wartime Had a strong, flat roof in which scenes could be staged; an actor could turn it into a watchtower, castle wall or (in Philocleon’s case) a tiled roof through which to escape by removing the tiles access by internal stairs Usually had large double doors for entrances and two smaller doors and a window on either side Doors had to be wide to reveal interior scenes with the ekkyklema
Theologion / episkenion This was the roof of the stage house. Often used by Aristophanes (eg when Philocleon tries to make his escape by breaking out through the tiles) The place where gods spoke from during plays when they were flown in by the crane to take part in the action (Theos – god; logos – speech)
Stage Machines Mechane (crane) Counterweighted wooden beam Situated stage right Could swing sideways and out of sight Big enough to swing over the skene and out of sight Had to touch the floor at the orchestra level Could pick up actors wearing a harness or a basket.
Ekkyklema A large platform on wheels which could be rolled out the main double doors Used to reveal the action taking place inside the skene (like a large tableau of characters in frozen positions) Could also be used to portray a boat (eg in Frogs)
Create what you’ve learned Glue the illustration in your book Draw the layout of a Greek theatre on your desk, using whiteboard markers Label all of the parts Add details such as measurement and function