1. QUICKIE GREEK DRAMA DETAILS

2.  ONE ACTOR  MINIMAL OR NON-EXISTENT SETS/SCENERY  USE OF CHORUS (APPROX. 50 PEOPLE)  CHORUS MEMBERS (NON-SINGING) EXPLAIN CHANGES IN SETTING, FILL IN DETAILS, COMMENT  PLAYWRIGHT WAS OFTEN THE AUTHOR, DIRECTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER, MUSICAL COMPOSER, LEADING ACTOR Early Classical Plays

3.  MOSTLY DISCUSSION AND NARRATION  NO BLOOD AND GORE (THIS SORT OF STUFF “HAPPENED” OFFSTAGE)  LACKING IN ILLUSION OR STAGE REALISM  IMAGINATION IS THE KEY  LOFTY MORAL THEMES  PART OF RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS, HELD THREE TIMES A YEAR—CONTESTS Classical Plays

4.  IN BOTH TRAGEDY AND COMEDY, ALL ACTORS SINCE THE 5TH CENTURY WORE MASKS AT ALL TIMES  THE MASK COVERED THE ENTIRE HEAD, INCLUDED THE APPROPRIATE HAIRSTYLE, BEARD, ORNAMENTS AND OTHER FEATURES  MADE OF A HARDENED LINEN-LIKE MATERIAL (THINK PAPIER-MACHE), OR WOOD OR CORK.  NO EXISTING EXAMPLES. Masks

5. PHILOSOPHER Warrior Dionysus

6.  MASKS WERE WORN FOR FOUR REASONS: 1. VISIBILITY: PERFORMERS WOULD PLAY FOR AN AUDIENCE OF 14,000, SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. THE MASKS HAD EXAGGERATED FEATURES TO HELP ACTORS BE SEEN AND EMOTIONS UNDERSTOOD. Masks

8.  MASKS WERE WORN FOR FOUR REASONS: 2. ACOUSTIC ASSISTANCE: SOME MASKS HAD A SMALL MEGAPHONE-LIKE DEVICE INSIDE THE MOUTH. Masks

9.  MASKS WERE WORN FOR FOUR REASONS: 3. FEW ACTORS, MANY ROLES: EACH PLAY HAD FEW ACTORS, BUT MANY DIFFERENT ROLES. MASKS HELPED ACTORS CHANGE CHARACTERS INSTANTLY. Masks

10.  MASKS WERE WORN FOR FOUR REASONS: 4. CHARACTERIZATION: MASKS HAD TO REPRESENT THE OUTSTANDING FEATURES & PERSONALITY OF THE CHARACTERS Masks

11. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS  TRAGEDY IS AN IMITATION OF ACTION, BOTH SERIOUS AND COMPLETE.  THERE MUST BE A CATHARSIS, INSTILLING FEAR AND PITY.  CATHARSIS—AN EMOTIONAL OUTPOURING; GETTING EVERYTHING OFF YOUR CHEST IN ONE BIG OLE SCREAMFEST.

12. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1. PLOT: ACTION OF THE PLAY

13. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1.PLOT 2.THOUGHT: EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS OF THE CHARACTERS

14. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1.PLOT 2.THOUGHT 3.CHARACTERS: INHABITANTS OF THE PLAY

15. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1.PLOT 2.THOUGHT 3.CHARACTERS 4.DICTION: SPEECH AND DIALOGUE OF THE CHARACTERS

16. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1.PLOT 2.THOUGHT 3.CHARACTERS 4.DICTION 5.SONG: RHYTHM OF THE PLAY

17. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY 1.PLOT 2.THOUGHT 3.CHARACTERS 4.DICTION 5.SONG: 6.SPECTACLE: TECHNICAL ASPECTS, SUCH AS LIGHTING, SOUND, PROPS

18. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—THE UNITIES 1.TIME: THE ENTIRE STORY TAKES PLACE FROM SUNUP TO SUNDOWN—ONE DAY (THERE MAY BE A BACKSTORY THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THE EVENTS OF THE PLAY, BUT ONLY THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE CLIMAX OF THE STORY ARE HIGHLIGHTED.) (THERE MAY BE A BACKSTORY THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THE EVENTS OF THE PLAY, BUT ONLY THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE CLIMAX OF THE STORY ARE HIGHLIGHTED.)

19. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—THE UNITIES 1.TIME 2.PLACE: ONE LOCATION ONLY

20. ARISTOTLE’S POETICS—THE UNITIES 1.TIME 2.PLACE 3.ACTION: ONLY ONE CENTRAL STORY OR ACTION; ELIMINATES ACTION NOT RELEVANT TO THE PLOT

21. GREEK PLAYWRIGHTS: THE BIG FOUR (TIME TO BE MAD AT LOWTHER)

22.  ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL GROUND-BREAKERS:  INCREASED # OF ACTORS FROM 1 TO 2  INVOLVED THE CHORUS MORE IN THE ACTION  EMPHASIZED THE DIALOGUE  WROTE OVER 90 PLAYS—MOSTLY TRAGEDIES—ONLY 7 SURVIVED.  AGAMEMNON—BACK FROM TROJAN WAR; MURDER, ADULTERY, RESPONSIBILITY, WILL OF HEAVEN. Aeschylus (525-456 BC)

25.  WAS 1 ST AN ACTOR, BUT WITH HIS 1 ST PLAY, DEFEATED AESCHYLUS  ADDED THE 3 RD ACTOR, INVENTED PAINTED SCENERY  LESS FORMAL, MORE REALISTIC  WROTE >120 PLAYS, ONLY 7 HAVE SURVIVED.  OEDIPUS THE KING—KILLED HIS FATHER, MARRIED HIS MOTHER. HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY, DIGNITY, FATE. Sophocles (496-406 BC)

28.  IGNORED BY THE JUDGES BECAUSE HIS FREE-THINKING AND PACIFIST VIEWS WERE NOT POPULAR.  UNHAPPY LIFE IS REFLECTED IN PLAYS.  BEGAN TO INCORPORATE HUMOR, EXAMINE HUMAN PSYCHE AND EMOTIONS.  BROUGHT THE COMMON MAN, HIS LIFE, AND HIS LANGUAGE TO THE STAGE.  MEDEA Euripides (485-406 BC)

31.  WROTE THE ONLY SURVIVING COMEDIES  PLAYS MARKED BY WIT, INVENTION, SKILLFUL USE OF LANGUAGE  SATIRICAL, SOPHISTICATED, OBSCENE  CRITICIZED POLITICS OF HIS TIME  11 IF HIS 40 PLAYS SURVIVED  LYSISTRATA—SPARTA & ATHENS AT WAR; WOMEN WITHHOLD SEX TO MAKE MEN STOP FIGHTING Aristophanes (450-380 BC)