2. GREEK THEATRE

3. Influences on Greek culture Polytheism Agriculture Many wars Fate

4. HOW THEATRE BEGAN 6th Century BC to 2nd Century AD Rituals honoring Dionysus Drama Competitions

5. THEATRES Amphitheatres Carved into hillsides for acoustics and sight lines Seated up to 15,000 people The audience

6. Parts of a Greek theater

7. Theater at Delphi

8. Epidauros

9. Theater of Dionysus

10. The Skene The skene provided the scenery. Actors made entrances and exits. Actors could change costumes and masks behind the skene.

11. Greek Origins of Theatre Terms Choros Tragos Orkestra Thespis Skene Theatron Protagonist Antagonist Hypocrite Deus ex machina

12. The Actors All roles played by men The role of the chorus Thespis What they wore

13. The Chorus The chorus would stand to the side of the dramatic action and chant their lines together.

14. Function of the Chorus To explain the current situation To bring the audience up to date To comment on the action To engage in dialogue with the actors and offer them advice.

15. MASKS Illustrated a character’s emotion Allowed for quick character changes Distinguished female characters Made the actors appear larger Amplified the actors’ voices

16. Greek Theatre Masks

17. Plays and Playwrights Aeschylus: The Oresteia (only surviving trilogy) Sophocles: Oedipus Rex (emphasis on individual, complex characters) Euripides: Medea (themes considered “unsuitable”) Aristophanes: Lysistrata, The Frogs (broad comedies)

18. The Plays Religious myths Stories of mortals interacting with gods and goddesses Kings and Queens Battles Family relationships of important historical characters

19. Roman Theatre Rome conquered Greece 146 BC Seneca wrote tragedies copying plots and structure of Greek plays Comedies by Terrence and Plautus The Colosseum used for circuses and gladiator spectacles