The CONTEXT of ancient theater:
what were the original productions
of these plays like?
[part 1]
Quick background sketch to Classical
Athens:
The big three tragedians:
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Aeschylus 525-456 BC
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Sophocles 496-406 BC
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Euripides 486-406 BC
All, note, Athenian, and all part of the 5th century, aka the "Golden Age
of Athens" or the "Classical Period" of Greece
[Parthenon, Athenian acropolis]
The "rise of rationalism": history, philosophy, science, rhetoric,
politics, as well as drama
The radical democracy
Ancient theater: scene and production
(Further details on the theater itselfnext Wednesday:
Prof.Janet Jones)
1. Theater of Epidaurus: the best preserved ancient theater
(a) view from the top: notice the backdrop (borrowed from the drama
site of Dr. Robin Mitchell-Boyask)
(b) view of the stage area: orchestra, skene
2. The theater of Dionysus (where all our plays were first produced),
built into the side of the Athenian Acropolis
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circa 15,000 spectators
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general setting: open air, view of larger space
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Athens as a performance culture
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symposium
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religious festivals
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Pnyx: the public assembly
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Areopagus: the lawcourts
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compare proscenium arch stage
3. Parts of the theater
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orchestra
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parodos (for choral & other "big" entrances: e.g. the entrance of Creon
at pp. 162f.)
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skene (literally, "tent") = stage
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scenery
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props
4. Production and players
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playwright
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didaskalos (cf. "didactic": literally, "teacher")
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text + music + dance + direction
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early on, also an actor
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actors: only 3 (early on 2, but all our plays require 3)
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masks:
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prob. paper-mache or the like, full head, perhaps enhanced projection of
voice
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allowed actors to play more than one part
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or to change the nature of a given part (e.g. Oedipus himself)
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chorus: 15 (early on 12) members
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dancing AND singing!
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choruses were widespread in Greek culture: marriages, funerals, athletic
victories, religious festivals-- even battles!
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Thespis: traditional beginnings of "drama" said to be when Thespis responded
to the chorus in the part of an imagined person (thus actors are called
"thespians")
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fundamental, and fundamentally different, is this opposition between chorus
and actor, the alternation between spoken lines and those sung and danced,
between lines that are part of the "drama" proper, and lines that are lyrical
reflections by the chorus (e.g. first chorus of the Oedipus the King, pp.
168f)
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ASSIGMENT: for Monday, look again at each choral interlude, and try to
figure out what each choral interlude is doing in the play, that is, what
its function is: bring your SPECIFIC NOTES to class, and be ready to comment
in some detail
Further reading on ancient theaters: see esp. Rush Rehm, Greek
Tragic Theater Routledge 1992.
Next time: (1) choruses (see assignment above)
(2) What has Oedipus done SO WRONG that he deserves such punishment? Is
this really, as so commonly claimed, all about "pride"?
