What is known as the “Golden Age” of Greek Theatre occurred around 500 - 300 BCE.
In the city-state of Athens the earliest forms of Drama – tragedy, comedy and satyr plays -developed which have had a lasting impact on Western drama.
Aristotle’s [Ar-iss-TOTTLE]"Poetics" (written in 350BCE) is the earliest text we have which discusses Greek Theatre. From it we learn that it was the traditional dithyrambs (song of praise) honouring the god Dionysus [Die-ON-ee-siss] (the god of fertility and wine) that evolved into Greek theatre. During the century 600 the poet ARION[[A-ree-on]began to write formal dithyrambs which were sung by a chorus.
During the next century the poet Thespis placed a solo actor on the stage who spoke as if he really was the character, while the Chorus told the actual story. To this day another word for Actors is Thespians. Thespis’ style of drama became know as tragedy (which actually means ‘goat songs!) and by 534 BCE annual drama competitions were being held in Athens on the feast of DIONYSIS.
In 471 BC, the playwright Aeschylus [AY-shul-us] introduced a second actor to the stage, and for the first time dialogue between characters was heard onstage. Three years later (468BCE) SOPHOCLES[SOFF-er-kleez] – the author of OEDUPUS [EE-duh-pus], - introduced a third actor so that more complicated plots became possible. Actors could play many different parts so they began to wear masks to clarify [make clear] which part they were speaking.
The plays became so popular that eventually they were not simply produced for the god Dionysis but for all the different Greek gods, which meant people could attend the Theatre much more often.
Greek theater buildings were called a theatron. They consisted of the orchestra – a round or rectangular area for singing, dancing, religious ceremonies - and, once Drama had developed, for acting.
Behind the orchestra was the skene (meaning “hut”) where actors could change. The skene was used to represent a building (e.g. the outside of the Palace in Oedipus) but in time it was painted to represent other things such as woods, or fields. So it is from this skene that the English words “scene” and “scenery” developed. There were several doors in the skene for actors to enter or leave the stage.
The audience sat on stone benches that rose upwards so theatrons were always built into hillsides. There were no walls but the benches could seat about 15,000 people.
Because the audiences were so large actors had to make very wide gestures so all could see. However, theatron were all built so that even a coin dropping in the orchestra could be heard by those in the highest row. The plays contained songs and dances and much of the dialogue was accompanied by music.
In the city-state of Athens the earliest forms of Drama – tragedy, comedy and satyr plays -developed which have had a lasting impact on Western drama.
Aristotle’s [Ar-iss-TOTTLE]"Poetics" (written in 350BCE) is the earliest text we have which discusses Greek Theatre. From it we learn that it was the traditional dithyrambs (song of praise) honouring the god Dionysus [Die-ON-ee-siss] (the god of fertility and wine) that evolved into Greek theatre. During the century 600 the poet ARION[[A-ree-on]began to write formal dithyrambs which were sung by a chorus.
During the next century the poet Thespis placed a solo actor on the stage who spoke as if he really was the character, while the Chorus told the actual story. To this day another word for Actors is Thespians. Thespis’ style of drama became know as tragedy (which actually means ‘goat songs!) and by 534 BCE annual drama competitions were being held in Athens on the feast of DIONYSIS.
In 471 BC, the playwright Aeschylus [AY-shul-us] introduced a second actor to the stage, and for the first time dialogue between characters was heard onstage. Three years later (468BCE) SOPHOCLES[SOFF-er-kleez] – the author of OEDUPUS [EE-duh-pus], - introduced a third actor so that more complicated plots became possible. Actors could play many different parts so they began to wear masks to clarify [make clear] which part they were speaking.
The plays became so popular that eventually they were not simply produced for the god Dionysis but for all the different Greek gods, which meant people could attend the Theatre much more often.
Greek theater buildings were called a theatron. They consisted of the orchestra – a round or rectangular area for singing, dancing, religious ceremonies - and, once Drama had developed, for acting.
Behind the orchestra was the skene (meaning “hut”) where actors could change. The skene was used to represent a building (e.g. the outside of the Palace in Oedipus) but in time it was painted to represent other things such as woods, or fields. So it is from this skene that the English words “scene” and “scenery” developed. There were several doors in the skene for actors to enter or leave the stage.
The audience sat on stone benches that rose upwards so theatrons were always built into hillsides. There were no walls but the benches could seat about 15,000 people.
Because the audiences were so large actors had to make very wide gestures so all could see. However, theatron were all built so that even a coin dropping in the orchestra could be heard by those in the highest row. The plays contained songs and dances and much of the dialogue was accompanied by music.
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