Ancient Greek Theatre

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Ancient Greek Theatre
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Background

• The Golden Age of Greece
• Prosperity and advancements in politics, science,
  philosophy, art, and architecture.
• 510 BC 1st democracy- male citizens could vote

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Lets put this into perspective!
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In the U.S., what year was slavery abolished?
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1865
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In the U.S., when were women given the right to
vote?
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1920
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Science and Philosophy Advancements

• Pythagorus-Pythagorean theorem
• A2 B2 C2
• Hippocratic Oath-Hippocrates came up with oath
  doctors still take today.
• Socrates and Plato-great philosophers

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Theories of the Origin of Theatre
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1. Aristotle
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Aristotles Theory

• Theatre came from mans natural desire to imitate
  and communicate.
• Examples children, Ook and Og

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2. Greek Religious Festivals honoring
Dionysis-God of harvest wine, fertility
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Greek Festival Theory

• 1. Dithyramb- lengthy hymn sung and danced by 50
  men with one leader/narrator and the chorus sings
  the refrain.
• 2. 600 BC- dithyramb became literary
  form-written down.
• 3. Arion-added spoken dramatic words to
  dithyramb from Lesbos, poet and harpist
• 4. Thespis-1st actor, stepped out of chorus and
  delivered monologue (thespianactor)

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The City Dionysia
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The City Festival Dionysia

• Festival honoring Dionysis-where theatre
  originated
• Lasted 7-14 days
• During festival everything CLOSED-even prisons
• Athens in Spring
• Another festival in fall

• Tragedies added to festival in 534 BC
• Comedies added to festival in 486 BC

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• 1-2 days of parades and sacrifices
• 2 days of dithyrambs- 1for choruses of boys and 1
  for choruses of men
• 3 days of tragedies- 1 day for each author who
  would present a tetralogy (3 tragedies and a
  satyr)
• 1 day of comedies- 5 plays each by a different
  author

• A few days after festival, give awards for best
  play and best actor, and best playwright like our
  Oscars and Emmys and Tonys

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• Proagon-trailer for upcoming plays, actors would
  perform small section for public as advertisement
• Archon-person responsible for picking out plays
  11 months before festival
• Choregus-producer, pick one playwright to sponsor
  for one year, paid all major expenses related to
  chorus rehearsals, costumes, musicians,
  considered a form of paying taxes

• City provided theater space, awards and
  playwright and actors salaries
• Representative Body judge and jury to anyone
  who behaved improperly during festival, elected
• Plays based on myths or legends that the people
  were already familiar with.

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Ticket
This ticket allowed people in to view the plays
during the festival. The city paid for the
tickets of the poor so EVERYONE could attend
these religious festivals!
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Women attended festival because violence NEVER
occurred onstage!
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Background

• Golden Age
• Advancements in many areas
• 510 B.C. first democracy!

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Theories of the Origin of Theatre

• Aristotle said theatre came from mans natural
  desire to imitate and communicate.

• Came from Greek religious festival honoring
  Dionysis-dithyramb, literary form, Arion, Thespis.

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City Festival Dionysia

• 7-14 days
• All closed
• Christmas equivalent
• Certain events on certain days
• Awards
• Different people had different jobs
• Women attended festival so NO violence in plays