Theater

Ancient Greek Theater

Greek theater was important because it was one of the few public events attended by both men and women. It was done between c.550 and c.220 BC. The stories the actors performed were written for the Gods and Goddesses of Greece.

The theater was used for telling stories. Before the era of classical Greece, people gathered around a circular patch of ground to gather wheat and watch songs and dances for the Gods. By the classical era, the circular patch of ground had been replaced by a huge outdoor theater.

The story was performed on a raised stage. The actors playing in the orchestra performed on the ground level. Rows and rows of tiered stone seats rise up the hillside around the stage. The seats were often cut out of rock. Important people sat in the more comfortable seats in the front. They included judges that give out prizes for the best performance. The stage is in two parts. First is a round area in the middle called the orchestra. Behind the orchestra is a colonnaded building called the proskenion. The second stage is built on top of this and is called the logeion. Behind this stands the skēnē.



In such huge theaters, most of the audience is unable to see the actors’ faces clearly. So the actors would wear large masks. The face on the mask shows what character he was. The actors would come through the doors in the skēnē. There are usually three. The side doors are for the less important roles. Actors from the orchestra enter from either side of the proskenion. he plays were about well-known heroes, legends, and myths, so all of the audience knew the basic story. The audience showed their enjoyment by whistling and stomping their feet. If an actor made a mistake, they shouted, booed, and sometimes even threw stones!

The main actors performed on the upper stage. Women were not allowed to act. So men acted out all parts, adding the female parts. Each actor played several characters, changing their costume and mask in the dressing room backstage. The plays were put on once a month, and performances lasted all day. So the audience brought food with them. There were three lengthy plays with an intermission between each one. The entry fee had cost two obols (1/3 of a drachma). In conclusion, Greek theater is very educational and important to the structure of theater today.