ANCIENT

THEATRE

EGYPT
EARLIESTRECORDOFPERFORMANCES 4,000
YEARSAGO
WERETHREEDAYPAGEANTS
RELIGIOUSINCHARACTER
RITUALISTIC
LARGELYDEVOIDOFDRAMA

GREECE
600B.C.
PartofworshipofDionysus,godofwine&fertility
Basedonasacrificedonewithachorusofchanters
Chanterswerecalledgoatsingers
Theirchantwasatragos, originofwordtragedy

534B.C.
Thespissteppedoutfromchorusandengagedchorus
indialogue,becomingfirstACTOR
OriginoftermThespian
UseofmasksalsobeganwithThespis;helpedwith
femalecharactersplayedbymales

 MostfamousoffestivalswasCityDionysia
Lasted56days
Last3daysoffestivalaplaywrightwouldpresent
4playseachday
Atrilogyoftragedies
Onesatyrplayortragicomedy

Playwrightswerecompetingforprizes
Patrons,calledchoregoi,boretheexpenses
Staginggraduallyevolved

Sometheaterscouldhold17,000persons

StagingofGreekTheatre
Openhillsidessurroundedanorchestrawhere
thechoruswoulddance,withanaltar
(thymele)toDionysuscenteredinthe
orchestra
Priestswouldsitdowninthefrontofthe
theatron.
Askene wouldcometobelocatedattherear
oftheactingarea.

skene

orchestra

theatron

OtherStageComponents
Sidewingsaddedtoskene werecalledparaskenia
Entrancestoorchestrafromundertheseatingwould
bevomitoria
Awheeledplatform(the eccyclema)wouldbeused
tobringincorpseskilled offstage
Periaktoi werethreeflatsputtogethertoforma
triangle,thencentermountedonapivotandused
forscene/backgroundchanges
Amachina couldbeusedtofly agodintothe
orchestra,thushavingadeus exmachina.

MASKS/COSTUMING
Tragicactorswore
Enlargedmasksheightenedwithacrownoronkus
Somewhatpaddedcostumeswithchiton (tunic)
Cothurni (hightoppedbootsw/thick,padded
solesandlacedup,withopentoes)laterknownas
buskins

 Comicactorswore
Grotesquemasks
Chiton paddedinahumorouslydeformedway
and/orcuttooshort
Socks(sandals)
Phallus (malecharactersonly)andonoccasiona
tail

USUALTHEMEOFGREEKTRAGEDY
CENTEREDONTHECLASHBETWEENTHE
WILLOFTHEGODSANDTHE
AMBITIONS/DESIRESOFMEN,AND
SHOWEDHOWHUMANEFFORTSWERE
FUTILEINCIRCUMVENTINGTHEDECREES
OFFATEAND/ORWILLOFTHEGODS.

DEVELOPMENTOFCHORUS
Initially50ormoremembers,gradually
decreasingto1215asactorstookoverparts
Roles
Explainsituations
Updateaudienceonevents
Commentonactionfromviewpointof
establishedideasorgroupitrepresented
Engageactorsindialogue

ACTORS
Initiallyone(Thespissteppedoutofchorus
andrecitedmonologue
Aeschylusaddeda2nd actor,allowingfaceto
faceconflict
Sophoclesaddeda3rd andfinalactor
ThreeactorshadtoplayALLcharacters
Nowomenpermittedtoactuntil4century
B.C.(300+B.C.)

GREEKPLAYWRIGHTS
TRAGEDIANS
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripedes
COMEDIANS
Aristophanes
Menander

Aeschylus(525456B.C.)
Won13ofthecontests
FatherofGreektragedy
Sevenextantworks:ThePersiansSeven
againstThebes;[TrilogyOresteia]
Agamemnon,Choephoroe,&Eumenides;The
Suppliants;andPrometheusBound
Introducedthe2nd actor
Reducedchorusto12
Notedforelevation&majestyoflanguage

SOPHOCLES(496406B.C.)
Introduced3rd actor
CalledtheGreatestoftheGreekdramatists
Creditedwith>100plays,only7stillexisting
Won18FirstPrizes,beatingAeschylusin468
MostknownforTheThebanPlays:OedipusRex
(Tyrannus),OedipusatColonus,&Antigone
Balancedpowerofthegodswiththeimportanceof
man.CharacterscouldaskWHY?
Introduceddramaticactionleadingtoadefiniteplot
structureofunityandbeauty

EURIPEDES(485406B.C.)
Seriouslyquestionedlife
Moreconcernedwithhumaninterestthan
withreligiousviewsoftheday
Emphasizedmantomanrelationships
Masterofpathos.BestknownforTheTrojan
Women(anindictmentofwar),and Medea
(wifeseeksrevengeagainsthusbandfor
infidelity,ultimatelysacrificingtwosons.

ARISTOPHANES(450380B.C.)
KnownaschiefwriterofOldComedy.
Satirist;observerofmankind;nothingwas
sacredtohim
Bestknownfor
TheFrogs(awriters contestinHellbetween
AeschylusandEuripedes,judgedbyDionysus
TheClouds(acommentaryonSocrates&Greek
education)
Lysistrata (ascathingattackonwar)

OldComedy
Couldusemorethan3actors(often5)
Useda24memberchorus
Concernedwithcontemporarymattersofpoliticsor
art,questionsofpeaceorwar,orwith
persons/practicesdislikedbytheauthor
Structuredinto:prologue (happyideaisconceived),
parados (chorusentry), agon (debateovermeritsof
idea),parabasis (chorusaddressesaudiencew/
advice),seriesofepisodes (showshappyideain
practice),&komos (exittofeastingandrevelry)

MENANDER(342291B.C.)
OnlyknowncompletescriptisThe
Curmudgeon[orTheGrouch]
MostassociatedwithNewComedy
Satirewasreplacedbysentimentalcomedybased
uponalovestory,drawnfromeverydaylifeof
middleclassAthenians
Dividedinto5partswith4choralinterludes
Usedcostumesofeverydaygarmentsandmasks
depictingbasiccharactertypesofperiod

Greektheaterhadalmost
disappearedby2nd centuryB.C.,as
RomeabsorbedtheHellenistic
world,adaptingtheatretoitsown
needs

ROMANTHEATRE
Firstregulardramaswereperformedin240B.C.,
beingtheplaysofLivius Andronicus
Onlyworksoftwocomedywriters(Plautsu &
Terence)andonetragedian(Seneca)survive
NopermanenttheaterwasbuiltinRomeuntil55
B.C.
Allactorsworemasks.Costumesweresimilarto
thoseofdailylife
ComedieswerepatternedafterGreekNewComedy

TITUSMARCUSPLAUTUS (254184B.C.
21PLAYSOF130+SURVIVE,NOTABLE:TheTwin
Menaechmi,Amphitryon,andThePotofGold.Plots
oftenbasedonmistakenidentityorfather/son
rivalry
About2/3rdsofthelineswereaccompaniedby
music,andusually3songswereincluded.
Hetypicallyexploredasingleplotwithacomplicated
intrigue
Usedcharactertypes(stockcharacters):slave,
master,thecourtesan,cowardlysoldier,etc.

PUBLIUSTERENTIUSAFER(TERENCE)
(195?185?B.C. 159B.C.)
NativeofNorthAfrica,broughttoRomeasayoung
slavebyaRomansenatorwhoeducatedTerence
andsethimfree.
ScipioAfricanus Minorbecamehispatron,
encouragingTerencetoadaptNewComedy,
particularlyMenanders,totheRomanstage.
Characterportrayal,gentlehumor,warmthof
feeling,&eleganceofdialoguereflectedgood
mannersandhighcultureofupperclasssociety

Excelledatsuspensefulplots

LUCIUSANNEUSSENECA(4B.C.65A.D.
Wroteclosetdramas, meanttobereadrather
thanperformed
Aninfluentialwriter/philosopherofStoicism
AdaptedfiveplaysofEuripides,authored4others
Useda5actconstruction
Showedviolentaction;usedelaboratelyconstructed
speechessimilartowhatwouldappearin
Elizabethandrama
Wrote12moralessaysand124moralletters
Tutored&advisedNero,felloutoffavor,
condemnedtodiebutchosesuicide

OtherRomandramaticforms
Farce(fabula Atellana):usedstockcharacterswith
improviseddialogue;plotsinvolvedtrickery,
cheating,&generalbuffoonery
Mime:femalerolesplayedbywomen,nomasks
wereworn,andsubjectmatterwasprimarilyurban.
Subjectswereoftenadulteryorunnaturalvices.
UsedindecentlanguageBecausetherisingChristian
religionopposedthese,theMimecompanies
retaliatedbyridiculingpracticies &beliefof
Christians
Pantomime:silentinterpretivedance,performedby
asingleactor,andnarratedbyachorus.

TheateratOstia