Ancient Greek Theatre

1. Ancient Greek Theatre

2. Greek Theatre began in the 5th Century B.C.E. • It honors the Greek God Dionysus; He is the God of wine, fertility and merrymaking • First Actor was Thespis, that is why we get the term thespian for actors • There are 3 types of plays done in Ancient Greece: Tragedy, Comedy and Satyr

3. All Plays • Have a Chorus • The chorus sang, danced and recited lines • Chorus contained anywhere from 15-50 people • Said their lines and moved in unison • Provided background information on the main characters, commented on the action of the play and described the action that happens offstage • Chorus represented the “common people”

4. Theatre Buildinghold 15,000 to 17,000 audience members • Theatron- “viewing place” where the audience sits • Orchestra- playing area for the actors • Skene- scene building, where the scenery is • Parados- entrance

6. Costumes • All performers wore masks • This helped actors play different roles and the audience to identify different characters • In wearing masks, actors had to really use projection and their bodies • Costumes consisted of a tunic and some sort of long or short cloak