The FIRST Theatres Ancient Greece

1. The FIRST Theatres Ancient Greece • Almost every Greek city had a theatre because plays were part of many religious festivals • drama competitions with winners for playwriting and performing. • performed to honor Dionysus, the ancient Greek pagan god of harvest and wine • The Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to STRUCTURE the parts of drama /tragedy

2. The origins of Theater/plays • Short quiz each day from info.slides learned the day before • THIS IS ON MY WEBSITE • If you are absent, you will have one day to study the missed slides. You will summarize in paragraph form what was learned, rather than taking the slide quiz.

3. Philosophy ( the art of "every striving towards knowledge ".) Began with ARISTOTLE! Not a playwright Also wrote: The Poetics A study in poetry http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/aristotle.html ARISTOTLE 384 BC

4. Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama • 1. Plot (story line) • 2. Character (physical, social, psychological, moral--people represented in the play) • 3. Thought(Theme) (insights into humanity and life) • 4. Music (all sound) • 5. Spectacle (scenery and other visual elements) • 6. Language and Diction

5. The FIRST Theatre • They built huge outdoor theaters on hillsides -hold over ten thousand people..

7. ORCHESTRA: Chorus sang to the audience

8. Chorus12-15 • never just a bunch of random people.  They were the elders -- the people of a particular city, and so have a stake of some kind in the story. • function: describe the action, to comment, respond, witness, compare, make public, make sense of events • NOTto advance the plot • remained in the orchestra throughout the play and sang and danced choral songs between the episodes

9. Chorusorchestral leader “To Be” • Goal: speak the lines as one voice when necessary • Pay attention to the directions! • Back up on stage…. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okdnlziSdPo&feature=related

10. Not tested just interesting Skene= scene Building used as dressing room

11. Not tested, just interesting Parados Entrance to the theater used by the Chorus

12. Not tested, just interesting Proskenion (Proscenium) Most of the acting took place here; also served as a backdrop

13. Dionysus theatre today • The entire seating section was called the Theatron, • which is the origin of our word theatre

14. Masks • viewers who sat in the back could not seethe actor's expressions • masks were worn TRY and show various emotions such as grief, anger, or happiness. • represented their character

15. Dionysian masks https://www.google.com/search?q=greek+masks&espv=2&biw=1247&bih=757&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MFILVJPhFeTGsQTmx4DIDA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

16. Warm-upBand G tongue twister

17. What could be the problem with the use of masks?

18. Thespis • Thespis walked around Athens, Greece pulling a handcart, setting up his one man plays, where he showed the bad behavior of man. • Thespis was the first playwright to tell a story. He had one chorus member step away from the others to play the part of a hero or god. • Actors are called “thespians”, because of his name. • he introduced such things as one actor on stage (as opposed to just a chorus) masks & costumes. • Men acted out all the parts of the drama, even the women's roles.

19. Aeschylus • Aeschylus added a second actor to the performance, --possibility of conflict.

20. Sophocles • Sophocles adds a third actor; now we have full-blown drama • Changed play set up

21. Three types of drama • Tragedy - - means GOAT SONG. plays about love, loss, pride, the abuse of power. These were often about the gods and men. Usually one character commits a great crime, then realizes his error. Oedipus Rex • Comedy – Made fun of men in power. • Satyr - short plays were performed between the acts of tragedies. They made fun of the predicament of the tragedy's characters.

22. So what does it all mean? • Big Theatre • Big Characters • Big Emotions • Big Consequences- for one person! Who could that be? The tragedy character Who commented on this character?

23. Set up of Greek plays lets look at our text book • We have Act/Scene- ex. Shakespeare • PrologueCharacters speak, perhaps directly to the audience.  The lines tell us what the play is going to be about, and what you think the audience will learn from it. ParadosChorus, in unison, tells us what has happened before the beginning of the action of the play.  • Episode 1Characters, in masks, of course, act out the beginning of the action of the play.  Choral Ode 1Chorus speaks about something connected with the theme of the story, but not necessarily about the story itself.--the chorus would probably also "dance" at this point.   

24. Structure cont…. • Episode 2Characters act out the next part of the story, again with choral comment.Choral Ode 2(repeat Choral Ode 1) • Final EpisodeCharacters act out the end of the story. ExodusAs or after the characters leave, the chorus tells us what we have learned from the story.

25. Review • Theatre started in Greece • By whom? • Thespis- 1st actor/ winner of competition • Aeschylus 2nd actor • Sophocles 3rd actor • Plays included a chorus that commented on how the characters were suppose to live their lives well • 3 types of drama --name them • Theatron was associated to what part of the theatre? • In order, name the format or structure of a Greek play What do we have today?

26. Test on all info on this power point

27. Sophocles’ Antigone • Is based on the myth of Oedipus