Thinking about Theatre

1) Theatre as a place for «viewing» (vs. theatre for print)

Theatron

2) Material CultureSculptureVase PaintingDecorative Art

History and Politics

The Greek World: Mainland Greece, Asia Minor & The Aegean Island

Major Political/Geographic Unit: the polis or city-state800-600 BC: Transition from Kings to Nobility650-600 BC: An era of political authoritarianismApprox. 508 BC: Democracy

* Political/Legislative Assembly: The Question of Eligibility

Religion and Culture

A Polytheistic WorldGods conceived in Human termsFate: a question for humans as well as the divine

* A society governed by law, logic and democracy?

A central tension for the 5th century BC:Are human actions driven by relationships with

deities?Are human motivations social?Example: Sacrifice in Euripidies’ Iphigenia in Aulis

A Culture of Competition & Tests

CompetitionPhysical: Olympian IdealsRhetorical: The Democratic Assembly

* Theatre as Sport: An Athletic-Oratorical Marathon

Testing: walking a thin lineSelf-evaluation vis-a-vis an ideal (to excel

honorably)Excessive pride (to disrespect the Gods

dishonorably)

The City Dionysia

Theatre’s emergence: 800-600 BC.Around 534 BC: the City Dionysia

- Annual Celebration (March)- Religious/Civic, organized by the Athenian State- Addressing the Greek «world»- A Theatre Contest- Archon Eponymos (the head civil magistrate)- Choregos/Choregoi (wealthy citizen-sponsor)- Playwrights apply to the Archon for a Chorus- Contestants join with 3 tragedies + 1 satyr play

Tragedy

Tragedy: tragoidia (goat-song)Sacrificial Ceremonies?Aristotle’s Poetics : Dithyrambs?

DionysusSon of Zeus and mortal SemeleThe divine center of the City DionysiaThe Greek God of Fertility

The cycle of Seasons/ Life-Span Developments

Theatre Architecture

Public Space (Orchestra) vs. Private Space (Skene)

* The relationship between Horror and VisionAnticipating & Imagining Violence

Ekkyklema: Rolling Platform, revealing «tableaux»Machine: Crane showing characters suspended in air

Deus ex Machina

The Stage: Part of a Panorama

Theatrical Performance

Semi-Professional Male Actors/AthletesVocal TrainingThe «total» actor: singing, dancing, mask-playMasks: Types vs. Individuals

The Chorus5th century tragdies: approx. 50 membersMilitary Formations: diet & disiplineA character: - Setting the mood - An ideal

spectator - An ethical framework - Rhythm

Music: Flutes, lyres, percussion

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Tragic Form- A well-constructed plot- One action, short time span- Pathos: a destructive, painful act- Catharsis: pity & fear

Preserving the SelfThe cleansing/purifying of emotions

- Necessity: the inevitability of historyEthos (Character) vs. Daimon (Divinity manifest in person’s life)Freedom vs. Necessity