“Staging of A Tragic Drama”
Much of our knowledge of Greek theater comes from archaeological
studies and historical writings of the time. By the 600s B.C., the Greeks were giving choral performances of dancing and singing at festivals.
Tradegies were performed as part of an important yearly religious celebration. Greeks then later staged performances in the Theater of Dionysus.
Ancient Greek theaters were outdoors, that seated thousands of spectators for annual contests in acting, choral singing, and writing comedy and
tradegy. Beyond the circle and facing the audience was the skene, originally used as a dressing area and later as a background for the action. According to Webster, pg. 326. The theater seated about 14,000 people. It consisted of rows of stadium like seats that curved about halfway around the orchestra.
The stage house, that was facing the audience had three doors. The action may have taken place on a raised platform, or perhaps entirely in the orchestra. A wide central opening, to which were added later two smaller side openings, a rolling platform which can be pushed through the central opening, a roof, and a crane.
Greek tragedy, perhaps because it originally was associated with religious celebrations, was solemn, poetic, and philosophic. Nearly all the surviving tragedies were based on myths. The main character was an admirable, but not perfect, person confronted by a difficult moral choice. According to
Webster, pg. 326. Greek tragedies were performed by a few actors, never more than three on stage at one time. The main characters struggle against forces ended in defeat and in most Greek tragedies, his or her death.
The actors wore masks to indicate the nature of the characters they played.
Men played women’s roles and the same actor appeared in several parts.
The acting style was probably far from realistic. The poetic language and the idealized characters suggest that Greek acting was formal.
According to Webster, pg. 326. The dancers were men wearing a kind of jersey which held in the padding. Sometimes they danced with women, padded, naked or clothed. Men wear masks, tights, and over the tights any other clothing that suits his part.
Greek tragedies consisted of a series of dramatic episodes separated by choral odes. The episodes were performed by a few actors, never more than
three on stage at a time, during the 400s B.C. A chorus danced and sang and chanted the odes to musical accompaniment. According to Webster, pg. 327.
The performances was a unique performance to please the god Dionysos. The earliest record of Greek drama dates from about 534 B.C. when a contest for tragedy was established in Athens.
Of the hundred of Greek tragedies written, fewer than 35 survive. All but one were written by three dramatists, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
Their plays were noted for their lofty tone and majestic language. According to Webster, pg. 327. Each playwright at the City Dionysia had to present three tragedies and then a satyr play. The actors and chorus in the tragedies appeared in the satry play. The satyr play used a chorus performing as satyrs, creatures that were half human and half animal.
In conclusion, Drama was born in ancient Greece.
Our knowledge of Greek theaters comes from historical books but there is a lot more that we don’t learn.
The staging of Classical Greek tragic drama seated thousands of spectators in acting, singing, writing both comedy and tragedy.