ORIGINS OF WESTERN THEATRE s Where did theatre begin How What was theatre like in the beginning What was theatre s place or function in Greek society What forms did theatre take in classical Greece What happened when Greece fell ORIGINS OF WESTERN THEATRE Two theories Theory 1 Theatre emerged from ritual Dithyramb the Greek chorus linked to tragedy Phallic procession phallus was important in Greece because patriarchal society parade where people walked around carrying huge phalluses at the tops of sticks phallic processions morphed into something that was more entertaining Theory 2 Great Man Theory Gerald Else When great events occur in history they are celebrated Thespis the first actor stepped out from chorus and began dialogue Thespian comes from Thespis Aeschylus added the second actor playwright creates a new dialogue distinct from chorus No one really knows how theatre evolved or emerged BACKGROUND FOR ANCIENT GREECE 543 BCE to 146 BCE VERY long period about 400 years about 2500 years ago many things up in the air Sources of Info artifacts pottery creations etc ruins buildings old theaters Parthenon Pompeii etc primary sources someone who experienced something and wrote it down some more reliable than others play texts one of the PRIMARY focuses 37 extant complete play texts thousands written so these 37 must be imporant CULTURAL CONTEXT Polytheistic many gods in theatre Dionysus is the god of theatre wine revelry orgies Patriarchal male dominated and created Very competitive society Olympics theatre competitions Prized beauty harmony and symmetry Relies on the idea of humanism the male body is beautiful Man is the measure a human can change the outcome of their life based on their decisions at odds with gods Theatre used as a way to stimulate debates Democracy discussion and debate Athens and Sparta Athens cultural stronghold artists Sparta creating soldiers physical prowess WHAT WAS THEATRE S FUNCTION IN GREEK SOCIETY The Building o Were no buildings o Outdoor o Amphitheatre o Theater at Epidauros o Made out of stone and often carved out of a hill side o Audiences often in the theater the entire day o Audiences were enormous 10 14 000 o Audience men women and slaves Definitely men Women and slaves unknown o Women in audience primary source women in the audience were so terrified that they miscarried the only evidence that women were in the theater o Locations in Athens theater of Dionysus built just below the acropolis which was the center of religious activities theatre was essential o Theater groundplan orchestra the stage dancing place theatron the seeing place parados passageways skene the tent City Dionysia o Thespis won an acting competition in 534 BC still documented today o 534 BC the year theatre was born the Parian Marble o Festival of Dionysus 7 days o Days 1 3 parades and processions festival tied into religion o Days 4 6 dedicated to the theatre portion three tragedies and a satyr play one single tragic playwright per day the three tragedies were triologies satyr plays designed to make people feel better o Day 7 comedies usually 5 by 5 different playwrights ended competitions o Festivals designed to show off the town it took place Athens MAJOR PERIOD 534 BCE 404 BCE Aeschylus o Playwright who added second actor two individuals can have dialogue o The Oresteia Agamemnon The Libation Bearers The Eumenides o Killed when a bird dropped a turtle on his head o Most respected Sophocles Euripedes o Added third actor o Oedipus Rex Antigone o OR provided foundation for Aristotle s Poetics o Tended to be more daring sex violence cannibalism etc o Least popular o Medea BEHIND THE SCENES OF GREEK TRAGEDIES Playwrights teachers o Playwright comes up with topic put debate into words goes into population at large Play selection o Teaches the folks involved in the show o No director in shows so playwrights were directors o A committee that chooses playwrights for the festivals o Given 11 months to put together a show Choregos o Citizen in charge of payment o Similar to a producer Part of CIVIC DUTY o Everyone who participated were doing so as their job for the year o Choregos would often bankrupt themselves to create the best play Rehearsals Prizes o Choral parts like military color guard PERFORMANCES Chorus o Played an important role o Sounding board for actors to speak to o Question the on stage action o Ideal spectator voicing audience concerns o Balanced debate onstage o Aeschylus the most Euripedes the least usually not at all o More actors less chorus members Conventions o The use of masks audiences and theaters were large so masks allowed the audience to see the characters allowed different actors to play characters built in megaphone to amplify actors voices how you convey emotion and drive story o Voice is one of the most important aspects have pleasing voice and ability to o Realism not attempted didn t create reality create heightened thematic ideas o Did not show violence on stage o Men played women s roles masks project Special effects o Ekkyklema a cart on which bodies would be piled to be wheeled offstage ex when Medea kills her children and they are then on the Ekkyklema o Mechane Machina Deus ex machina a big crane that launched people onto the stage from the skene Euripedes used it often flies in a god they reveal the end fly away ARISTOTLE s POETICS Written about 100 years after the Golden Age Took Sophocles Oedipus Rex and picked it apart to create the 6 elements of tragedy Elements o First Plot the events not the character modern days are more character oriented figure out how the events unfold instead of what happens you can have a play without a character but not a play without a plot Catharsis an emotional purging the entire purpose of theatre especially Greek theatre audience purges themselves of negative emotions especially pity and fear o Second Character particularly a tragic hero the character could not be too good or too bad because the audience would not believe the events that happen to the character a character who is mostly good that makes a bad call along the line ex a tragic flaw a bad choice Hamartia missing the mark a tragic flaw or a bad choice that leads to the downfall o Third Thought ideas of theme o Fourth Diction language o Fifth melody and song singing o Sixth Spectacle special effects onstage GREEK COMEDY Characterized particularly by Aristophanes 485 385 BCE o Lysistrata very bawdy and raunchy and political o The Birds New