Greek+Dramatic+Practices+(Jon,+Victoria+and+Morgan)

__ The Stage __ The stage or structure where the ancient Greek dramatic practices took place developed throughout the years from a simple construction of a semi-circular stage called the //orchestra// with a //theatron// to a construction with several scenic elements enhancing the dramatic performances. During the time of Sophocles plays, the 5th century BC, the stage consisted of various components:  ** The orchestra: ** a semi-circular performing space with an average diameter of 78 feet and located at the bottom of a hill/slope  ** The theatron: ** the seating area around the semi-circle consisting of inlayed stone blocks into the side of the hill, the word literally translates into “watching place”.  ** The skené: ** a backdrop or scenic wall hanging or standing behind the orchestra and was used as a part of the set but more importantly as a veil behind which actors could change their costumes. A death scene was never performed on stage seeing as it was considered inappropriate for the audience to view a killing, therefore a character would die behind the skené and this would be communicated to the audience through sounds.  ** The paraskenia: ** this element became popular in later years after the skené; it was a permanent stone wall with projecting sides and had doorways to allow entrances and exits to the orchestra. By the end of the 5th century this wall had become a two-story building.  ** The proskenion: ** the frame around the stage that created the illusion that the actions on the orchestra were taking place in a picture frame Some common scenic props/sets that were used in Greek theatre are the following:  -  Machina: a crane-like structure that enabled the illusion that characters were flying  -  Ekkyklema: a wagon used to transport dead characters around the stage  -  Trap doors and other openings in the floor were used to allow characters to appear on stage through the ground  -  Pinakes: these were pictures hung up to create a sense of scenery __ The masks __ Masks played a significant role in Greek theatre due to religious reasons and theatrical reasons.  -  Masks were a significant component in the worship of Dionysus, who was considered a patron of theatre. There is no remaining physical evidence of the masks since the Greeks made them out of organic materials knowing that they would be offered to the altar of Dionysus after a performance.  -  The masks covered the entire face and heads of the actors and actors were never painted with the masks on in an attempt to symbolize that the mask transformed the actors into their characters completely; once the masks were in place the actor vanished completely and became the theatrical character.  -  The mask had over-exaggerated features to clarify the theatrical character’s appearance and helped the audience identify sex, age and perhaps social status. Multiple masks were used for significant characters to communicate to the audience a change in his/her appearance and perhaps feelings or state in the play (this technique was used to show how Oedipus went blind in Sophocles play). The masks used by the chorus communicated that it was one entity represented by many voices. __ Other significant theatrical elements __ The actors in ancient Greek theatre were all men and therefore when they played the parts of women they wore wooden structures to imitate breasts called “prosterneda” and what was called a “progastreda” on their stomach. Furthermore actors that played characters with tragic roles wore boots called “cothurnuses” that elevated them slightly above all other characters and the actors playing comedic characters wore thin shoes called “socks”.
 * Greek dramatic practices: masks, the stage, the social function of drama, comedy and tragedy, how were plays organised (stasimons etc) **

 ** Performed in Athens festival/competition in honour of Dionysus (performers, each with three tragedies, a comedy and a satyr, would perform for the prize, a //choragus//, the Ancient Greek equivalent to a theatrical producer) **   Actors were entirely male but wore masks  In tragedy, plays were very musical and poetic and had a specific structure <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- episodes or scenes divided up the play <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- each episode concludes with a //stasimon//, a song sung by the chorus (composed of the //strophe//, “turning, circling”; the //antistrophe//, “counter-circling”; and the //epode//, “after-song” <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;">   The stage was considered a holy place <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">-  you could not pretend to kill a person, for it was as though you killed them in real life (the use of an //ekkylêma//, a cart that would roll different scenery onto the stage, showed the after effects of a scene that had occurred off stage, like a murder, to avoid this) <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> Chorus was always present, but as the theatre progressed away from its hymnal origins, the chorus became less and less crucial in the advancement of the plot
 * __ Comedy and tragedy __**
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** There were three principal dramatic forms of Ancient Greek plays; comedy, tragedy and satyr plays. **
 * Tragedy (before 532 BC) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** “Goat song”, based on rituals of the Dionysus festival **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Plays regarding suffering and pain that the audience ironically enjoys watching **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Evolved from dithyrambs, hymns sung in honour of Dionysus (evolution commenced by first recorded winner of the theatrical contests in honour of Dionysus, Thespis) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** characters added **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** individual speaking (instead of sung with a chorus) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** narrative **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Tragedies were played only once, at the festival, to honour the god **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** After the destruction of Athens in 480 BC, theatre became more embedded in society; the Golden Age of Greek theatre **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Hellenistic Period introduced the repetition of previous performances, but without the previous enthusiasm **
 * Comedy **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Laughable people or some kind of “blunder or ugliness which does not cause pain or disaster” (Aristotle, //Poetics//, c. 335 BC) **
 * // Old Comedy (480 – 440 BC) //**
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Political satire and sexual innuendo, defined by the most prominent remaining plays of the period written by Aristophanes. **
 * // Middle Comedy (undefined) //**
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Very little remains today **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** The middle comedy period marks the evolution of old comedy **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** disintegration of chorus **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** commentary was done on general rather than specific figures and the mockery became less personal **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** mythological burlesque (for a period) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond; msobidifontfamily: Garamond; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Garamond; msolist: Ignore;">- **** stock characters over specific existing figures in history (philosophers, cooks, soldiers, etc.) **
 * // New Comedy (–260 BC) //**
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Love introduced to drama **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Stock characters (cocky soldier, grumpy old man, manipulative parent, etc.) **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Depiction of Athenian society (without critique or suggested improvement) **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Impacted Western-European comic drama greatly **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** More important drama of the Hellenistic period **
 * Satyr Plays **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Comedic plays dealing with the mythological aspects of tragedies **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Chorus of satyrs **
 * <span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; msobidifontfamily: Wingdings; msobidifontweight: bold; msofareastfontfamily: Wingdings; msolist: Ignore;"> **** Themes of merriment, drinking, sexuality, etc. **
 * __ How were plays organized? __**