Brilliant Greek Technical Theatre

Innovations

Masks• 1-3 actor rule made masks necessary

Pinake

We now call these flats.A wooden frame with Stretched fabric over one side—painted like a canvas for scenery.

Periaktoi

Three painted flats, hinged together in order to rotate to three differentpainted scenes.

Mechane

A crane usedto raise or lower

actors playing gods or goddesses. Occasionally,

characters who weremortals were raised into or lowered from

‘the heavens’.

Ekkyklema

Violence that occurred offstage and resulted in a character’s death was revealed to the

audience through the use of the Ekkyklema, or death cart.

http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/tragedy/intr20.htm

How does it work? Click on the link below to find out.

Messenger Speeches

Violent acts did not occur on stage. Poets frequently utilized messengers

to communicated important information (including acts of

violence) to the audience.Click here for an example from Euripides’

Medea

THE END• Click here for Mask slide

• Click here for Pinake slide

• Click here for Periaktoi slide

• Click here for Mechane slide

• Click here for Ekkyklema slide

• Click here for Messenger Speech slide