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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