ACTING IN GREEK THEATRE

Review…

What was the name of the Festival dedicated to the God of Wine?

Who was Thespis? Why was he important?

What is Tragedy? What is Comedy?

Greek Amphitheatres

Often seated 14,000 – 30,000 people to watch one performance

Had no electronic lights or sound equipment to help the actors

Was a “thrust” stage The audience sat on three sides on

the stage instead of just one

All performances done on this outdoor stage (had no roof)

Greek Amphitheatre

Thrust Stage

Audience

Stage

Set/Backdrop

The Stories

All of the plays were based on Greek Myths The audience already knew the

story and the characters Each story was meant to teach a lesson (moral) Normally about how to be a

good person or what would happen if you were NOT a good person

Being an Actor in Ancient Greece Could only be male

Actors played many different parts (both male and female characters)

Only three actors, plus the chorus (had 50 people)

Wore very large costumes and masks to help show the audience their characters

Greek Masks

Masks were a very important part of Greek theatre

At first the masks were small but eventually, as theatres increased in size, the mask changed as well

The mask then began to cover the whole head and look like legends from Greek mythology, not humans

Greek Masks

Three Reasons for Masks

1. Characterization and Visibility: Masks helped the audience

(who was sitting so far away) see who the characters were

Masks had exaggerated facial features which helped to express the main emotion of each character

2. Sound Assistance: The mouths of the masks acted as

MEGAPHONES, which increased the volume of the actor’s voice

3. Lack of Actors There was only three actors to play

ALL of the different characters in each play

Masks helped actors change characters very quickly

Mask Making

Were made by the actors who wore them

Made from cloth, leather and/or wood and covered in dye, animal hair, leaves, flowers and even jewels

Covered the whole head and face

What problems did Greek Actors have to overcome?

The Stage?The Masks?