Rachel Caduri
Dyan Burlingame
TH106
4 October 2013
Greek Theatre vs. Roman Theatre
Theatre, today, encompasses many things such as singing, acting, dancing, lighting and
sound, costumes, and a set. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is the theatre itself.
There are a plethora of theatre structures like Proscenium theatres, Thrust theatres, and
Elizabethan theatres. Two very significant types of theatres are the Greek theatre architecture and
Roman theatre architecture. Both theatres could be considered the foundation for all theatrical
architecture.
One of the most prominent and interesting facts about Greek theatre architecture was that
the theatres were built into mountains. The slope of the mountain would allow for the raked
seating area for the audience, which was called the atron. In front of the audience was a large
circular area known as the orchestra. The orchestra was where the musicians and vocalists would
play. The actors mainly made their entrances from the arches and doors built on the skene. The
skene was a platform on which the actors performed the play. Other parts of the Greek theatre
structure were the eccyclema, the machine, the pinakes, and the periaktoi. The eccyclema was a
platform on wheels that allowed for set pieces that were only needed for a short amount of time
to be brought on. The central doors of the skene would be opened up and the eccyclema would
be rolled on carrying whatever set piece was needed. The machina was a machine that allowed
for an actor to travel from the skene to the orchestra during a play. It was used to allow a god or
someone in high power, to rise or descend from the skene, creating a more dramatic effect. The
pinakes were painted flats that hung from the skene as a decorative backdrop during plays. The
periaktoi were similar to the pinakes as they were painted flats used for scenery. However the
periaktoi had three flats put together in a triangular shape, that were attached to wheels at the
bottom, which allowed for different flats to be used throughout a play, and be changed rapidly in
between scenes.
Roman theatre design was quite similar to the design of Greek theatre with a few simple
modifications. The biggest change would be the connecting of the three main parts of the theatre:
the auditorium, the orchestra, and the skene. In the Roman structure the cavea, or auditorium,
was in the shape of a semicircle and had short walls that separated it from the orchestra. The
skene, known as the scaenae frons in Roman theatre, was also enhanced and built upon,
compared to Greek theatre where the skene was just a simple raised platform with some doors
and arches. Another difference between the two was that the Roman theatre was built on solid
ground opposed to a hillside. Some small additions were the use of an awning known as the
velum to cover the cavea, as well as one to cover the scaenae frons. Roman theatres were also the
first to use a front curtain, referred to as the auleum, and a curtain in the back to hide the
backstage area, called a siparium. In addition to the moving scenery and set pieces like the
eccyclema, the Romans also had people or animals raised onto the stage from the basement
through elevators and trapped doors.
Greek and Roman theatre architectural and structural design had many similarities with a
few slight differences. The main components of both theatres were the auditorium, orchestra, and
stage house. However, there were slight differences between the executions of these designs.
However, the biggest commonalities between the two are the building blocks and standards they
set for modern day theatre structures worldwide.
Work Cited Page
Carlson, Marvin A. Places of Performance: The Semiotics of Theatre Architecture . 1989. Print.
Englert, Walter. "Ancient Greek Theatre." n. page. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.
<http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.html>.
Gillette, J. Michael. Theatrical Design and Production. 6th. New York, New York: 2008. Print.
Trumbull, Dr. Eric W. "Roman Theatre and Drama." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.
<http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/roman.htm>.
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