Greek Theatre Terms Flashcards
Where did Greek plays originally start?
religious festivals
What were the first plays about?
stories of the gods
How were the first plays told?
as choral odes
Who is considered to be the first actor?
Thepis
How did characters emerge within choral odes?
with addition of dialogue
Who is credited with adding a 2nd character to his plays?
Aeschylus
What work is Aeschylus most known for?
the Oresteia trilogy
Who is credited with adding a 3rd character to his plays?
Sophocles
What work is Sophocles most known for?
the Oedipus plays
Who is known for questioning the values of society in his plays?
Euripides
What were the first Greek playwrights called?
poets
What were theatre festivals?
a competition between 3 poets
How long were festivals?
3 days
What were the activities of each day at festivals?
3 tragedies and 1 satyr play of the same poet
What happened on the third day?
the people voted to decide who’s plays were the best
How often were individual plays performed?
once EVER
Where were theaters built?
Outdoors into the side of a hill
Where were the performance areas on the stages?
At the bottom
What were the performance areas on a stage called?
skene
When did performances take place?
during the day
What did actors wear to make the characters they portrayed seem larger than life?
masks + kothurni (platform sandals)
What were the typical costumes in a play?
clothes to match the Greek clothing their character would wear
What were the common styles of a Greek play?
stylized, very formal, with grand language + stiff movement
Who made up the Greek Chorus in a play?
12-20 men
