History Of Theatre

Question 1

Festivals

Answer 1

Festivals are Often dedicated to a Particular Cause or Celebration. festivals of Drama began in Attica - outskirts of Athens.

Question 2

The 2 phenomena that drama stems from

Answer 2

The spectacle of religious ceremonies and the sacrifice

Question 3

Religious ceremonies

Answer 3

weddings and funerals -
close quaters, gathering of people, an occasion, tenderness - cause for joy as 2 beings coming together but also the bitter sweet of loss and Memory - Cause for sadness.

Question 4

The sacrifice

Answer 4

New begginings, fertilisation , Magical feel , Closeness to divinity, dances , mimicry , imitation of divinity , life / growth and transformations

Question 5

Structure of Ancient Greek theatre : polis

Answer 5

A Polis is a City State in acient Greece

Question 6

Structure of ancient Greek theatre - theatron

Answer 6

theatron- Sifting area for Audience

Question 7

Structure of ancient Greek theatre - Prohedria

Answer 7

Prohedria - front row preserved for Athenian dignitry

Question 8

Structure of ancient Greek theatre - The Ckkyklema

Answer 8

The Ckkyklema - wheeled Platform used to bring interior Scenes into Sight

Question 9

The structure of scient greek theatre - skene

Answer 9

Skene- backdrop

Question 10

Structure of scientific Greek theatre - Orchestra

Answer 10

Orchestra - dancing area for chorus during the play

Question 11

Structure of ancient Greek theatre : chorus

Answer 11

chorus- group of actors Singing and dancing together To describe actions play

Question 12

3 ancient Greek festivals

Answer 12

.Lenaea
.Rural Dionysia
.The City Dionysia

Question 13

The lenaea

Answer 13

Lenaea- 440 bc , Comedy was a string hold , in Athens in late January , so open only to Athenians due to rough seas

Question 14

Rural Dionysia

Answer 14

Rural Dionysia- middle of winter in Attica and celebrated the rural domes ( villages ) in Attica

Question 15

The City Dionysia

Answer 15

The City Dionysia - late march/ April , celebrated coming of spring , sea lanes of the Mediterranean open , allowed Athenians to show off city to outsiders , One Week long , one year of preparation.

Question 16

Festivals meant …

Answer 16

Law courts closed and prisons released on day release due to early festivals being seen as religious festivals and events

Question 17

Being a play write

Answer 17

Being a play write in the city dionsysia meant you did not have to do military service like most Athenian men - a privilege and shows just how important people thought festivals were

Question 18

Eponymous archon

Answer 18

Eponymous archon was a leading politician of Athens responsible for running the city of dionysia through funding and organising the proceedings . He demanded 3 tragedies and a satyr play .the archon was also incharge of choosing a choregos

Question 19

A choregos

Answer 19

A choregos was a financial backer who was nominated from the financially elite to support the production of play . In return for Thai he was granted legacy and could even pay for a monument with his name on due to his name associated with the festival. He was incharge of paying for things like food , costumes , masks , thermal space accommodation and more

Question 20

A liturgy

Answer 20

A liturgy is a tax on the financially elite to fund aspects of the festival

Eg.) infrastructure and upkeep

Question 21

The festivals events : the proagon

Answer 21

The proagon was the preview to the festival

they did things such as announce what the plays would be about and the actors attended unmasked so the crowd could see the actor beyond their characters

Question 22

Festival events : Odeion

Answer 22

An odeion is a stage nearby the main theatre

Question 23

The day before the festival

Answer 23

The day before the festival a wooden statue of dionysus would be paraded around the city and through the temple of Dionysus - Athens to eleuthera

Question 24

Festival events - pompe

Answer 24

Pompe- first day of festival

Grand religious procession including a bull sacrifice to honour Dionysus

Question 25

Festival events - dithyriamb

Answer 25

dithyriamb- a choral dance sung in honour of Dionysus

Question 26

Festival events - the komos

Answer 26

Komos - Loosely organised Revel through the streets with dancing and song ( after party )

Citizens joined in

Question 27

Festival events - the proclamation of honours

Answer 27

Proclamation of honours - awarding individuals for their contributions to state or outstanding service

Question 28

Festival events - the parade of tributes

Answer 28

Parade of tributes - as Athens was an empire their subject allies made payments to them during this parade

Question 29

Festival events - Parade of orphans

Answer 29

Parade of orphans - in honour of children who’s father died in war their full education was payed for and given a full suit of armour when 18 . If not Athenian born the child would gain full citizenship ( independent citizenry)

Question 30

Thoric fund

Answer 30

Entrance to get into the festival was 2 opals per day - a whole days wages for an unskilled worker . Yet in early days of the festival the poorest Athenians were not permitted to attend but eventually the Thoric fund allowed the poorest to be permitted entry

Question 31

The judges

Answer 31

. before festival began, Athenian council drew up a list of names from the ten tribes of Athens . names from each tribe were sealed in an urn and the ten urns were stored on the Acropolis. on the first morning of plays, the ten urns were placed in the theatre and the eponymous archön drew out one name from each urn. These ten citizens swore an oath of impartiality and sat as judges for the competition .on fifth day of the festival each judge wrote down his order of merit on a tablet. All ten tablets were placed in a single urn. The eponymous archon drew out five of the ten tablets at random and the playwright with the most votes was declared the winner

Question 32

Festival events : The autopsy

Answer 32

The autopsy is when the plays were discussed after the festival was over . Citizens were able to make complaints and these were then reviewed. If complaints were granted archon was fined or sanctioned . If the plays weren’t well archon was given a crown as an honour in recognition for his work