The Greek Theatre

5th Century Athenian Theatre

Origins and Development

The actual origins of the fifth century theatre are unknown. Several hypothesis exist, but no conclusive evidence. It is known that tragedies were first performed in Athens at the end of the sixth century, and that they were of the general form of one actor and a chorus. During the fifth century, a second actor, and then a third actor were added. There were never more than three speaking actors on stage at any one time. Throughout the fifth century, the size of the chorus was between twelve and fifteen, although one play exists (not the earliest) in which the chorus has fifty members.

Occasions for Performance

Theatrical performances were part of the worship of the god Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. This worship included four annual festivals; plays were performed during two of them. While it varied from time to time, typically during the City Dionysea, three days were given over to the performance of tragedies, and one day to comedy. During the Lenean Festival comedies, and at times tragedies as well, were presented. Thus, theatre was presented on six or seven specific days a year. There was no theatre the rest of the year.

The Production of Plays

During the fifth century, three playwrights of tragedies and a similar number of comic playwrights were selected to have their work presented. The selection was made by one of the three archons who were the chief administrators of Athens.

 Each playwright who was selected was responsible for staging and, for much of the century, being one of the actors in his plays. A wealthy citizen, called a choregus, was assigned to underwriting the expenses involved in the process. This assignment was a form of taxation.

Theatres
All Greek theatres were always built on the sides of hills. In Athens, the main theatre was The Theatre of Dionysus, built into the south slope of the Acropolis. During the fifth century, all elements of the theatre were made of wood, and dismantled at the end of the festival. It was only in the fourth century that stone began to be used as a material for building theatres.

Orchestra
The circular area, about 65 feet in diameter in Athens, where the chorus sang and danced. (The word chorus derives from chorea, to dance)

Theatron
The area where the spectators sat to watch the performances. During the 5th century there were no permanent seats. Theatron means viewing place in Greek. It has the same root as the word theory, which suggests a view. Our word theatre, of course, is derived from theatron.

 The lines of the theatron follow the circular line of the orchestra, radiating outwards from the center of the orchestra in circular lines of increasing radius. This plan orients each spectator's gaze towards the center of the orchestra.

Skene
Behind the orchestra, a wooden building called a skene was erected. It had at least one central door, through which actors made their entrances and exits. There might have been two other doors in the wall of the skene facing the spectators.

 The first use of the skene was in 456. We have absolutely no idea what it looked like. It functioned in different plays as a palace, a temple, or whatever other building the playwright defined it as. Since four plays were performed each day. We are not aware of any changes being made in the skene for each play. One compelling explanation is that the skene remained unchanged, a formal facade behind each play. It is likely that we will never know.

Parados
Greek theatres had no separation between themselves and the surrounding land, they just flowed into the hill. There was a path, however, between the seat in each row that is closest to the skene and the skene itself.

 A symbolic boundary between the theatre and the surrounding area was created by placing a simple lintel on two posts, one at the corner of the skene, and one next to the theatron. This is the parados (plural - paradoi). The spectators entered the theatre through the paradoi. (The Theatre of Dionysus at Athens was so large that there was a second access near the back of the theatron.) The entrances and exits of the chorus were always made through the paradoi.

Several features of Greek theatres are worth noting.

The enormous size. In the Theatre of Dionysus at Athens it is approximately 350 feet from the last row in the theatron to the facade of the skene. That's the equivalent of sitting behind one goal post in Harvard Stadium and watching a play being enacted behind the other goal post. It is estimated that the Theatre of Dionysus at Athens held between 18,000 and 20,000 people, making it perhaps the largest facility ever created for watching theatrical performances. At least two thirds of the citizens of Athens could be accommodated in the theatre at the same time.

 All Greek theatres had the same elements: orchestra, theatron, skene, and paradoi, and they always simply existed, next to each other, in the same place. They were never contained inside of anything, or organized in any way that diminished any part's separateness. Greek theatres were never separate from the city. The spectator never left his ordinary world to enter a separate world of the theatre. He remained in both at the same time.

The Playwrights
Only a portion of the output of four 5th century playwrights has survived. The tragic playwrights whose work we have are:
Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

The comic playwright is

Aristophanes

Most of the tragedies follow the same format

Prolog, spoken by an actor Parados, the entrance of the chorus, singing and dancing. Episode 1, between two or three actors Stasimon 1, the chorus, singing and dancing. Episode 2, between two or three actors Stasimon 2, the chorus, singing and dancing. Episode 3, between two or three actors Stasimon 3, the chorus, singing and dancing. Episode 4, between two or three actors Stasimon 4, the chorus, singing and dancing. Episode 5, the final encounter between two or three actors Exodus, the chorus departs through the paradoi, singing and dancing