History Of Greece Theater

Ancient "Movies" - history of Greece theater

Among the innovations of ancient Greece was the Greek theater also known as Greek drama. The history of Greece theater started in 600 - 200 BC in honor of the greek god of fertility, Dionysus. Greece was at the pinnacle of military and political power all over the Greece mainland - and this was the center of their tragedy, comdedy, and satyr. Ordinary citizens who were free from autocratic bondage, during the onset of democracy, expressly gave Dionysus a different type of offering.

In the history of Greece theater, the stage was at the foot of a hill and on the slopes were wooden benches constructed in tiers (which over time evolved into stone benches) in which the audience stayed - this was called the "theatron". It was said that the person at the last row on top of the hill could hear even a whisper from an actor on stage. Of course, this is an exaggeration but the ancient Greeks built their theaters in perfectly shaped hills. The space where the actors performed was called the orchestra and behind it was a hut called a "skene' where the performers could change their clothes in between performances.

History of Greece theater: tragedy and comedy

Aristotle told in his Poetics, that the history of Greece theater "tragedy" evolved from dithyrambs - these were songs of praise for Dionysus at the annual Dionysia. From the dithyrambs, the poet Arion innovated in transforming the dithyramb formally into a narrative sung by a chorus. Then, Thespis (a poet from 500 BC) invented a solo actor who performed speeches in the narratives. The actor wore masks to represent different emotions and characters. Aside from the actor, the "chorus" stayed behind the stage or orchestra all throughout the play to perform dances, chants, or comments on the drama. Thespis is deemed as the first greek actor, and in the history of Greece theater, his was known as "tragedy".

Interestingly, only men were allowed to present on stage so that men were the ones acting out women's roles. By 534 BC, the first annual competition took place at the Dionysia in the city of Athens. In the history of Greece theater, it continued to evolve and in 471 BC, the first dialogue presentation was staged thanks to the dramatist Aeschylus who invented a second actor. Three years later, in 468 BC, Sophocles made another contribution to the history of Greece theater - a third actor, that enabled a more complex portrayal of a drama.

The ancient Greece theater was an important aspect in the growth of literature and drama that outlived even time. Unconsciously, the dramatist of the ancient Greece period made quite significant contributions in shaping the "faces" of modern times.