Between 600 and 200 BC
How many years ago was this?
This was approximately 2615 years ago.
What different types of plays were performed?
The three genres of Greek drama were: satyr plays, comedy, and most importantly, tragedy.
What is a traditional Greek Theatre called?
A Greek Theatre was called a ‘theatron’.
What shape was the theatre?
It was open-air and usually in a bowl-shaped arena on a hillside. Some theatres were very big with room for more than 15,000 people in the audience.
Find a picture of a traditional Greek Theatre for your blog.
Why were the theatres built this way?
So that everyone had a good view on the stage and the noise was echoed so everyone was able to hear.
What different scenic elements are there?
When the Greeks performed their early plays; such as the tragedies there was normally no scenery. The audience relied on their imaginations to create scenery. Around the middle of the fifth century B.C, the skene began to be introduced into Greek theatre. This hut, or "scene house," was located just behind the playing area and stored props, used as a changing room and gave actors the opportunity to enter or exit through multiple entrances. The first traditional scenery appeared in ancient Greece around the time of Sophocles, a playwright who lived from 496 to 406 B.C. Images were painted on the exterior walls of the skene, which led to painted scenic panels called pinakes, which were like modern scenic flats. This then eventually led to the creation of the periatoki, a three-sided pivoting triangle with a different scene painted on each side. The periatoki was only one of the scenic gadgets used in ancient Greek theatre. The deus ex machina, known as the "god out of the machine," was a crane used to lower an actor into the scene. Later productions introduced the eccyclema, wheeled platforms that carted furniture or even "dead" bodies onto the stage.
Who sat on the seats at the front?
Priests sat at the front of the arena.
Could women take part in, or attend the plays?
Women could not take part in these plays only men and boys.
Name some of the Greek playwrights and their plays.
Aeschylus (c. 525–456 BC):
The Persians (472 BC)
Seven Against Thebes (467 BC)
The Suppliants (463 BC)
They would throw rotten vegetables, however if it was good they would throw money- they also stomped their feet to applaud actors instead of clapping their hands.
What did the actors wear?
Greek actors wore masks, made from stiffened linen, with holes for eyes and mouth. Actors also wore wigs. They wore thick-soled shoes too, to make them look taller, and padded costumes to make them look fatter or stronger. The masks showed the audience what kind of character an actor was playing (sad, angry or funny). Some masks had two sides, so the actor could turn them round to suit the mood for each scene.
How did the audience sat at the back of the large theatre hear anything?
Because the theatre was shaped like a bowl, the actors’ voice could be projected and echoed to the back of the theatre so everybody could hear.
Who is Dionysus?
He is the God of wine and theatre.
Why is he important to Greek Theatre?
He is the God of Greek theatre.
What is a Greek chorus?
The chorus of an Ancient Greek tragedy was traditionally made up of twelve people who would dance, sing and act in unison. Ancient Greeks used the chorus like modern directors use lighting, sound and set design.
What purpose to the Chorus has in the performance?
The chorus is to help shape the play and give the audience more information about the play.
How and why were masks used?
Masks were an important part of how ancient theatre was produced and looked. Working with masks changes how actors’ move and speak and can create powerful theatrical effects, even on the modern stage.
What were the masks made of?
Usually the masks were made of linen, wood, or leather. A marble or stone face was used as a mould for the mask. Human or animal hair was also used. The eyes were fully drawn but in the place of the pupil of the eye was a small hole so that the actor could see.
TASK 3- How can we use multimedia effectively in performances?
The phrase ‘multimedia’ in performance means when you use multimedia in your performance. For example; using sound, mobiles, projectors, video cameras and live feed. We are going to incorporate multimedia in our show Antigone and this is going to be a different approach to theatre, I have never used multimedia in a performance before, I have only seen War Horse in the theatre and their use of multimedia was excellent! They used a pre-recorded video clip of a scene in the war.
| TYPE OF MEDIA | EXAMPLE OF USE IN PERFORMANCE | POSITIVES OF USING IT… | NEGATIVES OF USING IT… |
| Video camera | To record part of the performance | It can be re-taken if a mistake occurs | It could easily get deleted from the camera or the camera could get lost |
| Camera | To take pictures | It is a quick and simple way of capturing parts of the piece | The camera could not have good footage |
| Webcam | To perform things live for an audience however they see it through a computer screen and you perform it in front of a camera | If you don’t like being around a lot of people it’ll be easier for you to act | They audience may not be able to pick up information as quick if the sound is cut out for a period of time |
| Text | To allow the audience to read what is happening | If you don’t want to act a certain part then you can use text | It isn’t as enjoyable as watching |
| Audio | Use voice overs | You can experiment with different voices | It can be confusing to add the audio clips at the right place |
| Art | Art can be used to express emotions | It is an interesting way of producing theatre. | It could be messy to work with and difficult to show |
| Online | You tube | People can watch it live online if they can’t watch it live | If it’s live people may miss the beginning and someone may mess up in the clip. |
When I watched War Horse in the theatre, they used multimedia in their performance. They had a screen of a video clip of the war and the characters on stage where acting as if they were in the clip. It was really great and it enhanced their performance because it made the acting look more effective and interesting. Also it was the first performance I had seen with multimedia so it really introduced me multimedia in theatre.
TASK 4- Antigone
Synopsis of Antigone
Outside the city gates, Antigone tells Ismene that Creon has ordered that Eteocles, who died defending the city, is to be buried with full honors, while the body of Polynices, the invader, is left to rot. Furthermore, Creon has declared that anyone attempting to bury Polynices shall be publicly stoned to death. Outraged, Antigone reveals to Ismene a plan to bury Polynices in secret, despite Creon's order. When Ismene timidly refuses to defy the king, Antigone angrily rejects her and goes off alone to bury her brother.
Creon discovers that someone has attempted to offer a ritual burial to Polynices and demands that the guilty one be found and brought before him. When he discovers that Antigone, his niece, has defied his order, Creon is furious. Antigone makes an impassioned argument, declaring Creon's order to be against the laws of the gods themselves. Enraged by Antigone's refusal to submit to his authority, Creon declares that she and her sister will be put to death.
Haemon, Creon's son who was to marry Antigone, advises his father to reconsider his decision. The father and son argue, Haemon accusing Creon of arrogance, and Creon accusing Haemon of unmanly weakness in siding with a woman. Haemon leaves in anger, swearing never to return. Without admitting that Haemon may be right, Creon amends his pronouncement on the sisters: Ismene shall live, and Antigone will be sealed in a tomb to die of starvation, rather than stoned to death by the city.
The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon that the gods disapprove of his leaving Polynices unburied and will punish the king's impiety with the death of his own son. After rejecting Tiresias angrily, Creon reconsiders and decides to bury Polynices and free Antigone.
But Creon's change of heart comes too late. Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon, in desperate agony, kills himself as well. On hearing the news of her son's death, Eurydice, the queen, also kills herself, cursing Creon.
Alone, in despair, Creon accepts responsibility for all the tragedy and prays for a quick death. The play ends with a somber warning from the chorus that pride will be punished by the blows of fate.
Question 1: What do you think of this story?
I think this story is very interesting. It is good that we are studying a Greek play because Greek is where theatre first evolved from, so with us studying this piece and putting on this show is good because it was one of the first pieces of theatre performed. I think the storyline is quite disturbing in the fact of all the deaths; however it does have a good plot, so it makes the storyline interesting and I am excited to start setting this piece and shaping it into a good performance.
Question 2: Why do you think Sophocles wrote this play?
I think Sophocles wrote this play to show people that you shouldn’t be too arrogant because you could end up losing something that you care about. You shouldn’t always think about yourself and the people around you because that is selfish and selfishness never ends well. I think Sophocles had the moral for this play as: ‘selfishness doesn’t end well and you shouldn’t only think about yourself’.
Question 3: Why do you think the Greek audiences might have wanted to see this play?
Because it would have been interesting and an exciting approach to theatre with a good plot and storyline also it is related to their Gods which makes the play interesting.
Scene 1 from Antigone
Question 1: What information does Antigone give to Ismene at the beginning of this scene?
Antigone tells Ismene about the King’s laws that you are not allowed to bury you friends and family who have been apart in fighting the Kingdom of Thebes.
Question 2: What has just happened in the sisters’ family?
What has just happened is that Antigone’s and Ismene’s brother (Polynesis) had just died during their fight against the Kingdom of Thebes.
Question 3: What does Antigone plan to do? Why?
Antigone plans to go behind the King’s (Creon) back and bury her brother anyway. But she did say she needed her sister’s (Ismene) help. However Ismene is not brave enough to go behind the King’s back and betray him and end up getting killed for it. So instead, Antigone says she will do it alone without her sister’s help. She does this because she feels as if it is disrespectful and horrible to not be able to bury your loved ones once they have died- she thinks the law is disgusting and ridiculous.
Question 4: Does Ismene plan to join her? Why or why not?
Ismene is not brave enough to go behind the King’s back and help Antigone because she doesn’t want to betray the King and end up getting killed for it.
Question 5: What story does the chorus tell us about?
The chorus tells us a brief summary of the whole play right from when Antigone’s brother dies to the end where the two loves kill themselves. However it does not explain the whole of the story because otherwise that would ruin the play, it just gives a rough outline, so the audience knows what the plot is about and doesn’t get too confused during the play.
No comments:
Post a Comment