Greek Theatre/Culture
- Greek artists loved to paint theatrical scenes
- Dionysus happened in March/April
- Greeks loved competition, competed in every aspect of their life. Dionysus fest was a big comp.
- A Jury decided the vote
- If you won your name was inscribed into the theatre, no money gain
- Tragedy masks were very beautiful
- Satyr were very rude common plays
- Open air and built into the side of a hill
- Some modern theatres were based around these i.e. the Olivier theatre was based around the Epidaurus.
- Masks were another aspect, they wore masks because it was a religious ritual and it was how it had always been. It's because it was a form of worship towards the God Dionysus
- Only three characters performed all the speaking roles. Only three actors on stage.
- Chorus usually of 12 people. Lysistrata had two chorus'
- Chorus provides a 'community' and the societal beliefs.
Satyr
- In Satyr, the chorus men jumped around dressed as Satyr's almost as a light relief from the horrible misery created by tragedies.
- Satyr's weren't really rated by the historians. All gotten rid of except The story of the Cyclops in The Odyssey. That was a Satyr. Very rude jokes about the body and sex.
- Outrageous costumes, fun, threw nuts and sweets to the audience etc. reminds me of pantomimes.
- Audiences weren't allowed to forget they were watching a play - because you had a boy playing a girl who was pretending to be a boy. i.e. merchant of venice/twelth night
Women in Greek theatre
- Women were seen and definitely not heard.
- Weird to see so many strong women performed on stage.
- Actors were men, audiences were men, written by men, yet somehow many came across as being powerful and with huge personalities.
- Very patriarchal and misogynistic. But yet they did recognise how important women were.
- Recognised as having key roles in the city - ie having babies and running the religious festivals
- It's in the oppressed voices of people trying to strike back, where the best stories came from. Aristophones was great for this. And not even where these thoughts were at the front of people's minds. But it just left subliminal hints.
- Without experience, money and a penis, you didn't have a voice in Ancient Athens.
- "Awesome women" fantastic characters but also inspire "awe", talking to the society of the time. Fights back against suppression.
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