Kheilah Viljoen

Kheilah Viljoen
Drama
9C
Ms. Kimi and Mr. Paul
Kowzans System
Auditive-words

Auditive-tone

Visual-facial
expressions

Visual-Gesture

Greek Theatre
Chorus always knew the plot of the play and what would happen
Aeschylus decided to make a second character as Thespis only used
one actor. This created dialogue between characters instead of just
speaking to the audience.
Sophocles introduced a third actor, which created more developed and
engaging dialogue. It also created the acting convention of Three
Actors
Euripides added intrigue and he created the love-drama
Performed by chorus - iambic hexameter speech and dialogue
Performed by actors exceptional vocal technique The were famed
above all for the quality and virtuosity of their voices (Brown)
The hero of the story is usually a tragic hero. This is a hero with a fatal
flaw that is the cause of his failures. Many people are able to relate to
him. His flaw is hubris (over confident about one thing that they are
bad at)
The tone changed depending on the type of play that was being
performed.
There is a really big buildup that causes anticipation. In which, the
protagonist faces conflict. Then, there is a climax in which there is a
lot of emotion. The story then falls to the resolution very quickly
Euripides was very harsh towards myths and religion. This changed
the tone of his plays drastically.
Chorus performed in vocal unison, like one voice
Pairs of stanzas with matching music and choreography
Accompanied by double pipes (aulos) expressive of mood, tone,
atmosphere
Masks had exaggerated facial features so that even large audiences of
20,000 could see the actor
The mouth of the mask had a built in megaphone to amplify the
actors voice. The shape of the theatre also helped to amplify the
actors voice.
Masks covered faces
All fighting take place off stage so the audience does not witness it

Kheilah Viljoen

Visual-Movement

Visual- mask

Visual-hairstyle

Visual-costume

happening. A messenger tells the audience about the fight so that the
audience can picture it in their heads.
By actors - but clearly the techniques of body language, especially of
the arms, were also highly developed (Brown).
In plays, movement was used when actors worshipped Gods
No fighting occurred onstage
Chorus circular choreography.
Professional choreographer hired & used.
Masks were used so that audiences could tell what gender the
character was, who the character was and how the character was
feeling.
Masks were used because it made it easier for actors to change
characters. They were made in the shape of helmets so it covered the
actors full head.
Masks were made of light materials because it made it easier for the
actors to carry them on their heads for a performance.
Masks were improved by Aeschylus
Tragedy:
-Word mask in Greek = persona - meaning Greeks believed that
actors took on the personality or became the character when
worn.
-Whole-head masks made from stiffened linen, leather, bark, wood, or
cork.
-Chorus wore matching; 3 actors wore a different mask for each
character represented.
-Masks for Tragedies were regular face-sized
Comedy:
-Masks were distorted caricatures and meant to be ugly and silly
in keeping with the ludicrous padded costumes work by comic actors
(Didaskalia - greek stagecraft)
The masks the actors wore would show hairstyles. The hair was made
from either human or animal hair.
As one actor had to change characters quickly, they did not have
enough time to change hairstyle. The masks would do this for them.
Costumes helped the audience to determine the characters by gender
or social status.
The protagonist of the story would wear boots with stilts (cothurneses)
to elevate them above the other characters. This way, the audience
would know they were an important character

Kheilah Viljoen

Visual-props
Visual-stage
scenery

Visual-lighting

Costumes were improved by Aeschylus

Tragedies:
-Chorus identically dressed and masked
-Actors wore fitted sleeves and ornately decorated costumes that were
pattern-woven garments similar to roves of priests and
musicians.
-Musicians also finely dressed (Didaskalia).
-Costumes for different characters distinguished by a role-marker
such as scepters, garlands, medallions, etc.
Comedies:
Old Comedy - Loosy body stockings padded at the breast, buttocks,
and stomach with long floppy phalluses for male characters.
-Chorus was often non-human creatures: wasps, frogs, birds, clouds,
etc. (Didaskalia).
New Comedy - Naturalistic masks, no padding in costumes. No
Chorus used (Didaskalia).
The masks are an example of a prop
Periaktoi were triangular pieces of scenery. Each side of the triangle
were painted with a different scene. This made it easier to change the
scenes.
-Greek amphitheatre carved into the hillside - shaped like an ear
-Theatron means spectacle place or viewing place
(audience/house) composed of limestone seating (which reflects sound
for great acoustics)
-Gave the feeling of a funnel as audience focused down to orchestra
and motion
-14k 20k capacity (25% of all citizens attended one show)
-Orchestra means the dancing place in Greek circular, dirt
performance area - chorus sang and danced there
-Skene - scene building behind orchestra w/ central door wide enough
to roll out the ekkyklema (a rolling platform) used to roll out dead
bodies or characters who were disabled or ill.
-3 acting levels - On top of Skene, on main stage of scene house, and
on ground level of orchestra.
Deus ex machina God-machine (by way of the gods) - mechane crane-like structure hidden behind skene that was used to lift actors
from ground so it appeared like they were flying.
As they did not have artificial lighting, they performed in natural light.
They put on plays during the day. At theatre festivals, plays would be

Kheilah Viljoen

Auditive-music

Auditive-sound fx

Audience-makeup

put on from dawn until dusk.

If music was needed, it was created by the chorus ensemble
-Before development of traditional Chorus, dithyrambs were
performed honoring god of wine and fertility (Dionysus). dance
songs performed by Chorus accompanied by musician(s).
-Musician enter with chorus. Played aulos (double clarinet)
There were originally 12 people in a chorus. This was later changed to
15.
The chorus provided narration for the entire story.
The play must try to appeal to everyone in the audience. Content must
serve diplomats and prisoners. There would be thousands of people in
an audience. Sometimes even 20,000
Choregus was the producer of the plays. They were the ones who paid
playwrights write more plays.
Choragus leads the chorus through the play. If there were big talking
points from the chorus, the Choragus would most likely five them.
The actors in the plays were all men. The audience was made of all
men.
Everyone in town even prisoners released during Festivals
NO WOMEN
Officials responsible for orderly conduct

Works Cited:
1. Greek Theatre - Collaborative Research Investigation (Google Slides)
https://docs.google.com/a/isdbd.org/presentation/d/1nKWdsp1MLCb9BFa1R1sRsdeCnx
T8bfjEgXm1uMm6MG0/edit#slide=id.p
2. Ms. Kimi and Mr. Paul