Facts About Greek Theater

Though only 43 complete ancient Greek plays remain, hundreds of play fragments have been found throughout ruins in Greece. Theater was a major part of Greek life, focusing on the struggles inherent in humanity infused with supernatural forces.

History

Greek theater generally refers to productions staged in Athens during the 5th century B.C. It began as a religious celebration and morphed into a form of entertainment.

Types

The most common types of Greek drama are comedies and tragedies. Comedies have a light tone and concentrate mostly on domestic situations, exaggerated characters, farcical plots or sensuality. Tragedies have a serious tone, generally contain at least one death and explore psychological states and moral quandaries.

Parts

Each play was set up in a similar format. The play started with a prologue, or simple speech, from one of the characters, followed by the entrance of the chorus. The chorus was a major part of Greek drama and consisted of between five and 50 actors. The rest of the play was divided into three acts, just as in contemporary plays.

Features

Greek theater consisted of lively dancing, bright colors and music, which is why the singing chorus was such a major component of plays during the time. Topics included violence, lust, war, murder, betrayal, ethical and social commentary, and even everyday life.

Costumes

Costumes in Greek theater let the audience know a lot about a character, even before the actor opened his mouth (women, slaves and foreigners were not allowed to participate). Costumes were fashioned to identify female characters, high-heeled shoes were worn for tall characters and the Greeks relied heavily on masks to identify occupations and change an actor's look, as he often portrayed more than one character.

Fun Fact

Actors and playwrights often competed for awards in Greek society. The four most successful playwrights were Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes and Sophocles. Their works are still performed today.