ANCIENT GREECE: GREEK THEATRES

Transcription

1 ANCIENT GREECE: GREEK THEATRES Angela Ngo Arch Survey of Architecture I Fall, 2007 Arch /38: Adel Al-Zahrani

2 Structure and Materials In the time of ancient Greece, many of the materials used for architecture were found in nature. Because almost all cities were on or near a hill, the theatre came about inevitably. Little excavating or terracing was needed due to the natural slopes. If a hill was not present, earth was gathered into a pile to create the form they desired. The earliest theatres such as the Agora of Athens consisted of stands constructed from wood to create a slope. Eventually, wooden stands were replaced by the natural rise of rocky hillsides. The Pnyx between the Areopagus and the Acropolis was one of the first to use stone. Stone was much stronger and durable than wood, and it was able to endure the harsh weather with minimal decay. Many of the theatres still remain intact but have been rebuilt and restored over the years due to decomposition. Form and Space Theatres were relatively close to the cities as the cities were built at the top of the mountains and hills. Because these structures relied on a rise of natural elements, the theatres would seem to Plan of Pergamon protrude out from the rest of the city such as the theater at Pergamon. In contrast, 1

3 other cities such as Priene maintained their grid-like plan by creating artificial slopes to build theatres against. Most theatres were designed along a central axis of symmetry like the theatre at Epidaurus. Because it was caved into a hillside, it allowed the shape to be symmetrical unlike the theatre at Athens, which had to avoid neighboring buildings and cliffs. Orchestra Skené Ikria The majority of theatres featured multiple massing in the shape of circles and rectangles. In early times, audiences sat on the earthy hillside because there Symmetry of the theatre at Epidaurus was no definitive architectural form. By 400 BCE, hillsides and mountainsides were carved for seating which created the round shape of the theatre. The stands were faced to focus on the circular orchestra ( dancing Ikria place ) on the threshing floor. Because theatres were open, the exterior massing created the interior space. Essentially, the exterior was a semi-circular wall and the interior space Skené Geometry of theatre at Priene was filled by the two main components: the ikria ( seating stands ) and the orchestra. In the theatre of Epidaurus, the front row was especially designed for priests and politicians. In addition, an altar was sometimes placed in the center of the orchestra for religious events. 2

4 Cultural Significance and Interpretation Theatres first served as a space for special occasions. Annually, a festival was held in Athens at which plays were produced in a competition of tragedy versus comedy in honor of the god Dionysus. Initially, the theatre was no more than the orchestra. As playwrights wrote more, the theatre began Ikria for audiences to sit to transform. It was not until 460 BCE that scenery, called the skené (originally Orchestra was most important Skené added in 460 BCE constructed of wood), was added behind the orchestra. Other structures such as the paradoi ( side roads ) were added for actors to enter and exit the orchestra. The Hierarchy of the Theatre of Dionysus, Athens theatres were used greatly by male actors, directors, choreographers, playwrights, and especially the citizens who attended events. Although the theatre started off as a religious structure, its function shifted to become political and social. The Pnyx at Athens was used as a gathering place for citizens to decide on the affairs of the State. The purpose and function of theatres was somewhat intuitive and easy to interpret. Because of the slope, the attention of audiences was automatically directed towards the orchestra, and because of the circular shape, people instinctively faced the center. To this day, theatres are still used as performance spaces just as they were back when they were first constructed. 3

5 Annotated Bibliography Ching, Francis D.K. and Mark M. Jarzombeck and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Lawrence, A.W. Greek Architecture. Bungay: Penguin Books, Greek Architecture is one of the most informative books on pre-hellenic and Hellenic architecture. A.W. Lawrence writes about the beginnings of theatres, but he also goes into specifics about certain theatres; he talks about their materials, shapes, and very exact measurements. He does an excellent job of describing elements and using diagrams to illustrate his point. At the end of the text is a section of pictures that focus on architectural elements and structures mentioned throughout the book. The book s index as well as table of contents were easy to use. Martin, Roland. History of World Architecture: Greek Architecture. London: Faber and Faber, Because this book focuses on all Greek architecture, there are only a few short paragraphs about theatres. Roland Martin talks about the establishment of the theatre and what its initial use was. He also gives a bit of information about the early forms of theatres. Even though the theatre was only briefly mentioned, it was simple to find in the index. Saxon, A. H. "theater, history of the." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Grolier Online. 10 Oct < Tzonis, Alexander and Phoebe Giannisi. Classical Greek Architecture: The Construction of the Moden. Italy: Éditions Flammarion, The authors wrote this book as a brief look at major architectural structures of ancient Greece. Regarding theatres, the book mentions much about form and space, and it also talks about specific theatres and why they are significant today. It does not go into detail about the various uses of theatres and what their purpose was in society. The index was very useful because there was not a specific chapter just for theatres.