for Teaching Artists (Formatted for use as lecture notes if desired) Prior to classroom discussion: Ask Teachers about these things:

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1 1 5 th Grade Lesson 1 Introduction to Greek Theatre (Formatted for use as lecture notes if desired) Prior to classroom discussion: Ask Teachers about these things: Map of Greece Teacher: Teacher: figure Teacher: Teacher: Music: Art Teacher general chorus masks. poem that tells a story recent story read about historical story that has a sad ending story that has a happy ending song that tells a story GREEK THEATRE Introduction Today we are going to explore theatre in Ancient Greece. Our time frame is the period from about the 7 th century BCE to about the 4 th century B.C.E. which denotes the time before the Christian Era. Explain that BCE is the way historians refer to the time before Jesus. A We are only introducing you to a tiny bit of the history about Greek Theatre, and we believe these pieces are the most factual. However, there are many people (other ancient writers & critics) who might disagree with this interpretation of history. This is because we don t have a lot of written documents to explore in order to learn about The Greeks. Just a lot of fragments mostly on stone or marble tablets. But what we will be telling you is accepted by most historians. It s difficult to know for sure because the Ancient Greeks tended to mix fact and fiction. They loved their stories about the many gods and goddesses they believed were just like Q. How many years ago would 700 years BCE be?

2 2 real people. Their ideals were born out of fiction (Homer), such as their concept of the hero which shapes much of the lives of those in Classical Greece. They did, however, much later, defined the differences. The Greeks were located in a very mountainous region. This area divided people into different valleys. Making a huge empire would be too difficult because of the geography, so they had many different city-states. The Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea also surrounded them. Q. Where is Greece? Find it on the map. >> Point out on map You might want to use Grove & Jay as examples of city states, but explain that they would have their own government, their own armies, reporting to no one outside their cities, etc. A fun comparison. The ancient Greeks civilization has influenced ours very much. They made long-lasting contributions in the areas of art, architecture, drama, math, science & medicine, and philosophy and politics Q. What did the Greeks give to sports? A. the Olympics Review: Reasons for drama and theatrical events: Last year, in 4 th grade, we explored how & why primitive man used drama and theatre. Answers: to entertain and give pleasure to each other to influence events --many that he didn t understand such as the return of spring and food, the buffalo, try to keep the powers that effected them happy. to educate the children pass down traditions and skills to glorify or give praise to a supernatural power Q. Do you remember the reasons?

3 3 Q. Do you remember any of the events or ideas that primitive man dramatized? A. Inventing the wheel, Discovering fire, Killing a bear, Inviting spring, Protecting family from attack of the enemy. Teaching the young to hunt buffalo And, remember that drama emerged as part of some other kind of activity, usually religious, or an attempt to perform magical act because primitive man believed in magic since they couldn t explain what was happening in the world around them. Relationship to Greek Theatre: For the ancient Greeks, plays were performed as part of religious festivals also. They used drama for many of the same reasons. To entertain, to teach, to communicate, to motivate action, and to praise their gods. Greek Theatre began, so we think, to honor one of their gods Dionysus, god of all growing things in nature, and the pleasures that these things brought to them. (You may have to remind students that we are talking about a time B.C.E. when most people on earth thought there were many gods. We are discussing Ancient History.)

4 4 Review: Types of Theatres Q. Remember the main types of stages? A. Proscenium, Thrust, in-theround and variations. >> Post picture of Greek Theatre. Q. What is the name of this kind of theatre? A. Thrust/Arena The first Greek Theatre was performed from wagons in the villages, just as in early entertainment for centuries before & after the Greeks and even in this country. Q. Have you seen pictures, or read about the salesmen and entertainers in the American wild west who sold their show and wares from a wagon? Then, they began using the religious spaces just as primitive man did, except the Greeks had big festivals during the year. We know that because there are lots of ruins and theatres that still exist and some writing that explains their use. These spaces were huge, holding 18,000 25,000 people. At the Greek Festivals everyone got off work, there was no school, and even the criminals were let out of prison to attend the Festivals. Women, according to some historians, were also part of the audience, but that is debated by other historians. Can you imagine how loud and rowdy those audience must have been. They probably didn t have the manners that you have been taught.

5 5 Relationship to Greek Theatre When you look at a picture of an ancient Greek/Roman theatre you may think of it as an arena style, because of the circle the entire thing makes. However, it is a mix of an Arena style and a thrust stage. The Greeks called them Theatrons. Space influences the kind of theatrical performance that can be held. And since the Greeks were used to celebrating their religion in these Theatrons, it was natural that they should use them for other kinds of rituals and performances. Theatron: literally, viewing-places where the spectators sat. >> Use picture to show 1) usually part of a hillside in the open air ; 2) built in a semi-circular shape with rows of tiered stone or wooden seating; Spectators in the 5 th c probably sat on cushions or boards, but by the 4 th century the theatron had marble seats 3) overlooking the orchestra and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra. The actors were probably not seen very well but they could be heard very well because of the way the Theatron was built..like a bowl. Orchestra: literally, dancing space normally circular. A level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and in later Greek theatre interact with the actors. The orchestra was made of hard earth, but later paved with marble and other materials. In center of the orchestra there was often an altar. The stage was a raised area within this circle. The orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter. Parados: literally, passageways the paths by which the chorus and some characters (messengers or people returning from abroad) made their entrances and exits. The audience also used them to enter and exit the theater. Skenes: literally, tent a building directly behind the

6 6 stage, which was only about 2 or 3 steps above the level of the orchestra and perhaps 25 ft wide and 10 feet deep. The skene was directly in back of the stage, and was usually decorated as a palace, temple or other building, depending on the needs of the play. It had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them. There was also access to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters such as Watchmen could appear on the roof. Review: Collaborative process Be sure that they get: Playwright Producer Actor Director Choreographer others: Designers Technicians Stage Manager Props Coordinator Make-up Q. Can you name some of the roles that people have when putting on a play? Relationship to Greek Theatre: PLAYWRIGHT Writers of plays are practical, whether a primitive shaman or a Greek poet, or a contemporary writer. That is, they write or create stories that: 1) people in their audiences will know and understand, just as the shamans did for early man and writers do today. They told stories with moral lessons such as Aesops Fables.

7 7 Q. Do you know one of Aesop s fables: (probably the Tortoise & the Hare) 2) They told stories for the acting talent available to them. So, poets were there first actors because the Greeks valued this form of language and the people understood poetry. Q. Do you know a poem that tells a story? Q. Since most people didn t read how do you think they learned the stories? A. By the spoken word, just as your family may tell you stories about your ancestors. These word-of-mouth stories were passed on through centuries before they were ever written down, so they probably changed a lot from the first telling. 3) They also wrote stories that could be performed in available space which were where religious festivals were performed. >>>Remind them of the game, gossip. But they told these stories a bit differently than you might expect. Let s pause a moment and learn something that influences why a playwright in Ancient Greece wrote the way he did. In the year 508, under the leadership of a man named Cleisthenes, the people of Athens, one of the city-states, created a new form of government very different from the one they had lived under for centuries. It was called Demokratia, or as we call it now, democracy. It meant rule by the people. Every man (except slaves)..and no women could cast a vote on decisions that effected

8 8 their city state. Now, if you wanted to publicly argue or present you opinions and ideas in this direct democracy, you had better be good at public speaking. The Greeks thought the art of public speaking was a very important skill in public and private life. So, Oratory was a major part of education. If they were for a certain way of thinking, they were protagonists. If they were against the issues, they were antagonists. Notice that the same Greek word is part of both: agon which means struggle. These words are still used today to describe the characters in a play. The Pro-tagonist tries to make certain things happen. They drive the action. The Ant-agonist tries to block what is wanted by the protagonist. So, let s see The Greek writers wrote in ways their audiences would understand and since poetry was very important to them as was public speaking, their stories were mostly orated in verse/poetry. So, let s put these things together: 1) religious festivals 2) story telling in verse, and 3) oratory, and we have a glimpse of early Greek Theatre. Let s explore their theatre a bit more. The Chorus The Greek stories were told by a chorus of people, not just a shaman or medicine man, and they were told in not only verse, but in song and dance as well. They were a group of people that represented a collective crowd, such as townspeople. This chorus would express itself in long passages that took place between the main scenes of the play. They were musical in nature. The lines were delivered as singing or chanting poetry and were accompanied by patterns of movement. They gave honor to and worshipped one of their gods, Dionysus, through ceremonies of poetry, music, and dance. And, they wore masks. Q. Have you done some oratory yourself? Given a talk or told a story in class in front of others.

9 9 Q. How many of you sing in a chorus? In school, in church? The Chorus members were volunteers from the village or city just like people are who participate in The Playmakers. Their costumes were paid for by a choregos Q. Do you like stories told through music? Can you name one? >> Write the word on the Board --a wealthy citizen. He also auditioned them & trained them. Do you see where the word might have come from? These people might also be called the first directors but they didn t use that title. The Poet/Actor directed himself, since he performed only poetic oratory. In the early days, they didn t have all the other people that make up the collaborative team for our theatres today, or at least we don t know about them. We know nothing about any costume designers, though probably the poet decided what was appropriate, or perhaps the Choregos. They must have had mask-makers but they didn t call them prop people. As the years went by they developed scenery, but not complete sets as we have today, though they added flats which we still use today. Usually, scenery was painted on the Skene, and on the flats, which we will go into more later. Q. Who remembers what we call the person today who creates and teaches the dances in a musical for both leading actors and the chorus? A. Choreographer

10 10 The people who volunteered for the chorus were given the title: the tragic chorus. >>The term tragedy comes from two Greek words: tragos which means goat and odos which means song. Write on board. Q. So how does tragedy translate? A. goat song. In Greek theatre, the tragic chorus didn t describe goats! Scholars think that the word tragedy was used because they were first performed in contest and the prize may have been a goat, a staple food in that part of the world. Rather, the tragic chorus described the noble actions of historical person and their deeds, who didn t often make good decisions and were punished by the gods. Tragedies told legends of the gods that they believed in such as Dionysus. Many of the stories included mythological plots, monsters, and disasters, much like some of our comics and graphic novels today. So, a tragedy contains a noble character, a bad decision and the death of someone at the end. (Ask teacher for example prior to class.) Q. Have you read a story about some historical person whose actions you respect think highly of?? Q. Have you read a story, or know a story that doesn t have a happy ending? If so you have read a tragedy.

11 11 The actors Reading & writing were not important in the beginning days of the Greek civilization. But, an average citizen spent a good deal of his working week in the public discussion orating in the voting assemblies, in the courts, in committees on business, etc. The Greek citizen was exposed to some of the finest orators of his time, and was often called on to speak himself. He had to learn to debate well. And, therefore, the audiences were very good listeners. So, just as good voice production and delivery was the hallmark of a good debater, so it was of the accomplished actor. They learned that it wasn t necessary to shout to be heard and so they had to learn breath control because they had to use a lot of energy projecting their voices without shouting; and they pronounced their words very clearly and without too much speed because of the masks they wore. They were trained physically, also, because that s how they could develop their strength and energy. Acting in masks was hot and heavy work. And they believed that certain foods were bad for Their voices beef for example. They needed a powerful and finely trained voice; physical stamina to support the voice, and carry the actor through a series of roles in mask and heavy costumes. The gestures themselves were large and were designed to open the diaphragm. As Greek Theatre developed, so did the role of the actor. From the chorus, one member might be given solo lines to say and the chorus would respond. He was the Chorus Leader (Korybhaios) The person generally believed to have been the first poet to completely step out of the chorus and perform a

12 12 tragic song was Thespis, (thus the reason that acting groups are sometimes referred to as Thespians). His prize in a major contest was a goat! Thespis also invented poems for his villagers which he sang and acted many of them improvised as he performed. He is said to have performed solo in order to give the chorus a rest. So he is thought of as the first actor. (Optional information) In his first tragedies, he anointed his face with white lead, then he shaded his face with purslane, and after that introduced the use of masks, making them from linen alone. (Teaching artist: you may want to find some to take to class. It created a dark color on the skin.) Q. What is purslane? A. We call it pig weed, but it can be eaten as the Greeks did. So, in addition to the chorus, we now have 1) one man (and always a man no women), 2) who was a poet, 3)telling a tragic story in verse/poetry and song. Yes, he had to sing also. Other actors / poets arose and would compete With each other at important festivals for a prize like a goat which Thespis is said to have won at the Festival for Dionysus in Athens between years BCE. So we start with only one actor and a chorus. But if he needed to be different characters, he would use masks. Q. What form of theatre today is the most similar to this? A. Opera Q. Do we still have speaking competitions? A. Speech classes & contests (The students should all have masks of some of the Greek gods that they made in art class.)

13 13 If they were going to wear masks and still be heard in a big theatron, they had to: 1) exaggerate the facial features and emotions; 2) cut a large mouth hole to help amplify the voices; and 3) be very clear in their delivery of their poems and verse. Little by little, tragedy grew greater and the poets increased the number of actors needed to communicate their story/poems. A great playwright called Aeschylus added a second actor and reduced the role of the chorus. This change gave us dialogue between to characters. The great philosopher/poet, Sophocles, added a third actor and introduced painted scenery, also. But at the height of Greek theatre, there were never more than three actors and a chorus, though those three actors could play many characters with the use of masks. And, as the society changed so did the kinds of theatre they wanted to see. Plays that had nothing to do with noble people and their deeds began to be written. It was eventually called comedy, and was about current and everyday life. Q. How is this different from speaking in a small space? Q. How does an actor have to change what he does if he is inside rather than outside? (From Atalanta to Zeus: Readers Theatre from Greek Mythology, by Suzanne I. Barchers) ACTIVITY: Readers Theatre: Athena (see attached)

14 14 >>Have each student say the line: Zeus ruled Mother Earth with great strength and power. Look for projection and clarity. >>Separate the different tones in their voices into groups with high voices and groups with low voices. These will become Chorus 1 & 2. Use the masks they made in art class, and/or certain items: Helmet for Athena, something regal for Zeus, Metis and Poseidon, a hammer for Hephaestus something simple for Arachne since she is a mortal. >>Choose students who projected best for the identified characters. >>Tell a little bit about each character before they perform. >>Read the story. WRAP UP: Wiley & the Hairy Man >>Tell the students about this play and how it relates, in a modern way to Greek theatre. You will be seeing a contemporary play. It is based on an African American folk tale... a Trickster tale. Q. Who was the trickster in the readers theatre Athena

15 15 Trickster tales are used in many different cultures to present a character that uses skill and cunning, not physical strength, to outwit someone bigger and more dangerous. (Might refer to David & Goliath??) This particular version of the story uses many of the same elements as Greek Theatre: But It takes place in the swamps --- like those in the southern part of the US. It has: 1) A Chorus that moves, talks and, make sounds though you won t call it singing. And when they speak, they speak in verse or poetry. 2) Two or Three Characters only are on stage at once, 3) A monster, Q. Were there ever more than 3 not counting the chorus characters interacting in the story of Athena we just did? Q. Who was the monster? 4) The mother and the Hairy Man conjure up spells, much as the Greek gods did in the stories about them. Q. Who cast spells in Athena It s a duel of wits. and it has a happy ending. So what kind of play is it? Comedy or tragedy? After you see the play on March 5, we will be back to help you learn to analyze the play and tell us your view of the production. >> Review If Time, Some Of The Major Terms and Concepts: 1)Types Of Stages In Geece 2) What People In Collaborative Process 3) How Actor Different 4) Audience: How Similar To Theatre Today?