Theatre Technologies and Classic elements

Thespians are actors and actresses that embrace theatre as an art form for expressing ideas through dialogue and gesturing. The term Thespian is adopted from the name Thespis. Thespis was the first actor and thought to be the originator of tragedy.

The skene was the building behind the orchestra where actors could change their costume and mask to change characters, but it is also responsible for giving us the term scene. Modern scenes are chronological segments of a play, and seem unrelated to the ancient Greek skene. However, the skene was often times painted or decorated to create a backdrop. The skene acted as scenery that created a more realistic environment for the actors.

The orchestra in ancient greece was our modern day stage. Now-a-days when we think of an orchestra we think of the sounds of violas, cellos, violins, and bass. This flat space between the audience and the raised stage in modern theatre is referred to as an orchestra or sometimes a pit. In musical theatre pit orchestras accompany actors and actresses while they sing.

Agon which translates to conflict, is part of the word antagonist. The antagonist is the negative character in a play. This character challenges the protagonist, and generally causes the protagonist to suffer. This idea of conflict is the central focus the amphitheater.  The audience shares the character's tragic experience and connects with the protagonist's emotions as a sort of release of any suppressed emotions. Going to the theatre provides audiences a chance to empathize or sympathize with the characters which can create a sense of community as the whole audience experiences the same events on stage.

Deus es machina or "god from the machine" is a latin term referring to the crane that was used to raise and fly in characters playing gods in ancient greek theatre. This crane had a pulley system that would tie around the actors waist. This crane was one of the first theatre technologies beside the brilliant architecture of the amphitheater and the masks that helped to project the actors voices. 

Masks were worn by all performers and the women were represented with white masks while masks of men were brown. These masks had exaggerated expressions on them, emotions like happiness or anger and sadness were common. These masks were sculpted so that they amplified the voice projected from within them instead of muffling it. It was the use of masks that made it possible for men to play female roles in ancient Greek theatre.

Ancient Greek Theater. Reed College. Retrieved from

            <http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.html>   

Arnott, Peter. An Introduction to Greek Theatre. Indiana: Indiana University Press.