Theatre History Overview - Part 1 - Greek Theatre

As far as it is known, theatre with the conventions that we know today was invented in Greece. However, there is now some new research that says theatre may have started in Egypt, although the descriptions of things that happened are theatrical, so far, they seem more like a fashion show than something that is dramatic.

The first known actor was Thespis. This is where we get the word Thespian. He was also the first known winner of what was essentially a playwriting contest. Greeks loved story telling and the written word, so theatre was natural for them.

The Greeks would have a playwriting contest for the Dionysus festival. The winner would have the play performed at the festival. The plays would have to take place outside during daylight hours because there were no artificial lights.

The theatre would have to be located at the bottom of a hill so people could sit on the hill and see the stage. The Greeks would make sure they could build seats on a hill so people could see the actors.

Actors would wear masks so people could see them. They had to speak clearly and loudly which they would do in a declamatory fashion. This way, people could understand what was being said. There was also a chorus of 12 to 15 people that provided the exposition. The ensemble or chorus is musicals comes from this. A great example of this is "Too Much Exposition" from Urinetown: The Musical, since it makes it obvious that it is exposition and comparisons can easily be made.



Many more words and theatre conventions come from Greek theatre, but that's would make this blog post too long and not just an overview.

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