In ancient theatres there where only three male actors. This meant that the second and third actors had to play many different parts. There where also little boys who could play smaller parts and look after the costumes masks and props. There is also a flute player. This is because women where considered to be only good at being housewives. The actors wore masks to distinguish themselves if they where playing more than one character. Their costumes however where very different depending on the acting style they where using. There are three main types of acting styles, comedy, tragedy and chorus. Comedy actors wore an all over body stocking in pink or red. Over this they wore a roly-poly costume. On top of this they wore lightly coloured stage clothes. Their arms and legs where left free so that they could move quickly. Tragic costumes where much stiffer and heavier so that the actors could move about slowly. They where usually of grim colours. The comedy actors wore a big phallus. On their feet they had little books called kthornoi. Their basic garment was an ankle length robe called a chiton and a cloak called himaition. In many Greek plays the actor had to fly through the air. There was a system of pulleys and poles controlled from behind the stage. Also thunder was made be rolling boulders down a tunnel underneath the seats of the audience. This was very effective; it is more effective than some of the sound effect used in modern theatres. Also in ancient theatres there wasn’t any microphones so they had to throw their voice forward and outwards.
In modern theatre there are a lot of modern features, which change with technology. For example there are now microphones in theatres, which are as small as a tiny dot. There are also a lot of electronically powered devices such as the music. There are also sound effects which are quite effective-these are normally mimed on stage.
In Athens the great spring festival was the great Dionysia. The festival lasted for seven days and every one in Athens was on holiday. At this festival many tragedies where performed. Several moths before the festival a committee met to choose the plays. Each tragic author sent in four plays. All the four plays where performed on the same day and comic actors sent in one play. The committee also chose a leading actor for each day and these where played by the state. These actors then had to find actors for the smaller parts.
Today there is nothing religious about a theatre. Although some plays are made to give a certain message or moral. Today theatres are not as popular as cinemas and in cinemas people come to enjoy them selves and have a good time; therefore there is no real religious significance. Although some films have a religious theme.
In Greek theatres there is a lot of competition. On each day of the festival a series of plays would be shown. Would be competitors had to submit an outline of their intended productions to the magistrate, the archon. The archon had a free choice, although he had to justify his decision to the people. Prior to the festival the Boule had drawn up a list of those thought suitable to be judges from each of the ten tribes. What their qualifications where expected was unknown. At the end of the competition each judge wrote his order of merit on a tablet. These 10 tablets where placed in an urn and the archon drew only five of them out. The verdict was decided by the order of the merit on these five tablets. The prizes where traditionally ivy wreaters but there was latera bull for the best poet and a bronze tripod for the winning choregos.
Today there is also a lot of competition, in cinemas and in theatres. Today events are held such as Baftas and Oscars. Different plays and films compete to win prizes at these events. For a reward for wining they normally get an award, which is normally made from metal.
I think that modern theatres are a lot better than ancient ones although I do think that the sound effects in ancient theatre’s was a lot more effective. I think it would be nice if theatres had no roof although the weather in England makes it impossible. Although I do think that if women played some parts in the ancient theatres then it would have been a lot more effective when it came to serious scenes.
