What was a theatron in Greek theatre?

What was a theatron in Greek theatre?

Theatron: The theatron (literally, “viewing-place”) is where the spectators sat. Spectators in the fifth century BC probably sat on cushions or boards, but by the fourth century the theatron of many Greek theaters had marble seats. Skene: The skene (literally, “tent”) was the building directly behind the stage.

What is the seating area in Greek theatre?

caveae: the tiered, semicircular seating space in a Roman theater). From the Greek: koilon, a hollow or cavity. A large theatre had three seating tiers: the ima cavea was the lowest part of the cavea; the media cavea was the middle; and the summa cavea was the upper tier.

Who were the audience in Greek theatre?

Greek audiences were talkative and unruly. If they disliked a play, they would drum their heels on their benches, jeer loudly and throw fruit. At the City Dionysia Festival, the plays were presented in competition with each other. There were prizes for the best comedy and the best tragedy.

How would you describe theatron?

The theatron (plural theatra) is the word referring to the seating area section of an ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine theater. Theatra in Classical Greek and Roman theaters are spectacular forms of architecture, built of circular or semi-circular rows of seating in stone or marble, each row increasing in height.

What theatron means?

theatre, also spelled theater, in architecture, a building or space in which a performance may be given before an audience. The word is from the Greek theatron, “a place of seeing.” A theatre usually has a stage area where the performance itself takes place.

When would satyr plays be performed?

It preserves theatrical elements of dialogue, actors speaking verse, a chorus that dances and sings, masks and costumes. Its relationship to tragedy is strong; satyr plays were written by tragedians, and satyr plays were performed in the Dionysian festival following the performance of a group of three tragedies.

How many seats are in the Greek Theater?

5,900
The Greek Theatre/Capacity

The Greek Theatre is owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed, operated and booked by SMG. The 5,900 capacity outdoor venue is among the City’s most cherished public sites.

How many people would be in a theatre audience in ancient Greece?

The large amphitheaters would hold from 10 to 20,000 people. Almost an entire town would fill the theater to watch and listen to the plays. The acoustics are still to this day, amid the ruins, simply amazing. All those in the theater could hear the actors on stage.

How many people watched a Greek performance?

When viewing a classical Greek play, the audience would see a chorus of anywhere from 4 to 30 people on stage with the actors. The chorus performed elaborate dances and sang the choral interludes— usually discussions by the citizens within a story.

How often were plays performed in ancient Greece?

Each play was usually only ever performed once. Greek theatres were huge. The theatre of Dionysus in Athens could hold 15,000 spectators.

What is a Theatron in a theater?

The word theatron also refers to seating or standing areas built over springs or cisterns, so spectators could come and view the waters and watch the mysterious vapors rise. Whether or not you consider the theatron a defining part of a theater, the seating area is certainly why those ancient theaters are so recognizable to every one of us today.

How did they get to the upper seats in ancient theaters?

To get to the upper seats, there were stairs at regular intervals. This provided the wedge formation of the seats that is visible in ancient theaters. The Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus in Athens is considered the prototype of all the later Greek theaters and the birthplace of Greek tragedy.

Why were the seats in the Globe Theatre arranged the way?

Viewing the Performances. Seats were arranged in curving (polygonal) tiers so that the people in the rows above could see the action in the orchestra and on stage without their vision being obscured by the people beneath them.

Which provided the wedge formation of the seats that was visible in theaters?

This provided the wedge formation of the seats that is visible in ancient theaters. The Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus in Athens is considered the prototype of all the later Greek theaters and the birthplace of Greek tragedy. Built in the sixth century BCE, it was part of a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god of wine.