Evolution of the greek and roman theatre space

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The Greek and Roman theatre space evolved into a spectacular place for performance that will been analysized and studied for years to come. The evolution of this space,I will be discussing,occured from around 700Bc to about 80Bc. From the first Greek theatre at Thorikos to the Flavin Amputheatre in Rome, the evolution of the theatre space has changed drastically, only to proceed from there.

The first evidence of theatre spaces in Greece is the theatre at Thorikos. It was a triangular shaped theatre, rather than circular. It must have been built around 700Bc. The circular came about in around 600Bc. The most popular of the first circular theatres is the theatre of Dionysus. The circle, orchestra was 60 feet in diameter. Originally theatre space was used in political assembly. "People meeting in hilly country will see an open space where the slope allows some terracing of the seats and the curve of the hill draws the people around the focal point. The political assembly at Athens was of this kind. Toward the top of the hill called Pynx on a lightly sloping expanse of rock exposed to the north. A slope downward to where the speaker's platform, bena, was cut out of a rocky terace."(Ferguson, 1). The solitary circle in the hill side later became the theatre of Dionysus.

The theatre of Dionysus evloved by the addition of an alter in the center of the orchestra. This alter was used in early rituals, also known as the themel. Another addition in the early years was the skene tent, which is to grow bigger by the middle phase. The skeen tent was used for "costume changes,enterances, exits, and worked as a back drop for action." (Mikotowitz, xiii). In the same book it also sites that the skene tent "probably started out as a temporary wooden structure w/ one front door, and it eventually evolved into a more elaborate, roofed structure with several doors. Eventually the roof would act as a raised stage." The door on the front of the skene tent were know to represent heaven, limbo , and hatties.

The first festival of Dionysus occurred in 54Bc. After that the theatre began to evolve even more. With seating and entrances from two sides, known as the parados, and also the proskenion , which is the front of the skeen tent, and the paraskenion which was the storage to the left and right of the stage, the theatre would know become knows as a theatron. "The stone tiers seat about 14 thousand people, ranging about 60ft from the stage building to the 1st row and about 00ft to the back row."(Ferguson,1).

The theatre would soon become equipt with new technologies to help the audience perceive the ideas of the play more clearly. The ekkuklema was created to "show interior scene" (Mikowitz, xiv) it was used a scene changing device. The Deus ex Machina was used to portray gods, it was a crane for levitation. Simple scenery also began to appear. Straw was to represent a peasant hut, and leather flaps were to represent a tent. The use of natural lighting, such as torches, lanterns, candles, were also used to create dramatic effects on stage when the sun had set.

Roman theatre began around 40Bc. The architecture changed in the Hellenistic period. It had evolved over , about, 150 years, and was developed by 150Bc. The theatres changed into monstrous preforming spaces, which not only were used for plays but other types of entertainment. The theatre went from the theatron to the Pulpitum. There were many improvements in acoustics and scenery.

One contribution to expand the credibility of the pulpitum was the fact that it was freestanding. They would be stories tall. The "development of the permanent playhouse" (Mikotowitz, xvi) would be first erected in rome. These pulpitums would include an auditorium, orchestra, scene building known as the scaena, vomitoriums, and many aisles of seating, seating about ten thousand. "Most often the audience sat here in comfortable chairs."(Kent school district.com). The stages were twenty to forty feet deep, one hundred to three hundred feet wide and between and 5 inches tall. The circular orchestra was replaced with a half circle. A raised stage ranging from eight to thirteen feet high was also a major change. "The front edge of the stage was supported by the prokenion (facade of the lower story), while the episkenion (facade of the second story) rose at the back of the raised stage"(Hildy,40). There were great editions to scenery during the Hellenistic period. The Periaktoi was one of the

greatest inventions. It was a three sided rotating scenic unit. There were located at the sides of the stage. The siparium, back ground curtain also helped for setting the scene. There was also the edition of vitrivus. Vitrivius was the type of scenery that helped set the scene for tragic, comic and satyr plays. Columns, pediments, statues, and balconies were used in tragic plays. Trees were used in satyr plays since they always took place in a rural setting. The scaenae frons also helped to set the scene. It was a "three story rear wall with three openings for enterance. The center opening represented a royal palace, the two sides represented the various rooms of the palace, stage right represented the neighboring countryside and stage left represented a distant countryside" (Mikowitz, xvi).

Curtains were also new to theatre in the Hellenistic period. Sometimes they were used to cover stage doors. The auleum was the front curtain. It was used to hide everything beyond the stage. Rather that the curtain raising like current times, the roman era it was lowered. The curtain would fall into a three to four feet slot just beyond the edge of the stage.

The vella was a protection for the audience against the elements. They were canvas awnings to protect from sun and rain. Sailors were hired to rig the tarps. Saliors had the best knowledge of securing knots.

The circus maximus so appeared. It is the largest theatre space know to man, ranging from 000 feet to 600 feet. It was a large oval track. Some of the most popular events to occur are gladiator contests, sea battles, chariot races, and animal fights. All of these events were basically violent in nature. In the orchestra is where the sea battles, naumachiae, were hosted. "The chariots were open, two or four-wheeled vehicles pulled by horses and used for hunting, battles, racing, and processions. The two-wheeled chariot was very light and in racing one of the main jobs of the charioteer was to stand and balance the chariot, especially when rounding a corner. These vehicles usually had two, three, or four horses, but on special occasions might be seen with up to ten horses. Sometimes dogs, ostriches, or camels might be used in Rome to pull the chariots around the Circus Maximus. The Romans loved the races as they were very exciting with many spills and crashes. Often charioteers were killed." (Kent).Gladiators would often fight to the death in these arenas. Animal fights were called venationes. Sometimes there would be 000 animals in a 100 day festivle. By the events the circus maximus house you can just imagine its gigantic size.

Over the course of six hundred years the theatre space from Greek to Roman changed dramatically, growing more complex ever couple of years. In the years to come theatres would transform into something somewhat unimaginable to the people of this era. Who would have thought a simple circle in a hillside would evolve into something and incredible as the circus maximus.

Mikotowitz, Thomas.J. "Theatrical Designers- An International Biographical Dictionary".New York, London. Greenwood Press. 1

Ferguson, John "A Companion to Greek Tragedy".London University of Texas Press. 17.

Hildy, Franklin.J. & Brockett, Oscar.G. "History of the Theatre-th edition". Allyn and Bacon. 00

The Kent School District."Romes Beginning". 15. http//www.kent.k1.wa.us/staff/dbishop/rome/RomanTheatre.html

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