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Greek theatre compared to other theatres
Modern greek theatre
Greek architecture today
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In public meeting buildings, Hellenistic architects create a new look for buildings of great social importance: this is emphasized by the general monumental nature of architecture, the enlargement of the forms and scale of the building, the diversity and richness of facade and interior treatment. In a completely new way architects use a warrant in previously unknown combinations with a wall (half-columns, pilasters), expensive construction (masonry of stone squares) and finishing materials (marble), which were previously used primarily in temple architecture. Majesty and monumentality of forms these buildings were not inferior to temples.
Public buildings and structures received special treatment and developed rapidly in the Hellenistic period.
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The porticoes surrounded agoras and palaestrae, which existed in every Greek city. Theaters were in the era of Hellenism one of the most common types of public buildings. There is almost no Hellenistic city where the remains of the monumental stone theater could not be found. Since in the Hellenistic era the comedy became the dominant stage genre, and the choir lost its importance, in the drama the flat roofing of the casts becomes the main place of the actors' play, used only for occasional performances. Actors go to the pad, either directly from the level of the second floor of the skena, or through external ladders (ramps). In connection with the evolution of the drama, the development of the production technique and the need to show the mise en [мизансцен] scene that takes place inside the building, the skena of the theater undergoes in the second century. BC. a new reform consisting in the destruction of a deaf wall of the second floor (facing the viewer) and its opening along the entire length of three or five large apertures (tiroms). Excavations of theaters and written sources of antiquity confirm the presence in theaters of the Hellenistic period of various mechanisms and devices for the movement of scenery, flights, and failures. Great gaming and architectural significance in the Greek theater had a portico proskenium,
The stage was in proscenium form so it allowed most audience members to have the same amount of viewing as others throughout the theater. Due to the theatre space being so small and intimate, it created the relevant atmosphere of everything on stage happening to be small.
There were two theatres at Pompeii used for a variety of purposes. One of these includes drama performances. The two theatres held a large number of patrons. The largest held 5000 people while the smaller once called the Odeon held approximately 1500 people. The types of performances that where held were usually tragedies, comedies and farces. They took place in the larger theater usually during religious celebrations and in celebration of achievements.. The larger theatre was designed for comfort in mind with facilities for an awning on days that where very hot. Historians including Paul Zanker and Richard Beacham suggest that the theatres of Pompeii were as much as a political venue then a entertaining one. Entry was free in the theatre but social class assigned seating. The lower social class sat in the back of the theatre while the upper class sat at the front where the best view was. The smaller theatre known as the Odeon was ...
The ancient Greek civilization has left a rich cultural footprint on modern Western civilization. Especially during the ancient Classical and Hellenistic eras of Greece, ancient Greeks have left behind a plethora of ideas and concepts that have played a crucial role in forming the foundations to Western civilization. Although the Classical era was a time of war and conflict, it was the Golden Age of Greece that was the home to many achievements in art, philosophy, architecture, politics, and literature such as the birth of democracy. The Hellenistic era was a period of social and economic prosperity that was defined by the spread of Greek culture across the entire eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. During this era, countless of advancements
Difference between Greek and Modern Theatres Theatre today as in ancient Greek times is a popular form of entertainment. The adage is a slam. Today’s theatres share many similarities with the Greek. predecessors, however they are also very different. There are in fact many differences for example; layout, special effects, seating.
As an Ancient Greek, one could expect to spend a fair amount of time in theatres for social and religious reasons. Thus, the design and construction of auditoriums was vital to the comfort and experience of viewers.
The theater of Dionysus stands at the foot of the acropolis and its date originates back to the 6th Century, B.C.. Its originally wood seats rise in tiers above one another against the slope of the acropolis, creating a natural setting for the plays (D'ooge, 231). The Greek Theater was built to house a drama which, during the festivals of Dionysus, had evolved from the long tradition of choral hymns which were presented each year. As Greek culture changed and flourished, entertainment transformed from being a series of choral chanting and dancing to placing an emphasis on the actor. As the actors' importance grew, there became a need for a stage from which they could be seen by each of the fourteen thousand spectators the theater housed. The chorus was still a very active part of the entertainment and they resided in the orchestra (Norwich, 64). The orchestra was the oldest part of the Greek theater and thus, when the actor was given
In 1964, during the height of the Vietnam War, Li-Young Lee and his family “arrived in the United States as political refugees” (Johnson). Due to shifting political ideas in China, Lee’s father, Mao Zedong's former personal physician, was forced to flee to Indonesia with his family, where he was arrested and tortured. From Indonesia, Li-Young Lee and his parents “then went to Japan, and to Singapore, at last making their way to Seattle,” eventually ending up in Pittsburgh (Johnson). Discrimination against Asians in America was high, and Lee experienced mistreatment at school. In order to encourage his children to learn English, Li-Young Lee’s father “read the King James Bible aloud to his family”.
The Globe Theater is widely known as the world’s greatest amphitheatre of its time, bringing in crowds of thousands of people. The Globe was also where most of the famous playwright, William Shakespeare, performed his plays. With its unique design, the audience was able to enjoy the plays. Inside of this round and globe-like structure, the people from all around the area packed into the seats to watch Shakespeare and his actors. Despite the Globe Theater’s success, the theater had gone through many shut downs and rebuilding projects. Finally, the Globe was demolished for the last time. It was not until years later that the theater was discovered. Now, people from around the world are learning about this amphitheater and its role in the Renaissance time period. The Globe Theater is known for its structure, audience and actors, and history.
Like any journey, it is necessary to begin with a single step – the evolution of lighting in theatre began with the resources available to the ancient Roman and Greek societies; sunlight and candles. As such, performances and events were held at the height of the day, so as to allow the most natural light to fill the stage. While this method successfully brought the stage to life and made the actors and scenery visible, it did little to create dynamics, establish mood, or manipulate the audience’s perspective and emotion. Rather than a creative tool, lighting was viewed as a solution to a problem – a product born out of necessity. Innovative uses of light were limited to grand demonstrations that often became the centerpieces of Greek and Roman theatre. For example, large burned houses graced center stage, but any other indications of lighting were strictly two-dimensional, painted on the backdrop. While this forced the audience to focus their energy and attention on the players and the action, it also limited their experience – without lighting t...
Sophocles' Oedipus the King was designed to work on an Athenian stage . Great amphitheatres, like those at Athens and Epidauros would hold thousands of citizens who would be seated in a semi-circular tiered theatron looking down upon the acting space. Central to this space was the skene, which represented the wall of a building, and would be entered by a central door. There would have been a rectangular stage in front of the skene for actors and a semi-circular orchestra for the chorus. The audience would be able to see the stage, each other and also the surrounding landscape beyond the amphitheatre. The theatre place, and the way the play was designed to be viewed on stage certainly contributed much to the play's impact and message.
Have you ever seen or visited the Capital building, Washington or amphitheater of Arlinton, Virginia or Cabin John bridge of Washington aqueduct? If an answer is yes, then have you ever think that how we come up with this type of buildings? These all buildings’ basic structures are based on the Greek and Roman cultures’ architecture. Historical records of Western culture in Europe begin with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Roman culture was very inspired from the Greece culture and they had used very basic ideas to build buildings and temples, to portrait sculpture. They modernized and improved their architectures and sculptures in decorative way and made a separate image in the world.
In Elizabethan times, dramatists used the thrust stage as the standard for all of the plays performed. The thrust stage, as distinct to the later used Proscenium arch, was a large raised platform that reached out into the audience. In fact,...
...on. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate it. The ancient Greeks were very well known for their beautiful temples. They were able to devise several different ways to create beautiful buildings and implement those designs. The ancient Greeks set the architectural foundations for the rest of the world with their three orders. The three styles, or orders, are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The three distinctive styles are referred to as orders because they display proportionate, ordered, and coordinated parts. The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders serve a functional purpose, as well as lend so much beauty to structures. “All the world’s culture culminated in Greece, and Greece in Athens, all Athens in its Acropolis, all the Acropolis in the Parthenon” (Nardo, 61).
The Greek culture has had a huge impact on the history of the world. There is something Greek in almost everything, especially in the world’s architecture. Greece no longer had one king, so they focused on building temples for their gods. Architecture began small and plain but evolved into impressive pieces of art. As time passed from the Archaic period to the Hellenistic period, the people of Greece developed a type of formula for their buildings and their pieces of art.
From the time of the ancient Greeks all the way to modern day, some part of humanity has almost always been interested in the past. For the ancient Greeks, it was discovering Mycenaean ruins and composing stories about them. Today, inspiration is still drawn from classical architecture. One has to look no further than the U.S. capitol building, or even the University of Michigan's Angell Hall to see remnants of this architectural style. This raises the question of why does it still persists? Logically, the best way to answer this is to examine the origins of classical architecture, and what it represented then and now. Furthermore, the study of ancient architecture can show insights into past civilizations which otherwise would have been lost.