I do not quite agree with that point of view. ), the most innovative of the Greek dramatists. In Tragedy plays, the masks portrayed a painful and dejected expression, whereas in Comedy plays, the masks expressions were filled with contentment and exuberance. The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between 550 BC and 220 BC. The masks in Greek theatre consisted of comedy and tragedy, and were always the main themes of the performances. The masks themselves were made of stiffened linen, thin clay, cork or wood, and covered the whole head and had hair. Hall has quite an obsession with masks, and talked about them at some length in a lecture that he gave in Cambridge not long ago ("Exposed by the Mask", London 2000). The actors were seen as silhouettes, or integral bodies, rather than faces. Greek theatre masks were made of stiffened and painted linen so none have survived to the present day. /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */. Mostly, the masks used are semi-masks which cover only the bottom half of the face, the mouth and nose. The same character could therefore be played by different actors, and transitions within a character would be portrayed by the use of different masks. Therefore, performance in ancient Greece did not distinguish the masked actor from the theatrical character. The corpse of Alcestis is dressed as a bride, in accordance with Greek tradition and Herakles wears a bearskin and carries a club. use your mind to think why .., also to understand how difficult it was for the sculpt. The masks were most likely made out of light weight, organic materials like stiffened linen, leather, wood, or cork, with the wig consisting of human or animal hair. Even the audience of the last row can hear a whisper from the orchestra. Masks. Vervain and Wiles posit that this small size discourages the idea that the mask functioned as a megaphone, as originally presented in the 1960s. The mask’s lower jaw is movable and made to emit a loud continuous clacking by means of a string. structed theatre masks.Although this early study provid-ed acoustic measurements for such masks [7], it is still not fully understood how such acoustic properties of the masks were combined with the acoustic response of the theatre and how they affected the overall aural experience of the ancient drama. This site uses cookies to store Still we have some information drawn from depictions on ancient pottery (see some pictures below). The Greeks are said to have overcome this in various ways. No physical evidence remains available to us, as the masks were made of organic materials and not considered permanent objects, ultimately being dedicated to the altar of Dionysus after performances. As people change physically, especially at adolescence, old age, and death, masking rituals are performed to mark the transition and make it safe. Thespis was the first writer, who used a mask. Masks also evolved into theater as, for example, in ancient Greece or the Noh drama of Japan. 525-ca. Ancient Greek drama was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 600 BC. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. An interesting idea (Wiles 1991) is that the mask could give to the character some sort of universality, creating an average figure, so that the audience would judge him on his actions and not his appearance. Silent masks were used to great effect, particularly on child actors, expressing powerlessness, bewilderment, vulnerability, etc. Some people claim that the masks had one more significance : they added resonance to the voice of an actor so that everyone in the huge ancient theater could hear him (Baldry 1971). This was achieved through athletic training, voice exercises and diet. The costume was probably an elaborately-decorated version of everyday clothing worn in the 5th Century BCE. margin-left: 0; #gallery-2-4 { There are little information on theatrical costumes. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. } Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The viewing area of a Greek theater is called the theatron, hence our word "theater" (theatre). It is interesting to note that these paintings never show actual masks on the actors in performance; they are most often shown being handled by the actors before or after a performance, that liminal space between the audience and the stage, between myth and reality. ] I think it's enough for someone to attend a modern performance of a play in the ancient theater of Epidaurus to feel the perfection of the acoustics in an ancient theater. Much later, Athenian actors used now famous happy masks of Comedy and sad masks of Tragedy to celebrate gods (especially during a festival called Dionysia, which honored the Greek god Dionysus, god of fertility, harvest, wine-making, religious ecstasy, myth, … } In the later years (2nd century BC), it is sure that these shoes with high heels (“kothornoi”) have been introduced. The Greeks called these physical stances schemata (forms). Human or animal hair was also used. This slit made for the mouth, along with the shape of the mask itself helped to project and amplify the the actors voice so it could be heard in the large amphitheatre. Peter Arnott states that the Greeks thought good acting and a good voice were synonymous. and 17 female masks (fat and thin old women, two matrons, one virgin, a bawd, a mistress, three courtesans, a lady’s maid, etc.). Illustrations of theatrical masks from 5th century display helmet-like mask, covering the entire face and head, with holes for the eyes and a small aperture for the mouth, as well as an integrated wig. Theater became significant to general Greek culture when it became an … The costumes worn for the performances of Alcestis, for example, were iconographic, and symbolised the opposition of light and dark. Actors therefore had to renounce their individuality. Effectively, the mask transformed the actor as much as memorization of the text. lowering the masks shows reflection, raising the mask shows a challenge or superiority. Birds ) masks ( tupeng ) are used in certain theatrical performances called wayang wong multiple role-playing etc. Of comedy and tragedy, and symbolised the opposition of light and dark on child actors, powerlessness!, andby wood-workers Out / Change ), you are commenting using your Facebook account Slideshare uses cookies store... 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