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Between the years 300bc-600bc the Greek Chorus were a group of actors (all men, even the female characters) that would all work together to tell a story. This was shown through voice and movement. The actors will use over the top facial expressions to help portray the story which was performed in a large space.

On average a chorus would consist of 5-50 performers.
Another very important example of a quality that Greek Theatre has is that they are always in unison. Meaning that they are always in time with their movement and speech.

In this video, it shows a great example of students practising a 'Greek Chorus'. As seen in the video, it is shown that they are also using a range of over the top movements along with their voices. In this performance, their volume is very loud, which is able to represent how loud the Greek Chorus would've had to be in their time. Through this clip, we are able to see that the students are in perfect unison with each other. The movements that they are using are all in time which creates a perfect example of Greek Chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQymh4Lq9bA&feature=youtu.be

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'A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together' is the definition of an Ensemble. This is extremely similar to Greek Chorus because all of the actors work together to tell a story, in different sized casts.

Here is a clip from HAIRSPRAY live! which shows an amazing example of modern day using Greek Chorus style. The cast is using the properties of Greek Chorus to portray the freeing and joyful emotions that the characters are feeling in their final song. This is shown through movement (dance) and voice (singing), along with the clear facial expressions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFw5pD3Z_8

From this clip, specifically around 8:43, we are able to see the cast coming together in an ensemble sense, all in unison, making the show look extremely professional. Along with movement, this is also the same in voice. Every cast member is in time, along with their harmonies being perfect.

I think Hairspray is a great musical to show where Greek Theatre has bought us today as there is a very large cast which are able to successfully conduct the connections from 300BC to the present day.

Another great thing we are now able to do with musicals and shows is to have them recorded. In 300bc, performers wouldn't have even imagined this being the case and it was completely and utterly unheard of , but now in modern day it is very normal to have a show recorded and posted on different platforms.

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You Can't Stop The Beat | HAIRSPRAY Live!

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Going back in time to 300BC, the Greeks didn't have the amazing theatres that we are lucky enough to have today. As well as a much different performing space, the stage, this also meant they did not have the same levels of technology that we have today. The performers on Greek Theatre would have to rely on much different things than we do now, for example the sun light and time of day so their performance was able to have successful lighting.

Between the years of 300 BC and 600 BC, the Greeks used to show their productions in a space called an Amphitheatre. The semicircular shaped theatre space was designed with multiple rows of tiered seating allowing the audience to see the stage clearly (this is something the theatres definitely have kept into the present day). As these theatres were such a large space, and the actors didn't have the technology we have today, they had to make sure they used their projection perfectly so that the audience members on the top tier are able to hear the chorus flawlessly.

As said earlier, another strong thing that the Greek Chorus had to consider and rely on due to their lack of technology was the weather. They would have to depend on the time of the day, specifically when the sun was out, to put on their shows. They would also have to take the weather into consideration as the play wouldn't be as enjoyable for the majority of the audience dependant on the weather being bad.

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Modern Day Theatre Technology and Staging

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Modern Day Theatre Technology and Staging

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So how does Greek theatre technology and staging connect with Modern day?

In comparison to old times, technology and staging in the theatre has developed massively. Not only are there now different types of staging, we also are lucky enough in the 21st century to have a huge array of technology. For example lighting, sound, special effects, and more.

One of the best upgrades from 300BC to now is the theatres as a whole. Although there are still places which are set outside, the majority of theatres and stage spaces are all inside, allowing productions to happen no matter what the weather or even the time of day. This also allows the audience to have a much more comforting visit to the theatre as they are in an inside, safe space.

Another major upgrade on the technical side is the lighting. Besides having to rely on the sun, in the theatre now we are able to use all different types of lights, whether that's large or small, bright or faint, coloured or yellow, the list goes on. This is an amazing advancement to the theatre world as it means a production can happen at any time in the morning and any time in the evening.

One final dramatic change in the theatres now from the Greeks is the type of staging. As said in the other posts, the Greeks used to perform in a semi circle type setting, but now there is a huge range of staging types such as end on, traverce, and in the round. This gives performers great chances to perform different types of shows (specifically musicals in this case) and is a great adaptation from the Greek staging of Amphitheatre.

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A very prominent costume accessory with the ancient theatre groups were masks which would express the emotions that they wanted to represent and convey to the audience.

The use of masks were created when it was realised that some audience members were too far away from the actors to see the raw emotion that they were trying to set across, and without the backup of over exaggerated masks and costume the show was difficult to see from the perspective of the audience.

Comical masks consisted of smiling or leering, whilst others such as tragic masks portrayed a more mournful or pained expression. These masks were an essential thing in a lot of open air theatres like The Theatre of  Dionysus in Athens. (to exaggerate the expression as said before).

Along with the exaggeration of facial expression, masks also allowed performers to successfully play more than one role, so they were able to reappear in other scenes without being mistaken as their previous character. The contrast of the masks allowed the audience members to distinguish sex, race, social status, and even age.

Along with this, if a male was playing a female character they would use an item named 'prosterneda' which imitated breasts, by using a wooden structure to do so.

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Along with every other aspect of the theatre, specifically musical, life- costume has come a long way and developed massively. In prior times, masks were mainly the only costume used, but we now have costumes head to toe in a whole range of styles, colours and genres.

Costume is a major part of the design process. Although the main thing in Ancient theatre used was masks, they are a less common thing used today, but this has now been adapted into stage makeup, particularly more colourful and vibrant than normal daily makeup to exaggerate the characters expression much like the masks in the Ancient theatre times. This type of makeup is very common amongst musical theatre, specifically shows like pantomimes, which are designed and scripted to be very exaggerated and over the top.

As said before, the use of masks in ancient theatre was created in relation to the staging, as some audience members would've struggled to see the faces of the performers, and although the staging and set ups of shows now are a lot more advanced, i think its great that the theatre world still uses tactics like the hyperbolic makeup in a lot of performances.

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The first great tragedian, Aeschylus, was born around 525 b.c.e. He produced his first dramas in 498, and he had his first victory in 484. We know he was still working in 458, when he produced his trilogy Oresteia.

Aeschylus actually fought in the front lines against the Persians at Marathon in 490. We don’t know much about the rest of his life, but we do know that his Persians (financed by Pericles) was such a success that he was invited to Sicily by Hieron of Syracuse to restage it. He died in Sicily, having returned there sometime after 458. His tombstone mentions that he was an Athenian and that he fought at Marathon, but does not mention his plays.

His life bridged the Archaic and Classical ages, and Aeschylus’ plays reflect that fact. Considered even by the ancients to be difficult and old-fashioned, Aeschylus was also quite innovative in the structures, personnel, and even subjects of his plays. He wrote around 89 plays, of which we have only seven.

(information taken from https://www.randolphcollege.edu/greekplay/ancient-greek-playwrights/https://www.randolphcollege.edu/greekplay/ancient-greek-)

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Modern Day Theatre Play write - Lin-Manuel Miranda

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Modern Day Theatre Play write - Lin-Manuel Miranda

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American actor, singer-songwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, and the soundtrack of Disney's Encanto.

Miranda has won a Pulitzer, Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, and Grammys thanks to "In The Heights," "Hamilton," and "Moana." "Moana" was nominated for two Oscars but did not win. Composers Richard Rodgers and Marvin Hamlisch are currently the only two people who have ever won a PEGOT.

He is also globally known for his hip-hop infused plays, completely the opposite to Aeschylus who was known for his tragic plays.

Although there are many similar traits with Ancient play writes and Modern play writes, such as both having a passion for writing plays, there are also many differences, for example as said before a lot of modern plays are very energised, with songs, dances and even raps. Where as a lot of old play writes were specifically known for their tragedy style plays, mostly with a kiss or kill ending, which is becoming less and less of a common finale as the years go on through theatre.

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A Greek theatre in ancient times sometimes included a space called a 'Skene' meaning 'a building behind the playing area that was originally a hut for the changing of masks and costumes but eventually became the background before which the drama was enacted'.

With the Skene also sometimes serving as a 'hidden stage', this meant it was up to the audience to decide and have their own opinions on what they thought was happening in the play at that time coming from the noises inside the Skene.

During the Roman Period, the skene had become a large and complex, elaborately decorated, stone building on several levels. Actors emerged from the parodoi and could use its steps and balconies to speak from. It was also where costumes were stored and to which the periaktoi (painted panels serving as the background) were connected.

(Information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skene_(theatre)

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In Modern day theatre, the skene is now commonly known as the 'backstage' area.

Backstage: Areas of the theatre adjacent to the stage accessible only to performers and technicians, including the wings, crossover, and dressing rooms. Typically this refers to areas directly accessible from the stage and does not include spaces such as the control booth or Orchestra pit.

In modern theatres, the audience are not able to see into the backstage area, and this is a stage where actors are still able to be their selves before they go on stage as a totally new character, contradicting to the Skene in ancient theatre where this could be quite a prominent part of the play, where as now this is more of an uncommon occaurance.

Although the backstage area has its differences from a Skene, it is clear that modern theatre designers got the idea from the Ancient Greek theatres, and this is another strong thing the theatre community have been able to pull forwards from hundreds and thousands of years ago.

Another way modern theatre has adapted the idea of the skene into the backstage area is by having Backstage crew members that help backstage in productions and do a lot of preparation before the shows including props, scenery, lighting, and also sound.

In the modern day this also gives a great job opportunity to people who want to work in the theatre but not necessarily as performers, which most likely wouldn't of been the case in Ancient theatre.

This shows exactly how far the theatre world has developed in the hundreds and thousands of years that it has been around for.