Courtney 

   Greek Theater

        
        Imagine that you are standing in the amphitheater and everyone in the audience is stamping their feet, you are surrounded by the cries of applause.  You can see children , men and women looking at you from the seats above.  Epidaurus first appeared in Ancient Greece in 4th century BC.      

   Theater was a very important tradition to the Greeks.  Theater was an ever so popular religious festival.  Plays were shown at these festivals.  These shows were put on once a month, and lasted all day.  Greek citizens brought their food because they lasted all day.  Greeks  would perform at the theater of Epidaurus, which was the most preserved theater of classical Greece.                       

    Greeks sat on stairs that surrounded a circle that Greek men performed on. The most comfortable seats were in the front.  If you could not pay to get in you would be allowed in free.  

This is the theater of Epidaurus.  It was built in the early third century.

            Men were the only actors allowed to act in plays, woman weren't allowed to, so men played the parts of women.  Sometimes actors that had made a lot of mistakes would have rocks thrown at them, or "he" would  be booed.  If you were fairly good and didn't make mistakes everyone would stamp their feet in order to applaud you, then at the end of the show they would award you  a prize.

    The most important characters in a play, would act on a platform diagonal to the ground.  The not so important actors would act on the ground where they would speak to the audience.

    Plays were based on famous heroes such as Zeus.  These stories were also based on myths, and legends.  Most citizens knew these stories and knew the true setting and how they came to be.

    Observers came to the plays to observe themfrom their own point of view.  Theater lasted for over two centuries.  Dramatic literature from Greece lasted until sixth century B.C.       

Microsoft Encarta-

 Prentice Hall,  The Ancient World