The theatre

what were the two types of theatres

• a large open building holding about 5,000 people and a smaller one build next to it

• the small theatre, was roofed over and held only 1,200 people, it was used for concerts and recitals

How was the large theatre structured

• it was built into a natural hollow in the hillside

• the seating area (cavea) was in the shape of a broad horseshoe with the stage built across its open end

what was the space enclosed between the seats and the stage called

The orchestra

How was the seating structured and who sat where

divided into 2 sections

• nearest the orchestra were four wide ledges (ima cavea), this is where the musicians and town council sat

• behind them were 20 rows of stone seats (media cavea) - these seats were like large steps about 40 cm high to 60-75 cm wide (this allowed 40cm per person. The media cavea was divided into 7 sections - its area was enclosed by a corridor which gave access to its seven sections

• Four more rows of seats (summa cavea) was perched above the corridor, the whole seating area was surrounded by a wall, near the top of which were sockets which held wooden posts

what did the wooden posts hold and how were the audience kept cool (links)

they supported a huge awning which was stretched across the audience from the sun - during intervals in the performance; scented water was sometimes sprinkled on the audience - it was announced on posters when this was to happen

the actors and who they praised

• actors in the ancient times caused the same hysteria and hero worship as they do today, their praises were usually scribbled on the wall - “Paris pearl of the stage”, “Paris sweet darling”

• Paris even had a fan club - ‘The comrades of Paris’

what did actors wear on stage and what did it symbolise

• actors wore masks - these were caricatures of the characters being portrayed

• they were comic masks with great grinning mouths and tragic masks with gaping mouths

• the repertoire of these actors included: tragedies, mimes, comedies and farces

• farces also known as ‘atellanae’ were enormously popular

what muscial instruments were often used/ had been discovered

• pair of bronze cymbals

• Bronze rattle

• Reed pipe made of silver, bone and ivory

• A bronze pipes of Pan