What is the Greek Theatre?

Category: fine art theater
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Greek Theatre is a 5,870-seat music venue located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is operated by SMG.



Simply so, what is the Greek Theater?

Greek Theatre is a 5,870-seat music venue located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is operated by SMG.

Similarly, what is the origin of Greek theater? Greek theatre began in the 6th century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays. The two types of Greek drama would be hugely popular and performances spread around the Mediterranean and influenced Hellenistic and Roman theatre.

Simply so, what was the purpose of Greek Theatre?

Greek plays were performed as part of religious festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, and unless later revived, were performed only once. Plays were funded by the polis, and always presented in competition with other plays, and were voted either the first, second, or third (last) place.

What does a Greek Theatre look like?

The theatres were open air and built in a semi-circular shape with rows of tiered stone seating around it. The shape of the theatres gave everyone in the audience excellent viewing and also meant they could hear the actors well too.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Who created Theatre?

In the 6th century BC a priest of Dionysus, by the name of Thespis, introduces a new element which can validly be seen as the birth of theatre. He engages in a dialogue with the chorus. He becomes, in effect, the first actor.

What was the first play?

The first plays were performed in the Theatre of Dionysus, built in the shadow of the Acropolis in Athens at the beginning of the 5th century, but theatres proved to be so popular they soon spread all over Greece. Drama was classified according to three different types or genres: comedy, tragedy and satyr plays.

Why did Greek actors wear masks?


Actors wore masks so that the audience may see the facial expression clearly, allow them to tell the characters apart and make the theme of the story (comedy or tragedy) clearly obvious to the spectators. The masks in Greek theatre consisted of comedy and tragedy, and were always the main themes of the performances.

What's happening at the Greek Theater tonight?

  • May 1 , 20207:30PM. Netflix is a Joke Presents – Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration.
  • May 5 , 20207:00PM. Kesha.
  • May 9 , 20208:00PM. Dead Can Dance.
  • May 16 , 20208:00PM. Adam Ant.
  • May 17 , 20208:00PM. NF.
  • May 20 , 20207:00PM. Local Natives & Foals.
  • May 22 , 20207:30PM. Norah Jones.
  • May 24 , 20208:00PM. Madness.

How big is the Greek Theater?

The Greek Theatre is owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed, operated and booked by SMG. The 5,900 capacity outdoor venue is among the City's most cherished public sites.

Why is Greek tragedy important?

The tragedies were very important for the ancient Greek citizens. Tragedies depicted scenarios where every attendee could see himself and thus relate to the play. The hero is neither wicked nor exemplary benevolent so that the audience can relate.

What are the characteristics of Greek Theatre?

1 Characteristics of Greek Theatre
Performed for special occasions (Festivals to worship the Gods) Competitive- 3 playwrights competed, as did actors Choral singing was important. The chorus was all men and varied from 3 to 50 people. Closely associated with religion. Stories were based on myth and history.

When did Greek Theatre start and end?


The theatre of ancient Greece was at its best from 550 BC to 220 BC. It was the beginning of modern western theatre, and some ancient Greek plays are still performed today. They invented the genres of tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC) and satyr plays.

How long did Greek plays last?

ten to twelve hours

What are the parts of a Greek Theater?

The architecture of the ancient greek theatre consists of three major parts: the Orchestra, the Scene and the main theatre, called Koilon. The Orchestra was the almost circular place, situated in front of the scene (stage) facing the audience.

What is the purpose of theater?

In fact the purpose of theater is to provide through joy to people. The theatre is a branch of the performing arts and it is concerned with the acting out stories in front of the audience. The main benefits of performing arts include improving life skills and academic performance.

What makes a Greek tragedy?

The five elements of a typical tragedy are:
Prologue, parados, episode, stasimon, and exodus.

What were the two major types of Greek plays?


There were two major types of Greek plays. There was tragedy, which was derived from the word tragos and means goat. The other one was comedy, which was derived from the word odé and means song. A tragedy received its name from how it was performed.

What is the importance of Theatre?

Theater can be influential in all aspects of life. Participating in theater classes can stimulate student's creativity and thought process. The whole experience of theatre makes people more aware and sensitive towards various issues. It empowers the meek and makes people do away with their reservations.