Home » Visual & Performing Arts » Drama Workshops » Finding your Roots!

Finding your Roots!

© Marilyn Cameron

The theatre originated from the most primitive forms of religious worship where the theatre resembled a sacred shrine, and the actors were the priests whose dramatic performance magically directed nature and gods to do their bidding. Early 'productions' were not restricted to a limited number of art lovers, but concerned all people. They were a communal event that was second to none in importance.

Even in the 5th century B.C., when Sophocles started writing his plays, theatre was not considered entertainment. In Athens drama was a regular part of the religious life of the city. Each theatrical performance was thought of as an act of worship, honouring the god Dionysus whose dedicated festival was from late March and throughout the first week of April.

Theatre was allowed only during this festival time so it was an event that brought the community together. The spectacular state-sponsored celebration brought visitors and V.I.P.'s from all parts of the owrld, like a world premier of a film might do today.

At first, admission to the festival was free. Later, when admission was by donation, a public fund was established to enable those who could not otherwise afford it, to attend. All Athenians were expected to attend the festival, which was held at the Theatre of Dionysus on the slope of the Acropolis. The audience, was not a select group. The theatre had a capacity of about 14,000.

The members of the audience included students, teachers, athletes, farmers, sailors, soldiers, the young and the old. They sat on marble benches in the open air, surrounding the stage on three sides. They were a lively audience too, likely to be brought to tears if they were moved, and just as likely to boo and hiss if they didn't like the play!

The audience assembled at sunrise and sat through three tragedies, a short farcical play and a comedy, all in one day! At the end of the festival, prizes were awarded by a jury of spectators, local politicians and dignitories appointed by lot.

The first prize was a crown of ivy. Sophocles is reported as having wone this honour twenty two times. The playwright wasn't interested in making money from the play, nor was the producer. And, just like Community Theatre today, priviate individuals performed the jobs we used to think only trained professionals could do, and they too did it for the good of the state, as a public duty.

In Shakespeare's time, theatre was not so provincial as to welcome only the intellectual few, it was a popular pastime attended by both common folk and royalty. Folk traditions of ballad and song, as well as the Christian miracle and mystery plays, had accustomed people to poetic drama, its speeches cast in rhyme and meter.