Ancient Greek Theaters: Structure, Acoustics, and Cultural Impact

Plays in the areas of tragedy and comedy (satire) were produced in structures that ultimately became called theaters. The Greeks performed their plays outdoors, originally in open spaces. The early plays were simple choral presentations that were probably related to local festivals celebrating their patron god or goddess or relating the deeds of great heroes. Ultimately, a theater would be built into a hillside, where viewers could see the performers, and it eventually developed into a standard structure with common attributes. The Greek theater had a variety of different parts.

The Greek theatron, from which the theater took its name, meaning “viewing area,” was where the public would sit and watch the performance. After being sited on a hillside, the viewing area would be made of wooden boards, with some participants sitting on cushions for extra comfort. By the fourth century, permanent marble seats were constructed. The size of the viewing area depended on the population of the city and the size of the hill.

View of the ancient Greek theater of Taormina, with Mount Etna volcano in the background

The orchestra, originally called the “dancing space,” was a circular space originally allowing the participants to dance, sing, and perform. Like the early theatron, the orchestra was merely hard-packed clay or dirt, which was later paved with marble or stone. Since the theater was originally part of a religious festival, the center of the orchestra contained an altar. While the size of the orchestra varied, the diameter of the orchestra at Athens for the theater of Dionysus was sixty feet in diameter.

Running in front of the theatron and orchestra were passageways from both sides, where the chorus and actors entered and exited. Called paradoi, these passageways were also used by viewers as they entered and exited the theatron. The actors would perform on the far side of the orchestra, away from the theatron, on a stage raised a couple of feet above the orchestra. Measuring about ten feet deep and twenty-five feet wide, the stage allowed the actors to perform and interact with the chorus. Behind the stage was the skene, a building whose name means “tent,” which could be decorated with scenery that suited the play.

The structure had at least one set of doors by which actors could enter and exit the stage. There was access to the top of the skene for actors to perch on or by which actors could be raised and lowered if needed via a machine or crane. This gave rise to the phrase deus ex machina, where a play’s seemingly inescapable dilemma is resolved by an unlikely or unbelievable event—namely, a god coming down and saving the day Several famous theaters still exist. In Athens, there is the theater of Dionysus, with a sanctuary with two temples celebrated the cult of this god.

The fifth-century theater was small, with wooden and stone seats and a small, semicircular orchestra with a stage and skene. The theater is located on the southwest side of the Acropolis. The theater at Epidaurus also is well preserved with the theatron, skene, and orchestra. There were fifty-five rows of seats divided by thirteen staircases, with a diazoma separating the twenty-one steep upper rows and thirty-four lower rows.

The front row had seats with back supports. Facing the theatron was a one-story stage resting on fourteen pillars, with painted wooden panels between the pillars except for the two middle pillars, which were open. It was designed and constructed in the fourth century. The lower level could seat about 6,200 people, and the upper about 8,000. It had excellent acoustics and is the best-preserved theater, with modern performances still being put on there.

At Eretria was an early theater, dated to either the fifth century or late fourth century, made of wood. It had a circular orchestra, and the theatron had eleven wedges and could hold about 6,000 spectators. Many of the later theaters were constructed during the post-Classical period. Theaters allowed the public to be both entertained and educated by the shows performed there.