Brilliant Greek Technical Theatre Innovations

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Brilliant Greek Technical Theatre Innovations
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Masks

• 1-3 actor rule made masks necessary

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Pinake
We now call these flats. A wooden frame with
Stretched fabric over one sidepainted like a
canvas for scenery.
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Periaktoi
Three painted flats, hinged together in order
to rotate to three different painted scenes.
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Mechane
A crane used to raise or lower actors playing
gods or goddesses. Occasionally, characters who
were mortals were raised into or lowered from
the heavens.
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Ekkyklema
Violence that occurred offstage and resulted in a
characters death was revealed to the audience
through the use of the Ekkyklema, or death cart.
How does it work? Click on the link below to find
out.
http//depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/
tragedy/intr20.htm
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Messenger Speeches

• Violent acts did not occur on stage. Poets
  frequently utilized messengers to communicated
  important information (including acts of
  violence) to the audience.
• Click here for an example from Euripides Medea

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THE END

• Click here for Mask slide
• Click here for Pinake slide
• Click here for Periaktoi slide
• Click here for Mechane slide
• Click here for Ekkyklema slide
• Click here for Messenger Speech slide