Rachel Caduri

Dyan Burlingame

TH106

4 October 2013

Greek Theatre vs. Roman Theatre

Theatre, today, encompasses many things such as singing, acting, dancing, lighting and

sound, costumes, and a set. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is the theatre itself.

There are a plethora of theatre structures like Proscenium theatres, Thrust theatres, and

Elizabethan theatres. Two very significant types of theatres are the Greek theatre architecture and

Roman theatre architecture. Both theatres could be considered the foundation for all theatrical

architecture.

One of the most prominent and interesting facts about Greek theatre architecture was that

the theatres were built into mountains. The slope of the mountain would allow for the raked

seating area for the audience, which was called the atron. In front of the audience was a large

circular area known as the orchestra. The orchestra was where the musicians and vocalists would

play. The actors mainly made their entrances from the arches and doors built on the skene. The

skene was a platform on which the actors performed the play. Other parts of the Greek theatre

structure were the eccyclema, the machine, the pinakes, and the periaktoi. The eccyclema was a

platform on wheels that allowed for set pieces that were only needed for a short amount of time

to be brought on. The central doors of the skene would be opened up and the eccyclema would

be rolled on carrying whatever set piece was needed. The machina was a machine that allowed

for an actor to travel from the skene to the orchestra during a play. It was used to allow a god or

someone in high power, to rise or descend from the skene, creating a more dramatic effect. The

pinakes were painted flats that hung from the skene as a decorative backdrop during plays. The

periaktoi were similar to the pinakes as they were painted flats used for scenery. However the

periaktoi had three flats put together in a triangular shape, that were attached to wheels at the

bottom, which allowed for different flats to be used throughout a play, and be changed rapidly in

between scenes.

Roman theatre design was quite similar to the design of Greek theatre with a few simple

modifications. The biggest change would be the connecting of the three main parts of the theatre:

the auditorium, the orchestra, and the skene. In the Roman structure the cavea, or auditorium,

was in the shape of a semicircle and had short walls that separated it from the orchestra. The

skene, known as the scaenae frons in Roman theatre, was also enhanced and built upon,

compared to Greek theatre where the skene was just a simple raised platform with some doors

and arches. Another difference between the two was that the Roman theatre was built on solid

ground opposed to a hillside. Some small additions were the use of an awning known as the

velum to cover the cavea, as well as one to cover the scaenae frons. Roman theatres were also the

first to use a front curtain, referred to as the auleum, and a curtain in the back to hide the

backstage area, called a siparium. In addition to the moving scenery and set pieces like the

eccyclema, the Romans also had people or animals raised onto the stage from the basement

through elevators and trapped doors.

Greek and Roman theatre architectural and structural design had many similarities with a

few slight differences. The main components of both theatres were the auditorium, orchestra, and

stage house. However, there were slight differences between the executions of these designs.

However, the biggest commonalities between the two are the building blocks and standards they

set for modern day theatre structures worldwide.

Work Cited Page

Carlson, Marvin A. Places of Performance: The Semiotics of Theatre Architecture . 1989. Print.

Englert, Walter. "Ancient Greek Theatre." n. page. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.

<http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.html>.

Gillette, J. Michael. Theatrical Design and Production. 6th. New York, New York: 2008. Print.

Trumbull, Dr. Eric W. "Roman Theatre and Drama." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.

<http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/roman.htm>.