The Art of Performing Greek Theatre
By Marianna Psaltis
Greek Theatre
Performance
As a passionate, Australian-Greek performing arts practitioner it is my assertion that Ancient Greek theatre is at the forefront of modern theatre and theatrical performance. The Greek Dramatists have a unique amalgamation of Greek history and culture interwoven in their plays. This dichotomy overlaps and at times is indistinguishable between fact and mythology.
Greek theatre is at the heart of modern Greek culture, cultivated by the ancient Greek dramatists, archived and shared with generations.
The Ancient Greek plays have survived through the ages because of themes common to humanity. The fragility of human nature is on full display and relatable to ancient and modern audiences alike. The influence of Ancient Greek dramatists can be seen in the western literary tradition.
Theory and Practice
When studying Greek literature, my students interact with the cultural and emotional aspects of the text, taught through my literary knowledge but most importantly, through the lens of my lived experience.
Greek Culture
Elements of Greek theatre are culturally innate and authentic to my lived experience. It is our connection to our culture that has sustained us; the history, the mythology, characters and storytelling. Often, practitioners over intellectualise and analytically deconstruct every minute nuance of Greek theatre, and while it provides endless fodder for deconstruction and study, Greek theatre/literature is intended to be performed. In performance we have access to the overarching passion driven characters and connection to the extremity of emotion that radiate from Greek tragedies and comedies. It is this emotional connection and storytelling that invites us as an audience to experience the story with the actors, we feel a part of the plot; integral to the outcomes. The audience is carefully considered by each dramatist in their writing; forging a line of communication between the story through the art of emotion through actors.
Storytelling and Cultural Meaning
Successful communication through use of the chorus emphasises that communication in storytelling is paramount to the craft of Greek theatrical performance.
The essence of Greek theatre is in its storytelling; teachings about human fragility and the complexity of our emotional sphere – what it means to be human, flawed and passionate. At the heart of Greek culture lies passion. We are unafraid to express our emotions. We have a zest for life and a culture of welcoming, sharing and loyalty. We are hospitable people and we openly welcome everyone to share a place at our table.
Appropriation
Appropriation of Greek culture can sometimes be seen in westernised versions of Ancient Greek texts and contemporary workshopped performances of Ancient Greek plays. While mostly this is not harmful to our culture, there are times when Greek plays have been produced by non-Greek drama practitioners who purpose to explore the text differently, in a way that does not honour the author’s intentions and it is also inauthentic to our culture.
My personal ethos with respect to the creative arts extends to the understanding that: nonmatter the script/story, we as practitioners must primarily honour the author’s intentions.
While deconstruction and creative input are vital to the workshop/performance process, this does not extend to producing work significantly different from that which was originally intended, especially just for the sake of being ‘new and different’. Our primary objective should always be to consider the author’s intention for their work, everything else must follow. While there is room for interpretation through deconstruction, perspective and context, it should be noted that when performing culturally sensitive and significant work, there should be boundaries. In other words, text is open for interpretation to a degree and all Ancient Greek literature that is altered should be carefully considered and overseen by a contemporary Greek practitioner; and at the very least, in consultation with a Greek advisory (professional companies).
Intentionally changing or subverting original meanings that are essential to our culture is damaging.
In addition to this, in today’s modern society, we all understand that it is inappropriate for someone not of that traditional culture to alter traditional text/meaning. This is not to say that non-Greek drama practitioners shouldn’t explore the abundance of Greek theatre and literature; it is highlighting the need for cultural respect, ethical boundaries and to extend understanding to our forefathers.
The Greek Dramatists
The Greek dramatists wrote for strong, emboldened women, who take centre stage in their plays. The depth and complexity in which female characters have been written has been unmatched by any other author in literary history.
Their ability to create nuance of emotion and captivate the human existence, awakens and stirs these deep emotions in us, the audience.
From Sophocles’ defiant Antigone, to his vengeful Electra; Euripides murderess Medea and Loathed Helen of Troy; we connect with these character’s plights and find ourselves choosing sides of the story.
More to come,.
Performance
As a passionate, Australian-Greek performing arts practitioner it is my assertion that Ancient Greek theatre is at the forefront of modern theatre and theatrical performance. The Greek Dramatists have a unique amalgamation of Greek history and culture interwoven in their plays. This dichotomy overlaps and at times is indistinguishable between fact and mythology.
Greek theatre is at the heart of modern Greek culture, cultivated by the ancient Greek dramatists, archived and shared with generations.
The Ancient Greek plays have survived through the ages because of themes common to humanity. The fragility of human nature is on full display and relatable to ancient and modern audiences alike. The influence of Ancient Greek dramatists can be seen in the western literary tradition.
Theory and Practice
When studying Greek literature, my students interact with the cultural and emotional aspects of the text, taught through my literary knowledge but most importantly, through the lens of my lived experience.
Greek Culture
Elements of Greek theatre are culturally innate and authentic to my lived experience. It is our connection to our culture that has sustained us; the history, the mythology, characters and storytelling. Often, practitioners over intellectualise and analytically deconstruct every minute nuance of Greek theatre, and while it provides endless fodder for deconstruction and study, Greek theatre/literature is intended to be performed. In performance we have access to the overarching passion driven characters and connection to the extremity of emotion that radiate from Greek tragedies and comedies. It is this emotional connection and storytelling that invites us as an audience to experience the story with the actors, we feel a part of the plot; integral to the outcomes. The audience is carefully considered by each dramatist in their writing; forging a line of communication between the story through the art of emotion through actors.
Storytelling and Cultural Meaning
Successful communication through use of the chorus emphasises that communication in storytelling is paramount to the craft of Greek theatrical performance.
The essence of Greek theatre is in its storytelling; teachings about human fragility and the complexity of our emotional sphere – what it means to be human, flawed and passionate. At the heart of Greek culture lies passion. We are unafraid to express our emotions. We have a zest for life and a culture of welcoming, sharing and loyalty. We are hospitable people and we openly welcome everyone to share a place at our table.
Appropriation
Appropriation of Greek culture can sometimes be seen in westernised versions of Ancient Greek texts and contemporary workshopped performances of Ancient Greek plays. While mostly this is not harmful to our culture, there are times when Greek plays have been produced by non-Greek drama practitioners who purpose to explore the text differently, in a way that does not honour the author’s intentions and it is also inauthentic to our culture.
My personal ethos with respect to the creative arts extends to the understanding that: nonmatter the script/story, we as practitioners must primarily honour the author’s intentions.
While deconstruction and creative input are vital to the workshop/performance process, this does not extend to producing work significantly different from that which was originally intended, especially just for the sake of being ‘new and different’. Our primary objective should always be to consider the author’s intention for their work, everything else must follow. While there is room for interpretation through deconstruction, perspective and context, it should be noted that when performing culturally sensitive and significant work, there should be boundaries. In other words, text is open for interpretation to a degree and all Ancient Greek literature that is altered should be carefully considered and overseen by a contemporary Greek practitioner; and at the very least, in consultation with a Greek advisory (professional companies).
Intentionally changing or subverting original meanings that are essential to our culture is damaging.
In addition to this, in today’s modern society, we all understand that it is inappropriate for someone not of that traditional culture to alter traditional text/meaning. This is not to say that non-Greek drama practitioners shouldn’t explore the abundance of Greek theatre and literature; it is highlighting the need for cultural respect, ethical boundaries and to extend understanding to our forefathers.
The Greek Dramatists
The Greek dramatists wrote for strong, emboldened women, who take centre stage in their plays. The depth and complexity in which female characters have been written has been unmatched by any other author in literary history.
Their ability to create nuance of emotion and captivate the human existence, awakens and stirs these deep emotions in us, the audience.
From Sophocles’ defiant Antigone, to his vengeful Electra; Euripides murderess Medea and Loathed Helen of Troy; we connect with these character’s plights and find ourselves choosing sides of the story.
More to come,.
