A typical ancient theater, known as an amphitheater.
Greek theater explored war, love, murder, romance, destiny, faith and the world beyond, among hundreds of other themes that still resonate with people today. In stage comedies and tragedies, the classical Greeks made the struggles of life and philosophy vivid for audiences, and in doing so, they shaped the art of theater for future generations.
Instructions
Instructions
1. Turn the teaching session into a hands-on workshop, with opportunities for students to perform Greek theater, rather than simply read it. Let them move, speak, shout or rearrange the room to suit their interpretation of the text. As classical Greek drama always involved a chorus, so you can easily include an entire class.
2. Use the techniques of Greek theater for creative group exercises. Improvisational pioneer Viola Spolin suggests a Greek chorus exercise in which half the class recites a poem or drama excerpt in unison, and the other half acts it out at the same time.
3. Encourage students to wrestle with the themes of Greek drama, asking questions about religion, politics, relationships and morality. In studying Greek theater, students can learn as much about themselves, each other and the world around them as they can about the text of the play itself.
4. Compare the elements and themes of Greek drama with modern examples of drama--in film, television and theater--that students already know. Soap operas, sitcoms and action movies all involve the same basic themes that inspired ancient people.
5. Show your students Greek theater in action. Take them to a production, or show them a film version of a Greek play.
6. Stage a production of a Greek play. In the book "The Theater of Teaching and the Lessons of Theater," Amy Cohen relates the story of Randolph-Macon Woman's College professor Mabel Whiteside. In 1909, her students asked her why they were simply memorizing excerpts instead of staging them. "Miss Mabel" took them at their word and they staged a Greek play--the first of what was to become a 45-year-long annual tradition.
