life in the dithyrambic chorus

A detailed Summary of life in the dithyrambic chorus

Upon the setting sun I, Hecubus, fondly recall the days of pride and honor I felt in my tribe, as a member of a dramatic, dithyrambic chorus. Acting was not simply my occupation, but a lifestyle highly revered and respected by my fellow Athenian citizens. We entertained, taught moral lessons of the past, illustrated human flaw, but most importantly, we gave the audience a release. During the time I preformed with my chorus, drama was closely tied to the polis, joining the people, the government, and the Gods through public festivals. I felt immense pride to have played and active role in the community bond that was created. The most important of these festivals was, and remains, the City Dionysia.

The exhausting four-day competition was held every spring, in honor of the god Dionysos (Amos and Lang 129). The festival opened with a formal and elaborate processional, where I and my chorus of fifty men would perform ceremonial dances at numerous alters, and ended with sacrifices of wine and sweet meat at the sacred precinct of Dionysus. This was a most glorious event surrounded in the beauty and rebirth of the land! A statue of Dionysos, guided by the

The vocal training was the most intense exercise, and would leave my voice harsh, and rough. The intent was to articulate and pronounce everything perfectly, be it in song or slow verse. Voice and diction were the most important aspects to the choral odes, and our training consisted of many hours in full costume to perfect the art.

intense glow of torchlight, was then carried into the theatre and a reenactment of

of vocal, strength, and gesture training (Cameron and Gillespie 73).

For all performers, not just chorus members, costume limited our tools of expression to voice and gesture. No women were allowed to perform, so men had to play women's roles. All performers, except the flute player, wore bulky masks that covered the entire head, carried hairstyles and decorations, and allowed very little opening for sight lines and air. It was not uncommon, yet still humiliating, to pass out from the heat (Cameron and Gillesie 86). In the Dithyrambic contests at the City Dionysia we would be

Cameron, Kenneth, and Patti Gillespie. Western Theatre: Revolution and Revival. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984.

Dionysos' initial entry into Athens was preformed. This statue was a constant presence in the theatre. City Dionysia was highly attended and drew visitors and men of political power from all of Greece. The crowd was not afraid to get into the performances...many times they would cheer and boo, and occasionally throw things at us. Three of the four days were reserved for tragedies, and the fourth day was for satyr and comedies (Cameron and Gillespie 74). Between the great plays, the dithyrambic contests would be held, where the choruses, including my dynamic troupe, would battle each other for the prize. Wine was abundant, and the all day plays and hard stone benches seemed to effect men's attitudes. Many times I found myself trying to sing

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Approximate Word count = 1270
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts