What did the Greek plays stage look like?
Temple stagesBefore the theatres were built, actors would perform in temples, as a way to worship the gods. The cast would usually consist of one actor, and a chorus of around 50 to help him tell the story. The stage area varied depending on how large the temple was, and how the temple itself was laid out. In a typical temple layout, there was a Cella -- a central area within the temple itself. This is where the performances were most likely held.Outdoor stagesAfter these temple performances became more popular, huge open air theatres were built. They had excellent acoustics and could hold an audience of over 10,000 people, and were often free. The stage consisted of a circle of beaten earth in the centre, which was called the orchestra- the dance floor, where the chorus danced and sang. The seating arrangements stretched around almost two thirds of the stage, and consisted of tiered, step like structures which could be sat upon. These seats weren't laid out as they are now. (The cheapest seats together and the best seats together) The seats closest to the orchestra were reserved for priests, and the sections of seating behind that were where the audience sat in accordance to their Tribe. There was often a seat of honour, which would be different to the benches. This seat would have been reserved for important officials, or a sponsor who had paid the expenses of a public performance. At the back of the orchestra was a skene, or a backdrop. This structure was a little like modern day theatre sets. It could be used to set the scene, and had entrances and exits built into it. Inside a permanent skene, was a room with machines that operated parts of the set. An example of such machines was the Ekeclema, which was a platform with wheels, used for showing the audience the dead body of a character, as deaths never took place in front of the audience.
