7/13/2016

scenedesignandstagelighting:AncientGreece

Atlas

Home

Top10s

Timelines

World

U.S.

Encyclopedia

People

Dictionary

History&Gov't

Thesaurus

Science&Health

DayinHistory

Entersearchterm

Calendar&Holidays

Encyclopedia>LiteratureandtheArts >PerformingArts >Theater

Business

search

TheFiftyStates

Cite

scenedesignandstagelighting
AncientGreece
TheGreekopenairtheaterwasfirstacircular,flatorchestrapitlocatedinthehollowbetweentwohillsides.In465
B.C.asmallwoodenhutcalledaskene(hence,scene),inwhichtheactorschangedcostumes,waserectedbehind
theplayingarea.Whenstonestructureswereerectedtheseatingareawascuttolittlemorethanasemicircleand
theskenebecameatwostorybuildingwiththreedoorwaysinfrontandanentrancebyeitherside.Itthusserved
additionallyasthescenicbackgroundoftheplay.Thefloorinfrontoftheskenewaselevated,withstepsleading
downtotheorchstra,wherethechoruswaslocatedthisnarrowplayinglevelwascalledtheproskenion(hence,
proscenium).
Sophoclesisthoughttohavefirstemployedscenepaintingsuchdevicesasperiaktoi(revolvingprismswithpainted
scenery),eccyclema(wagonsfortableaus),andmechane(flyingmachines)werealsoused.Greekplayswere
performedindaylight,andthedramaswerefrequentlydesignedtotakeadvantageofthepositionofthesun.Also,
theatersiteswerewellplacedtogainthebesteffectsofthenaturallight.

Calculator
Spelling
Checker
PlaceFinder
Distance
Calculator
PeriodicTable
ConversionTool
Perpetual
Calendar
YearbyYear
HomeworkHelp
Fact
Monster

Sectionsinthisarticle:
Introduction
AncientGreece
AncientRome
TheMiddleAges
TheRenaissancetotheSeventeenthCentury
TheEighteenthCentury
TheNineteenthCentury
TheTwentiethCentury
Bibliography
TheColumbiaElectronicEncyclopedia,6thed.Copyright2012,ColumbiaUniversityPress.Allrightsreserved.

SeemoreEncyclopediaarticleson:Theater

PopularAreas

InfopleaseTools

YearbyYear
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Atlas

Encyclopedia
50States
CountryProfiles
HomeworkCenter

Calculator
SpellingChecker
DistanceCalculator
PeriodicTable

PlaceFinder
ConversionTool
PerpetualCalendar
Cite

FENLearning

AboutInfoplease,

FunbrainJr.Preschool&PreK
FunbrainK8GamesforKids
PoptropicaVirtualWorldforKids
FamilyEducationParentingAdvice
TeacherVisionTeacherResources

PartofFENLearning
RSS

Contact
LinktoUs
Advertisewith
Infoplease

TermsofUse*
Privacy**
SiteMap
Partnerships
*

Updated10/2015

**

Updated10/2015

20002016SandboxNetworks,Inc.,publishingasInfoplease

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/scenedesignstagelightingancientgreece.html

1/1