hellenic festival of ancient drama, held annually in the fourth-century bc theatre at epidauros...
TRANSCRIPT
Hellenic Festival of Ancient Drama, held annually in the fourth-century BC theatre at Epidauros
Euripides’ Orestes most recently performed at Epidauros in 2010 by the National Theatre of Greece http://www.n-t.gr/en/events/orestis/
• Differences– daylight performances– playwright as director – drama as part of a religious festival and a
competition– drama considered fundamental to the polis
• Space and Staging
• Euripides’ Orestes – 408BC – use of space– working with (and against) audience expectations
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. (Martin Luther King)
Orestes (dressed as a hoplite) stabs Aegisthus, while his sister (Electra) warns him of his mother’s approach with an axe.
Attic red-figure stamnos from Vulci, c.470BC.
Orestes grabs his mother’s hair and
prepares to strike her with his sword as she,
having fallen to her knees, bares her breast
with one hand and reaches up to him in supplication. Above a
Fury with snakes in her hair and in her hands
looks on. Paestan red-figure amphora,
c.340BC.
Tragedies about Orestes – 18% of those surviving
• 458BC Aeschylus’ Choephoroi (in which Orestes returns, kills
Clytemnestra and sees the Furies) and Eumenides (in which Orestes is tried in Athens and acquitted)
• c.413BC Euripides’ Electra (in which Orestes returns, kills Clytemnestra
and sees the Furies; it mentions his trial in Athens)• c.410BC Sophocles’ Electra (in which Orestes returns and kills
Clytemnestra; there are no Furies and no mention of a trial)• 408BC Euripides’ Orestes (in which Orestes has already killed
Clytemnestra and is being driven mad by Furies; he is tried in Argos and found guilty but the trial in Athens is also mentioned)
The cast of characters before Euripides’ Orestes
Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides
Orestes Orestes Orestes
Pylades Pylades Pylades
Clytemnestra Clytemnestra Clytemnestra
Aegisthus Aegisthus Aegisthus
Electra Electra Electra
Orestes’ Nurse Orestes’ retainer Electra’s husband
Slave Messenger
Castor and Pollux
Priestess of Apollo
Apollo
Clytemnestra’s Ghost
The Furies
Athena
Athenian jurors
Athenian women & girls
Early C1st BC papyrus fragment
of Euripides’ Orestes (P. Oxy.
1178).Antiquities Museum,
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
Papyrus G 2315, from Hermopolis Magna, Egypt, c.200 BC (80 x 92 mm). Collection of Archduke Reiner, Vienna.Dochmiacs from a choral stasimon of Euripides’ Orestes (lines 338-43, the order of verses is different from that of the medieval MSS). Melodic and rhythmical notation is placed above the syllables of the text, intermittent instrumental notation in the same line as the text.
• http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/
A piper (auletēs) with a chorus of 7 ‘girl’ dancers and a didaskalos (extreme left with stick/staff)
Attic red-figure calyx krater; attributed to the Niobid Painter; c. 470-60BC; British Museum 1856.12-13.1
Aerial view of the Acropolis (2010)
1. All the characters wear masks.2. Maximum of three speaking characters at
one time (there are only three actors).3. All characters and the chorus speak/sing
verse (iambic trimeter is closest to the cadence of normal speech, lyric metre is reserved [in the case of actors] for moments of high tension).
4. The chorus, after their first entrance (the parodos) are present throughout.
5. No murders (or violence) on stage.
Greek Tragic Conventions:
Actor with a mask: crater
fragment, from Taranto,
late 4th century,
Martin von Wagner
Museum der Universitat, Wurzburg
The (named) tragic character Aegisthus on the comic stage in ‘Choregoi’ (‘The Producers’).
Apulian, red-figure, bell-crater, 400-380 BC, New York, Fleischman Collection F93
(Taplin, Comic Angels, 9.1)
Chorus and cast of a satyr play. Attic red-figure volute crater attributed to the Pronomos Painter, end of C5th BC.
Naples 81673 (H3240).
Electra Dearest one, how happy it made me feelWhen you fell into that sleep. Do you want meTo hold you and to prop your body up?
Orestes Yes, hold me. Give me some support. And wipe The dried up foam from my sore mouth and eyes. …Support my side with yours,And push the matted hair out of my face.My eyes aren’t seeing very well.
Electra O this filthy hair, your poor suffering head – So much time has passed since it’s been washed,you look just like a savage.
Orestes Put me back,on the bed again. Once the madness leaves,I’m exhausted… no strength in my limbs.
…Orestes Where… where have I jumped? Out of bed?
After the storm I see calm waters once again.Sister, why wrap your head in your dress and cry?
Orestes and Pylades stand by the tomb of Agamemnon as Electra, her hair cut short in mourning, approaches it with offerings.
This is the moment just before the brother and sister recognise each other.
Two Furies look down from above.
Paestan red-figure amphora from Nola, c.320BC.
Plan of the fifth
century Theatre of Dionysus
from D. Taylor, The Greek
and Roman Stage
Euripides tries stopping the parodos!Electra Here they are again
my friends who sing with me in my laments.They’ll soon end my brother’s peaceful sleepAnd melt my eyes with tears once I see him In his mad fit. You women, dearest friends,Move with quiet step and make no noise,No unexpected sound. Your kindness hereIs dear to me, but if you wake him up,What happens will be difficult for me.Chorus Keep quiet! Silence! Let your steps be light.
Make no sound at all.…Chorus Do you see? His body’s moving in his robes.Electra You wretch, you've forced him to wake up
With your chatter.Chorus No, I think he’s sleeping.Electra Won’t you just go away? Leave the house.
Retrace your steps, and stop the shuffling.
Behind the orkhêstra (‘dancing place’ – where the chorus danced and sang) was a low raised stage...
... with easy access to the orkhêstra and the eisodoi (entrance ways to each side).
At the rear of the stage was the skênê building...
... with a wide central door...
... for entrances and exits...
... and painted scenery panels (skênographia).
Interior tableaux were displayed on the eccyclema (aka ekkyklema) (ekkuklêma), a trolley which could be rolled out...
... and rolled back in again.
Actors could appear on the roof of the skênê building.
WestPathway to Nauplion
EastChariot
Roadway toArgos
(including the agora) and Tombs of
Agamemnon and
Clytemnestra
House of Atreus(with the courtyard before it)
Rooftop
Orestes
Electra
Helen
The Characters by EpisodePro. Electra Orestes Helen (and
Phrygian slaves)
Hermione
1 Electra Orestes
2 Orestes Menelaus (and men)
Tyndareus Pylades
3 Electra Orestes Messenger
(Old Man)
Pylades
4 Electra Orestes (Helen – off-stage)
Pylades
5 Electra Orestes Phrygian slave
Pylades
Ep. Electra Orestes Menelaus (and men)
Hermione Pylades Apollo Helen
More surprises about Helen…
• Helen is heard begging for her life
• We expect the ekkyklema to reveal her corpse
• The Messenger (Phrygian Slave) reports in song (and pidgin Greek) that she has vanished
Darius (named) and a Messenger:
Southern Italian column crater (c. 400BC) by the Darius Painter (detail from name vase depicting a Persian-War themed tragedy).
Epilogue
Menelaus (and entourage)
Chorus of Argive women
Orestes
Hermione
Pylades
Electra
Apollo
Helen
The Characters by ActorActor A Actor B Actor C Silent Extras
Prologue Electra Orestes Helen Hermione Phrygian slaves
Episode 1 Electra Orestes
Episode 2 Menelaus Orestes Tyndareus
Pylades
Menelaus’ men
Episode 3 Electra Orestes Messenger
Pylades
Orestes’ supporters
Episode 4 Electra (Helen)
Episode 5 Electra Orestes Phrygian slave
Epilogue Menelaus Orestes Apollo Hermione
Pylades
Electra
Helen
Menelaus’ men
Alex Clark & Euripides’ Orestes• Adapting the characters and content. Expect:
– The unexpected: Helen, Menelaus & Hermione + ???– The substantially developed: Pylades, the imagery of setting
fire to the house of Atreus and Orestes’ threat of arson– A trial and a guilty verdict– The criminal justice system to be upheld – A devastated and mentally unbalanced Orestes– Reference to Greek myths– A happy end for some
• Adopting Euripides’ attitude to theatrical conventions and stage space. Expect:– Doubling of characters– Original and unexpected handling of stage space– To see inside Orestes’ mind– To wonder whether murders will be committed