29/07 The Theatricality of Greek Tragedy

Ley, Graham The Theatricality of Greek Tragedy: Playing Space and Chorus. 240 p., 5 halftones, 14 line drawings. 6 x 9 2006 Cloth $40.00spec ISBN: 978-0-226-47757-2 (ISBN-10: 0-226-47757-6) Fall 2006 University of Chicago Press Ancient Greek tragedy has been an inspiration to Western culture, but the way it was first performed has long remained in question. In The Theatricality of Greek Tragedy, Graham Ley provides an illuminating discussion of key issues relating to the use of the playing space and the nature of the chorus, offering a distinctive impression of the performance of Greek tragedy in the fifth century BCE.  Drawing on evidence from the surviving texts of tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, Ley explains how scenes with actors were played in the open ground of the orchestra, often considered as exclusively the dancing place of the chorus. In reviewing what is known of the music and dance of Greek antiquity, Ley goes on to show that in the original productions the experience of the chorus—expressed in song and dance and in interaction with the characters—remained a vital characteristic in the performance of tragedy. Combining detailed analysis with broader reflections about the nature of ancient Greek tragedy as an art form, this volume—supplemented with a series of illustrative drawings and diagrams—will be a necessary addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in literature, theater, or classical studies. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface             Scope of the Book             Rationale for the Diagrams and Drawings             Further Comments and Acknowledgments 1          the playing space             The Scripts and the Playing Space             The Surviving Tragedies of Aeschylus and Early Tragic Performance             Choros, Actors/Characters, and Playing Space in the Earlier Tragedies of Aeschylus                         Persians                         Suppliants                         Seven against Thebes             Composition for the Playing [...] Lire la suite sur Infos Fabula

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