Greek tragic theatre
By: Rush Rehm.
Series: Theatre production studies
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1994
Place of publication: London; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 168
Subjects: Greek drama (Tragedy) -- History and criticism; Political plays, Greek -- History and criticism; Theater -- Greece -- History -- To 500
Description: Greek Tragic Theatre is intended for those interested in theatre who want to know how Greek tragedy worked. By analysing how the plays were realized in performance, Rush Rehm sheds new light on these old texts and encourages actors and directors to examine Greek tragedy anew by examining the context in which it was once performed. Emphasizing the political nature of Greek tragedy, as a theatre of, by and for the polis, Rehm characterizes fifth-century Athens as a performance culture, one in which the theatre stood alongside other public forums as a place to confront matters of import and moment. In treating the various social, religious and practical aspects of tragic production, he shows how these elements promoted a vision of the theatre as integral to the life of the city - a theatre whose focus was on the audience.

The second half of the book examines four exemplary plays, Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy, Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, and Euripides' Suppliant Women and Ion. Avoiding the critical tradition, Rehm focuses on how each tragedy unfolds in performance, generating different relationships between the characters (and chorus) on stage and the audience in the theatre.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-163) and index.