The document discusses the basics of Greek drama, including the three main groups involved in performances: the chorus, actors, and audience. The chorus consisted of 6-15 people who remained in the orchestra area and helped tell the story through song. Actors, usually 1-3 people, performed on the wooden stage platform and sometimes used flying effects. The audience sat in stepped, semi-circular seating that allowed sound to carry well despite the theater's large size.

2. Let’s go over the basics of drama. Drama includes singing, dancing, acting, and anything else that has to do with theater. The Greeks were the first to invent drama. Every year, they had a four day drama festival to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and vegetation. There are 3 groups of people in every performance, can you guess what groups they are??

3. The people in the chorus were performing in the play, but in a different way to the actors. The chorus had between 6 and 15 or so people in it, and they never went onto the stage, but stayed in the orchestra. The chorus told the audience about the characters and helped to tell the story of the play. Facts • 6-15 People • Part of the Play • Singers • Stayed in the “orkestra”

4. Behind the orchestra was the stage, which was a wooden platform. It was on this platform that the actors performed. On the platform was a small hut, called the 'skene'. This was used as a building and actors could walk in and out of the door in the front. Behind the stage there was sometimes a crane called the 'mekhane'. Actors could be hung from the crane to play gods or monsters flying through the air. These were early special effects! Facts • 1-3 People • Crane used when playing gods or monsters • Main performers • Performed on the “skene”

5. In front of the stage and orchestra was the seating. The seating was in the shape of a semi-circle, with rows of seats one above the other making stepped rows of seating. The back rows were high up, and from there you were quite far from the stage. Everyone could hear the actors speaking though because the sound carried well because of the shape of the theatre. Facts • Wooden seats • 1 st and 2 nd class • Semi-Circle seats

6. This is a picture of the Greek theater of Dionysus, in Athens:

7. This is the layout of the theater: