In the Theatre of Dionysos

Democracy and Tragedy in Ancient Athens

Häftad, Engelska, 2007

407 kr

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Beskrivning

Ancient Athens was unique in its politics, extraordinary in its religion and fanatic about its poetry. Yet its creativity peaked in a time of prolonged, avoidable and catastrophic war; the brilliance of Greek tragedy blazed while the people who made it were bringing ruinous defeat upon themselves.This book describes the parallel lives of Athenian democracy and Athenian tragedy--how and why they concurrently arose, blossomed and died, shaped especially by a fatal Athenian penchant for war. The author, an actor visiting the Theater of Dionysos at Athens (where the Greek tragedies premiered), considers what hints time has left us of the life and death of Greek tragedy and of the three tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides) some few of whose plays survive. He demonstrates how drama emerged from a fusion of four unique elements in Greek culture: bardic poetry; open sporting competition; uncodified religion; and exploratory philosophy. With glimpses of the authors, backers, performers and audiences who collectively created that astounding body of work, the book imagines the evolution of the tragic genre from a practitioner's viewpoint.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2007-07-27
Mått:152 x 229 x 11 mm
Vikt:295 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:216
Förlag:McFarland & Co Inc
ISBN:9780786429936

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Mer om författaren

Richard C. Sewell, AEA, a founding director of The Theater at Monmouth in 1970, directed and acted there until 1993. He taught directing and theater history for the Colby College Theater and Dance department from 1974 to 2001. He lives in Maine, writing and directing. His plays have had recent productions in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

Recensioner i media

“Reading [this book] is like sitting down to a leisurely, open-ended chat—probably over a glass or two of scotch—with one of those passionate, marvelously well-informed, creative and freewheeling thinkers who manages also to be charming. There are insights here that I can’t wait to put to use in my next directing project, and enthusiasm here that rejuvenates the reader for the daily business of living a good life and/or doing good theatre.”—Shepard Sobel, Artistic Director, The Pearl Theatre Company, Inc.

Innehållsförteckning

Table of ContentsIntroduction: An Amateur Time-Travel Memoir I. In the Theater of DionysosAn Actor at Play with the Past—Athens, 2005 Three or More Greeces A Braid of Three Strands Arion A Thespian’s Dionysia II. Aeschylus and War NewsArms and the Man and the News ... and the New How This Theater Worked—the Early Years III. First Plays and Other NewnessPhilosopher as Playwright Suppliants, Persians and Seven IV. Prometheus, Then OrestesForethought The Cry on the House of Atreus A Son Comes Home The Gods Come to Athens Afterthoughts V. Sophocles and Euripides—Worse War NewsAn Unpleasant Few Minutes Theater Life after Aeschylus Of Ajax and of Heracles’ Wife A One against a Many Problematics Two Electras, Sophocles’ and Euripides’ VI. Then and NowA Twinge Hubris in a Theater of War The Art of Old Age Charon’s Steps Then Afterthought Said Bibliography Index