The Greek Play

One of the many Greek delicacies is grilled octopus.  I’m not sure if anyone in our group has yet tried this dish, but surely someone will soon.  

One of the persistent challenges of any civilization is how to deal with the dead.  While humans aren’t the only species who bury their dead (e.g., some ants have burial chambers), humans have turned it into an art.  One important reason for dealing with the deceased is simple hygiene, but the more interesting reasons are cultural, especially to bestow honor and prepare for the hoped for after-life.  During early Mycenean times, underground tombs were dug within the city walls.  Below is one elaborate example unearthed by archeologists.  (click for larger view)

 In later Mycenaen times, burials took place away from the central city in gigantic chambers such as this.  Typically, each burial chamber was devoted to a single extended family and their household servants.  As you can see, this is an incredible amount of work for a relatively small number of people.  These pictures are of the fabulously well-preserved “Treasury of Atreus” a tholos-type tomb.  From left to right is the approach to the chamber and two images within the chamber (including its domed ceiling). 

Mycenaean civilization pre-dates the classical Greek age by at least a thousand years, making these ruins the oldest we will see on our trip.  Below, Reese Barclay ponders the wisdom of passing through the Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, while Lilly Noble, ’07, and Lorenzo Alvarez emerge happily on the other side.  (Click on each for larger view.)

After some climbing Lani Martin scans the horizon from the top of the Mycenae site. 

Now playing on YouTube: Megan Barrett (as Apollo) and Laura Allan (as Death) rehearse the first scene of ALCESTIS, the Centennial Greek Play, at the great late classical theatre at Epidaurus in Greece.   View Video

Human occupation of the Acropolis dates back to Mycenaean and perhaps even to Proto-Hellenic times. The Acropolis is a militarily sound position as a relatively flat hill surrounded by hills two of about the same height, a plain, and a range of mountains. The Acropolis first served as a military-political center and, as culture is want to do, the Athenians made the Acropolis a religious center. The first temple to Athena Parthenos, Athena the Virgin, began construction circa 490 B.C.E., after the Battle of Marathon. This temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C.E., with the rest of Athens. In 447 B.C.E., Pericles began the construction of the temple which we now call the Parthenon and it was completed in 431 B.C.E. This temple would survive until 1687 C.E. because it served as a church, The Church to Maria Parthenos, and as a mosque. In 1687 C.E. the Venetians besieged Athens, and, as besiegers are want to do, the Venetians bombarded the city. Unfortunately, the Turks made the Parthenon a gunpowder magazine and one of the shells hit the Parthenon and partly destroyed it. The Parthenon would not be restored until 1975 and the site is still going under restoration some thirty-four years later. I blame the Turks for this travesty, but I have a very strong pro-Hellenic bias. geia sas, E-J Tate                       

  Mabel Kate Whiteside is the reason we’re here in Greece: she and her students began the Greek Play tradition at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in 1909, and we’re preparing the play they did then–Euripides’ ALCESTIS–as part of our study tour to Greece.  No trip concentrating on drama can miss the great late classical theater at Epidaurus in the Argolid and Read the rest of this entry »

Here are three views from our exploration of the Acropolis on 28 May.  the first shows our group posing in front of the Parthenon.  The second shows details of marble columns.  The third shows Prof. Cohen explaining the history and significance of the Erechtheion, a temple to cult figures of Athens.  It housed the image of Athena that was clothed during the Panathenaic festival.  (That last fact courtesy of Katrina Wiechmann and E.J. Tate, two of our students helping with this blog entry!).

Click on each pic for a larger view.

This picture illustrates a contemporary problem of Greek archeology, excavation, and preservation.  While part of the ancient Agora has been unearthed, much more remains buried.  The problem  is that the earth above these ruins now now hosts cafes, homes, and entire neighborhoods.  Should contemporary residents and businesses be uprooted and relocated so that more ancient history can be gleaned?  This happened once already in the mid-twentieth century, when about 500 homes were removed in order to unearth much of the Agora we can now tour and study. 

This picture illustrates a cross-section of ancient and modern.  The view is from the Agora looking out.  Just below the graffiti and concrete, the stonework of antiquity can be seen. 

During our second practice, Professor Cohen fits one of the handmade masks on Elizabeth Schlackman, ‘03, a member of the Alcestis chorus.  The masks reflect Professor Cohen’s scholarship on the masks most likely used in ancient Greek theatre.  We brought the masks with us to Greece as checked luggage!  The faculty and staff at College Year in Athens is amazed at the masks and can’t wait to see them in performance. 

Below is an array of masks, just waiting to be donned by our actors.   

The music is being written, the dances are being choreographed, the costumes are being sewn, and the props are being constructed. This program has proved to be far more than an intellectual jaunt through Athens, and we’re all finding ourselves challenged intellectually and artistically as well. I usually have more backstage involvement in a production, but the amount of lines and outside work I have to complete (I have 320+ lines–yes, I counted–and two outside papers to finish), I’ve decided to take a step back from the technical scene. But at the same time it’s hardly like the help is needed; it’s already clear how brilliant our crew and actors are, and I can’t believe how quickly people are getting ideas and starting to make this play a reality. Read the rest of this entry »