Dionysian* Festivals-
Dionysian* Festivals-
The Rural Dionysia* - The oldest kind of festival. This is held in, and organized by, rural towns all over Greece in December. Originally this was an agricultural fertility festival with great displays of a phallus image, drinking, feasting and games. When play contests are introduced in the sixth century the plays are mainly comedies. Later the prize winning plays from the City's earlier years are put on here and new playwrights try out their work before submitting it to the City of Dionysia*.
The Lenae* - A winter festival in January-February. The contest is similar in all respects to the City of Dionysia* except that it's a more local affair since it occurrs during that part of the year when travel by sea is chancy so there aren't many out-of-towners around. It's originally all comedy.
The City of Dionysia* - WHEN - It's a spring festival in March-April. It occurrs after the winter storms are over when ships can begin sailing regularly. Consequently, at this time, Athens is normally full of visitors from all over the Mediterranean. The audiences at this festival are cosmopolitan. For the week of the festival all trade is suspended, government offices closed and even the law courts shut down. Prisoners are released from jail to attend.
WHAT - Early on, only tragedies and satyr plays are done and they all have to be original plays that have never before been performed at this festival. Comedy is added to this festival early in the fifth century. After the death of Aeschylus* they change the rules and anyone can do a revival of his plays. If the plays are successful at this festival they are usually done in other productions in the local theatres around Greece and the colonies.
HOW CHOSEN - The summer before a festival the magistrate in charge of the festivals choose three plays from all those that have been submitted. These will be entered in the competition.
CONTESTS - Originally the competition is only for the playwright of a tragedy. Later there are prizes for the best comedy and, after the middle of the century, for the best actor. There is
a small jury who decide the winners of each contest category. The prizes are symbolic and the honor of being in a contest and winning a prize are regarded as very important.
HOW PRODUCED - After the plays are chosen a "choregus*" (a wealthy backer) is assigned by lot to each poet. When they institute prizes for actors, the actors are also assigned in the same way. There are three actors and a chorus provided for each tragedy, and five actors and a chorus for each comedy. The State pays for the chorus and actors. The choregus* pays for everything else. In the beginning the playwright writes his own music, designs his own set, works out his own dances, handles the directing, trains the chorus and acts in his own play. This is really too much and the quality of the production suffer. Very soon trained acting specialists take over training the chorus and doing the acting.
THE FESTIVAL ITSELF - The festival lasts five or six days (we don't know which). The first day features a big parade, very solemn and then sports, games and merry-making. Three days are devoted to the plays. Each day one tragic playwright's trilogy and satyr play are done in the morning. Later in the day a comic playwright's comedy is performed. One or two days are devoted to the poetry contests. These are performances by the dithyrambic choruses. There are prizes for the poets and for the choruses.
THE AUDIENCE - Everyone is expected to come to the show. Originally the seats are free, then a very small charge is made, and still later there is a special theatre fund to pay for anyone who can't afford the fee.