Greek Masks

In Ancient Greek theatre, the masks are what defined the convention of performance. They had a limited power to express full emotional ranges. As we can see on the Pronomos vase, the actors study the features of their mask before becoming the person it represents. Contrary to Noh masks, they were not used all the time, however they were dedicated – as well as the performances – to
Dionysus, known as the God of masks.
According to David Wiles, " An influential essay of 1933 portrayed the mask as the symbol and manifestation of that which is simultaneously there and not there" (Greek Theatre Performance: An
Introduction). It means that masks played a sort of ambiguity, existence and non-existence at the same time: the actor gives life to the
Dances were performed on what became the acting space. The seats and stage were made of wood to improve acoustics.
According to David Wiles, "The theatre at Athens was not planned from the outset but evolved, and a natural hollow in the hillside was gradually transformed into a roughly semi-circular form." All this in order to create better sightlines and acoustics, but also to create a democratic equality: everybody could see the plays.
The first plays were performed in agoras that were made to shelter all sorts of public assemblies.

Scale also mattered in the relationship between the audience and the actors. The central door on the wall on the stage and the furthest spectator were 100 metres distant, which required a perfect voice training for the actors. The performers did not talk to each other on stage but to the chorus and thus to the spectators. The chorus were the messengers between the actors and the audience.
Distance mattered for the visual image and the use of body language: all movements had to be simple and emphasized so that the audience could imagine emotions on the masks that were
The streets were places in which censorship did not exist, and the events held outdoors were widely popular. That is why professional players toured Italy to act in the streets: everybody, no matter how rich or poor they were, had access to quality theatre and performances were free. The actors, wearing masks, were close to the audience and played on the ground or on small portable stages, and they influenced the way Shakespeare's company performed outdoors in the same era.
Street performances brought the actors and the audience closer. However, in the 1700s, public theatres began to be built, and the popularity of street theatre started to peter out. The actors, still wearing masks, brought their art indoors. The growing bourgeoisie in the 18th century Italy made the director Carlo Goldoni force his actors to perform written texts, abandon the masks and stop pranks.
To conclude, the relationship between the actor, the audience and the performing space was established with the help of accessories such as masks, fans, but also concepts like improvisation.
The audience is the key point: they are the matchmakers between the actor and the