Classical Greek Theatre

Contemporary dramatic storytelling (movies and television, as well as theatre) has its roots in the theatre of the Ancient Greeks, written performed as much as five centuries before the birth of Christ. Tragedies focused on moral-oriented retellings of ancient myths, while comedies tended to focus on social and political satire, with large doses of sexual humor. All such classical theatre, but the comedies in particular, themselves had their roots in religious rituals celebrating and honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry - and, by implication, of loosened inhibitions. In other words, theatre had its beginnings in an exploration of how human beings were and what they did when they broke and/or transcended traditional rules of behavior. For further consideration of this aspect of the plays' background, see "Topics for Discussion - In what ways do the principal characters ..."

The Theatre Competition

The plays...