Theater in ancient Greece developed from the ceremonial worship of the god Dionysus, the God of Fertility and Wine. It is believed that it evolved gradually from a musical ritual in which a group would form a circle and worship Dionysus through song and dance. Ancient Greek Theater and drama took form around 500 BC with Sophocles’ creation of the tragedy.  Plays in this time depicted and glorified the concept of a hero. Most plays were the very common means by which values and morality were spread throughout the ancient Greek society. It is believed that Greece began the concept of the theater, which has sense been used in every major Western culture and even remains a large part to this day.
	Dionysus was an earthly God, conceived from both human and God. Born from Zeus and Semele, who was but a mortal, Dionysus is the only Greek God to have a mortal parent. Dionysus invented wine, and the art of tending grapes. Therefore, his dual nature reflects that of wine. He is known as a Bringer of Joy and divine ecstasy, and also of brutal, irrational rage. Being the actual wife of Zeus at the time of Dionysus’s conception, Hera felt rather hatefully toward him. After having the Titans brutally dismember him, Zeus was able to obtain his heart, which had been saved. The heart was ground up, and discreetly inserted into a beverage of Semele's, impregnating her with Dionysus. Other versions of this myth state that Semele was directly impregnated, rather than after Persephone, and under the influence of Hera, implored Zeus to show himself in his true form, incinerating her on sight. Zeus then saved the embryo, which was left intact, and placed it into his thigh, for the remainder of its development. For this, Dionysus was associated with rebirth after death. Dionysus is loaded with paradoxes, as he condones both happiness and madness, but above all, he condoned worldly pleasures, which might explain his popularity with the Greek people.
	The worship of Dionysus was primitive and barbaric. The worshipers often consisted of women, dressed in lion skin. One of them usually carried a thyrsus, which was a staff wrapped in ivy and vine branches. They sang and danced themselves into a frenzy, through the depths of the forest. Indulging themselves in sensual pleasures, they were known to tear apart and eat live animals with their bare hands in sacrifice to Dionysus. Even some people who were believed to have displeased Dionysus were dismembered by the ravenous worshipers. Through festive singing, dancing and many sexual encounters, Dionysus was a God worshiped by many.
	It was through this worship of Dionysus that the concept of the theater began. Throughout the year existed periods of Dionysia, which were annual periods of emphasized worship. As the worshiping of Dionysus gained momentum throughout Greece during the late 6th century B.C., the festive dancing and singing became more of a public spectacle. Through this spectacle, it is believed that the theater was born. As enthusiastic worshipers danced in a circle and sang in an open clearing, thousands watched from the mountainside. These performers, singing dithyrambs, or songs about stories from mythology were the earliest known instances of a chorus in Greek theater. It is Thespis who is known for breaking away from the chorus to form the first defined character. Through the use of masks, he was identified as a separate character from the chorus, creating the first ever diologues in what was becoming the Greek Theater.
Setup of the Theater: Theaters varied from city to city, and there were different types of theaters which served different purposes. Described here is a standard model of a theater, most dominantly used by the Greeks. It is difficult to determine the style of theaters predating the classical era, as the structures of the theaters were often modified and rebuilt. The standard model for a Greek theater took form in the fifth century B.C. In their early use, theaters served the purpose of worshiping Dionysus. For this reason, the theaters were more set up for this, equipped with a Thymele (an altar), and a tithing house. As time went on, and the focus of theaters shifted from religious to entertainment purposes, modifications were made to accompany this. For example, the Thymele was made smaller, and the tithing house was turned into a treasury. Theaters also contained a small structure in the back of the stage known as a Skene. The structure, used as a changing room, contained several entrances to the stage, and represented the front of a palace or temple.
Greek theaters were typically set up in an open-air style, leaving a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. The seating was arranged in a semi-circle, consisting of many tiered rows, much like a stadium. This seating arrangement is known as the Koilon. Like most modern-day theaters, the seating is divided into vertical sections known as Diazoma. The front seats are known as the Proedria, and were reserved for officials and priests. The most honorable seat was a marble throne, reserved for the priest of Elefthereos Dionysus. Given that the seats were typically made of concrete, it is believed that the patrons often brought their own cushions to sit on, given that the plays often lasted all day.
The plays were often performed on a circular courtyard known as the Orchestra. This area was encompassed half way by the Koilon. Early on, the Skene was to be decorated as a Palace or Temple, to provide an idea for the location. As the theater developed, so did theatrical painting. Painted panels were utilized to show a greater variety of backgrounds. Between the skene and the seating were two more entrances called Parodoi, located on the left and right sides. Through these entrances arrived the chorus, as well as those coming from the outside. An entrance from the right parodos signified that the character was coming from the city or port, while the left side would signify coming from the fields or abroad.
Machines were frequently used during plays to allow the physical ascension of a God. The machine acted as a crane, and was referred to as “deus ex machina”, which translates to “God from a machine”. These machines would contain a dummy which represented a God, as they would emerge to or from the Heavens. Greek theater also utilized Periaktos, which allowed the changing of the background several times throughout the play. Working similarly to modern day multi-message boards, periaktos consisted of prism-shaped pieces, most commonly triangular, which were rotated in unison. With different pictures painted on each face, the play now had several backgrounds to work with.

The Plays: In Greek theater, there were two genres in focus: Tragedy and Comedy. 
http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/tragedy.htm
Development of the Theater:

http://www.kidinfo.com/World_History/AncientGreece.htm

  (structure)
  (highschool, some relevance)
http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/thtr/hd_thtr.htm

  struckjure

Open Links 12/4
http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/~motesj/documents/GreekDrama.ppt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thespis
http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/clasdram/chapters/041gkorig.htm
http://www.xanga.com/Eshana/629053491/item.html
http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/tragedy.htm
http://www.greektheatre.gr/cult.html

Work Cited:

Cohen, Robert. Theatre. Fourth Edition. California: Mayfield, 1997.

Freund, Phillip. The Birth of Theatre. London, Chester Springs: Peter Owen, 2003.

 Easterling, P.E., Muir, J.V. Greek Religion and Society. Cambridge, Combrige University press. 1985 

GreekMythology.com. 24 November 2008.
     (http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Dionysus/dionysus.html)

Jacobus, Lee A. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Drama. Sixth Edition. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

Norwood, Gilbert. Greek Comedy. New York: Hill and Wang, 1963.

William Ridgeway, Sc. D., F.B.A. The Origin of Tragedy. New York: Benjamin Blom Inc, 1966