Performance in Greek and Roman Theatre

Vayos Liapis, Ph.D. (1997) in Classics, University of Glasgow, is Associate Professor of Theatre at the Open University of Cyprus. He has published extensively on Greek literature, especially tragedy; his latest book is A Commentary on the 'Rhesus' Attributed to Euripides (Oxford University Press, 2012).George W.M. Harrison, Ph.D. (1985) in Classics and Archaeology, Johns Hopkins University, is Assistant Professor of Classics at Concordia where he also teaches in Art History. He is active in productions in the Theatre Department. He has written extensively on Roman imperial tragedy and satyr drama.Contributors: Vayos Liapis, George W.M. Harrison, Costas Panayotakis, Grigoris M. Sifakis, David Konstan, Martin Revermann, Robert Tordoff, Jocelyn Penny Small, A. J. Podlecki, Geoff Bakewell, Peter Meineck, Rosie Wyles, Judith Fletcher, Robert Ketterer, C. W. Marshall, Jeffrey Rusten, Graham Ley, Robert Cowan, George Fredric Franko, Richard Beacham, Dorota Dutsch, A. K. Petrides, Edith Hall, George Kovacs, Gonda Van Steen, and Fiona Macintosh.

• INTRODUCTIONVayos LiapisGeorge W.M. HarrisonCostas PanayotakisOPSIS, PROPS, SCENEThe Misunderstanding of ‘Opsis’ in Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’Grigoris M. SifakisPropping Up Greek Tragedy: The Right Use of Opsis David Konstan Generalizing about Props: Greek Drama, Comparator Traditions, and the Analysis of Stage ObjectsMartin RevermannActors’ Properties in Ancient Greek Drama: An OverviewRobert Tordoff Skenographia in BriefJocelyn Penny SmallGREEK TRAGEDYAeschylean Opsis A.J. PodleckiCasting votes in Aeschylus Geoff BakewellUnder Athena’s Gaze: Aeschylus’ ‘Eumenides’ and the Topography of OpsisPeter MeineckHeracles’ Costume fromEuripides’ ‘Heracles’ to Pantomime Performance Rosie WylesWeapons of Friendship: Props in Sophocles’ ‘Philoctetes’ and ‘Ajax’Judith Fletcher‘Skene’, Altar and Image Euripides’ ‘Iphigeneia among the Taurians’ Robert Ketterer Staging ‘Rhesus’Vayos LiapisGREEK COMEDYThree Actors in Old Comedy, Again C. W. Marshall‘The Odeion on his head’: Costume and identity in Cratinus’ Thracian Women fr. 73 Jeffrey RustenRehearsing AristophanesGraham LeyROME AND EMPIREHaven’t I Seen you Before Somewhere? Optical Allusions in Republican TragedyRobert CowanAnicius vortit barbare: the Scenic Games of L. Anicius Gallus and the Aesthetics of Greek and Roman Performance George Fredric FrankoOtium, Opulentia and Opsis: Setting, Performance and Perception Within the mise-en-scène of the Roman HouseRichard BeachamTowards a Roman Theory of Theatrical GestureDorota DutschLucian’s ‘On Dance’ and the poetics of the pantomime maskA.K. PetridesPantomime: Visualising Myth in the Roman Empire Edith Hall INTEGRATING OPSISStringed Instruments in Fifth-Century DramaGeorge KovacsBloody (Stage) Business: Matthias Langhoff’s Sparagmos of Euripides’ ‘Bacchae’ (1997)Gonda Van SteenFrom Sculpture to Vase-painting: Archaeological Models for the ActorFiona Macintosh

“While reading I often felt that the individual authors were inviting me to change places and sit near them for a slightly better look at the same stage from another part of the theater. Some readers will find some seats more rewarding than others, but on the whole this is a diverse but pleasingly cohesive collection that greatly expands our view of ancient performance.[...] The volume on the whole is meticulously edited, remarkably free of typographical errors, and contains numerous helpful black and white photographs” - Christopher B. Polt, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2013.11.27