Actors in Ancient Greek Theatre

Preliminary Use of Actors:

The actors in ancient Greek theatre have a symbolic significance in a Greek production. When Greek theatre began in a dithyrambous, there were no actors. The poet Thespis was the first to use actors. Aeschylos was the second, and Sophocles was the third. They originally called them hypocrit. The hypocrits were the leading characters. Those in the orchestra were the followers, most commonly know as the chorus. The hypocrits were always men. Female roles were played by males before they hit puberty and before their voices changed.

Chorus:

The chorus was one of the most important aspects of the play. It narrates and reflects on the action. Without them, the audience would have no background information, and the play would be much more confusing. Originally the chorus had twelve members. Sophocles added three more to make it fifteen. The chorus entered from the two paradoi in three rows of five people. They formed little squares between them. The chorus was called by different names for each kind of play, reflecting a different emotion. In a tragedy, it was solemn and called "emmelia." In a comedy, it was funny and called "codrax." In a satyric drama, it was called "sicinnis."

The chorus used the orchestra. They sang, or sometimes said, basic information. They were the narrators of the play. They also acted as crowds. They would dance in the orchestra to show what was going on in the scene. They were also like the extras in the play. If a large crowd was needed, they were the crowd.

The Three-Actor Rule:

Besides the chorus, only three actors are allowed speaking roles in tragedies produced at the Dionysia, although the authorities who oversaw these celebrations of Dionysus allowed on stage as many mute actors needed. These non-speaking parts were probably played by young actors-in-training whose voices were not as yet