Greek physical theatre (architecture, examples, diagrams, images).

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Greek Physical Theatre
The ancient Greek theatres are heavily documented both in ancient and modern literature. Theatrical culture, with its center in Athens, flourished from 700 BC. However, the ancient Greek theatres are different from the modern-day theatres both in architectural design and experience. While one can walk into a theatre for a play at any time or night, in ancient Greece, plays were only performed during early spring and late winter. The hot Greek climate is thought to have contributed to this arrangement. Plays were usually performed during the day and required great vocal exertion, and each play was performed once.
The theatres were usually large and located outdoors (Cartwright). The theatre of Dionysus, for example, had a capacity of 15,000 people. Other theatres include the ancient Greek theatre in Delos and the ancient theatre of Delphi. They were mostly constructed on the slopes of the hills. The seats on which the spectators sat were carved from the hillside. The theatres featured three main elements; the orchestra, skene, and audience. The orchestra was a large rectangular or circular area at the center of the theatre where dance, playacting, chorus, or religious rites were carried out. With a diameter averaging 78 feet, the orchestra was situated at th...