Archaeology | The Guardian: For nearly two millennia, the Little Theatre of Epidavros lay underground. Its engraved seats, concentric and tiered, belonged to a world of roots; in this case the roots of an olive grove owned by Christos Zafiris, a local farmer. “They say that had it not been for pigs digging at the soil, we might never have known of its existence,” says Prof Vassilis Lambrinoudakis. “Until the appearance of the stones in 1970, the theatre was a secret hidden under the earth for 18 centuries.”
5 comments:
There is truly something magical about the ancient Greek amphitheaters, they convey an idea of grand storytelling that has remained one of the great traditions of the human race. I love to see them excavated and cared for because I like to think that it is done out of our respect for what the traditions popularized in those spaces have given to us. We still follow so many of the strictures of Greek and Roman theater making and we remember many others, using them to create emotions because they are so recognizable. I wonder if something could be performed in these amphitheaters. I know they are archeological sites and should not be touched but I can’t help wanting to. These spaces were so carefully built in order to best serve the human voice and the human eye, so that everyone in the audience could see the performers and so that their voices would carry across the amphitheater. I think they should not have to go long without the sound of someone reciting from their stages.
I think we should have more old theaters renovated. I think it is truly magical to see a production in a space where people thousands of years ago also saw shows. I remember when I was a kid, I would go to Griffith Park or the Getty Museum where they had these kinds of Ancient Greek style amphitheaters and I thought the experience of them were totally different than modern theaters. I think that the idea of having theater outside creates a kind of campside experience, and makes me feel like I am more intimate with the actors in the center. The acoustics of the space are also so unique because it sorta echos throughout the bowl, and it really acts like a speaker for the actor using the physics of the space.it can be so cool how the ancient peoples were able to figure out this technology that honestly is much more cool and works better than some modern theaters.
We have all heard it, it’s nothing new, the theatre began in ancient Greece. At this point, we have both studied it in class and read about it for homework. It has been drilled into our brains. Reading about an old theatre being renovated is incredible. And just like a few others have commented, I think continuing this work is if not vital, important for it sheds light on theoretical history. I found it funny to read about humanity stumbling upon it as pigs dug at the soil covering the Theatre of Epidavros. Moreover, I do appreciate the brief history lesson offered by the article on the importance of little Epidavros and Greek arenas and other antiquities now abandoned and decaying. It is, thus, heartwarming to hear a series of programs have been set in place to sponsor the reconstruction of archaeological sights relevant to history (both privately and through governmental institutions– such as, in this case, the European Union).
Recently, I’ve been reading about how more and more discoveries of ancient theaters are being made especially in Greece. Over last summer I had the chance to backpack across Greece and the Balkans with a close friend. While in Greece, I specifically visited Athens and Patras, where I was absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of historical architecture and structures that had survived since ancient times. Seeing the acropolis, as it is positioned in the center of the very urban city of Athens, was specifically incredible to me, especially because it had survived over 1,000 years since its creation. Perhaps the most amazing experience though was when my friend and I got stranded in Patras after missing our bus to the northern Greek Albanian border. With nowhere to stay as it was after hours, my friend and I decided to climb a large hill in the dark that over looked the city on a cliff side and camp their using hammocks. To our surprise when we woke up to the sun rising we where only a couple feet away from what appeared to be an ancient amphitheater. Sadly it appeared that the area was not being well taken care of. I am very glad to hear that conservation efforts are being done especially for historic amphitheaters, because it is vital to preserve history and especially the history of theater as there is not much left from that point in time.
It would be a disservice not only to our history as theater-makers but as human beings, to let places like these get buried and forgotten about. Even if it took this long, it makes me happy to know that this theater is getting a second life. The same could be said about many of our once public spaces. Why is our first reaction is to stick something in a museum as soon as it breaks instead of fixing it? It is far too often that I wonder about a theater I used to know about, or at least pass by, decide to see if it’s still open and find that it is not. It's sad to think about how these spaces that once held so much life inside of them are gone. This is a step in the right direction, so I hope they can keep this momentum going and proceed with getting these spaces functioning again.
Post a Comment