How 17,000 Greeks were able to watch drama together

Masks let a small cast play many parts, and they helped the audience read each character. With only a few actors speaking, a quick mask change turned one performer into a king, a servant, or a god. The exaggerated faces also stayed readable from the far seats.

No, all performers in ancient Greek theatre were men, so male actors played the female roles too. They wore female masks and costumes to signal the character. Women appear constantly as characters in tragedies and comedies, but they did not appear as actors on stage.

The chorus was a group of performers who sang, danced, and commented on the action together. It often spoke for ordinary citizens, reacting to events and warning or advising the characters. In comedy, the chorus could also address the audience directly in a section called the parabasis.

A wealthy citizen called a choregos paid for the chorus, including its training and costumes. Athens picked this sponsor for each playwright as a public duty, and winning brought prestige. The state handled the theatre buildings, prizes and, as far as we know, payments to actors.

Drama grew out of festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, and Athens staged its plays as part of his celebrations. Masks, the chorus and the contest format all trace back to that religious setting, so the plays worked as public worship as well as entertainment.