What did Greek Theaters look like in classical Greece? How did this change in the Hellenistic period?
The Greek theaters in classical Greece had these main parts;
Orchestra: a flat, semi-circular space, where the performance of the chorus took place
Skené ((from which the word "scene" derives)): a building behind the orchestra which served as dressing room. The front side looked likea Palace or a temple and there they used to put large painted panels in order to change the background of the orchestra.
Koilon: the auditorium; there the spectators sat. It was called koilon because of its shape. Its shape was semi-circular and conical, built around the orchestra.
The whole building was called Theatron which comes from Latin theātrum, which derives from Greek theatron=place for viewing ( theasthai= to look at)
It was dedicated to the god Dionysus, and thus every ancient Greek theater had an altar dedicated to him, named "thymele"; it was positioned in the middle of the Orchestra.
In the early years of drama the orchestra was the acting place of the actors, too.
Gradually, the action moved from the orchestra to the Proscenio (the space in front of the Scene)
So after the 5th century BC the orchestra was for the chorus and the proscenio (pro means ”in front”) for the acting.
Between the scene and the right and left endings of the Koilon, there were two entrances for the spectators, called Parodoi.
During the play, the Parodoi used as entrances of the actors and the chorus.
During the Hellenistic Period drama is in decline, so the older tragedies are played now.
New comedy is in its peak though, with Menander being its most prominent representative.
What’s more, there is a new change to the space where the actors perform: they rise from the ground floor of the proscenio to the first floor, one level higher than the chorus that remains at the orchestra.
Note that the ancient Greeks had developed the acoustics to an extent that reaches or even exceeds contemporary knowledge of the matter. That is why the acoustics of the ancient theatres are so excellent. To be spesific, there are theaters, like Epidauru’s theatre in mainland Greece that have perfect acoustics.
And this is explained by the large development of mathematics in ancient Greece. Lets not forget that In the meantime the Greeks had pushed architecture, constructive skills and understanding of sound and music to their very limits.