Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Atelier Spyros Vassiliou
ART GALLERY
The home and studio of leading 20th-century Greek painter and set designer Spyros
Vassiliou (1902-1985) has been converted into an impressive museum and archive of his
work. Exhibits include his celebrated paintings depicting urban Athens, theatre sets, his
artist's tools and illustrations from literary journals and newspapers.
(
210 923 1502;
www.spyrosvassiliou.org
;
Webster 5a, Makrygianni; adult/child €4/2;
10am-4pm Tue, Fri & Sat, noon-6pm Wed,
10am-2pm Sun, closed mid-Aug;
Akropoli)
Understand
Birthplace of Theatre
The tyrant Peisistratos introduced the annual Festival of the Great Dionysia during the 6th century BC, and held it
in the world's first theatre on the south slope of the Acropolis. During the festival masses of people attended con-
tests where men clad in goatskins sang and danced, followed by feasting and revelry. Drama as we know it dates
back to these contests. At one of them, Thespis left the ensemble and took centre stage for a solo performance, an
act considered to be the first true dramatic performance - hence the term 'thespian'.
Drama in the Golden Age
During the golden age in the 5th century BC, the festival was one of the state's major events. Politicians
sponsored dramas by writers such as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, with lighter relief provided by the
bawdy comedies of Aristophanes. People came from all over Attica, with their expenses met by the state.
In Roman times, the theatre was also used for performances and state events.
Greek Theatre Today
The works of the ancient Greek playwrights, as well as more 'modern' plays and operas, are still performed in the
few surviving ancient theatres during summer festivals, like the Hellenic Festival (
www.greekfestival.gr
; late
May-Oct) . The most notable of these are the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the stunningly preserved theatre in
Epidavros in the Peloponnese.
Athens also supports a lively winter theatre tradition, with more than 200 theatres (more than any other
European city) presenting anything from Sophocles to Becket and works by contemporary Greek playwrights.
The Megaron Mousikis (
Click here
) is the modern symphony hall, and the National Theatre is in the Omonia
neighbourhood.
