- A
- B
- C
Listen to a lecture in an art class, take detailed notes while listening.
bench – long, hard seat made for more than one person that is usually found outside
circular – round
immense – great, large
narrate – to relate or tell, as in a story
stage – a platform in the theater where the actors or singers perform
Fill in the following diagram.
Greek Theaters
Elizabethan Theaters
A 1.
A 3.
B 2.
B 4.
Both
A 5.
B 6.
Now answer the questions using your notes.
Greek Theaters vs. Elizabethan Theaters
What are the characteristics of each type of theater? Place a check mark in the correct box.
Summarize the text using your notes and diagram.
- 1: Built on hills.
- 2: Included orchestras.
- 3: Wooden constructions.
- 4: Included "pits".
- 5: Seated at least 15,000 people
- 6: Open-air stages
Listen again:
W: Today, I want to talk about two different types of theaters that were constructed in the past: Greek theaters and Elizabethan theaters. Greek theaters were the first types of theaters ever constructed. They were completely outdoors. They were often constructed along the sides of hills. The audience sat on stone benches that were built into the hill's sides. In the middle of the theater was the orchestra. This was a circular stage where singers would narrate the play, and dancers would perform. The theaters were immense, seating about 1500—I'm sorry—15,000 people.
Hundreds of years later, Elizabethan theaters were being built in England during the 16th and 17th centuries. Although the theaters themselves consisted of circular wooden constructions, the stage, uh, where the action took place, had no roof, The audience area was also built around the stage and seated at least 15,000 people. One detail that did differ from Greek theaters, though, was the concept of the "pit", a place on the stage where some of the audience would stand to observe the plays–sort of an Elizabethan version of "front-row seating".
