Drama Calendar
by Ana
The year has just begun and for all you drama enthusiasts out there, it is likely to usher in an array of outstanding festivals that will suit your entertainment needs. This year’s drama calendar begins with the Lenaea festival, which is celebrated in January, and ends with the Rural Dionysia in December. The festivals are different, so the following will have descriptions that should assist in deciding which festivals to attend. For those of you who have never been to one, I insist that you make time to go. Plus, you will get acquainted with some of our most famous playwrights. For those of you who have never been to the festivals, the article will begin with a brief introduction of the social significance of theatre.
Influences on Drama
The majority of the festivals that are mentioned in this calendar are Dionysic festivals, in honor of Dionysus. In fact, Athens annual festival, the City Dionysia, is what gave rise to productions of tragedy and comedy (Harris and Platzner 485). Before, there had never been grand theatrical productions. There was only the narrative style of writers like Homer. During the transition from the Homeric style to the dramatic style of the newer playwrights, the people of Greece experienced enormous social changes that were reflected in their new style. Harris and Platzner state, "In the hands of the greatest Athenian playwrights-Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides-the ancient traditions were creatively reworked and applied to the social and political issues confronted by Athen’s democratic institutions" (485). It seemed that the movement away from the simpler narratives came about as the Greeks found themselves experiencing changes in their own lives-politically, socially, and individually. Thus, from these changes emerged the drama festivals that are eagerly celebrated each year.
Lenaea
The Lenaea is the comedic festival that takes place in an enclosure called the Lenaeum. It is a festival in honor of Dionysus Lenaeus, so it also includes religious rituals in his name. It is during the stormy month Gamelion or January. So, foreigners do not usually attend. A. E. Haigh mentions that it is confined to the Athenians themselves; therefore, it lacks the splendid ceremonies when compared to the City Dionysia (25).
The main feature of the Lenaea has always been the comedy even though there were contests in both tragedy and comedy. "The first definite and dated record of a comic contest at the Lenaea is for the year 425, when Aristophanes produced his Acharnians" (Haigh 27). From then on, a specified number of poets would come each year and exhibit a play or two. Since the Lenaea is smaller than the City Dionysia, it is generally reserved for up and coming poets. So, if you are searching for plays written by more experienced authors, the larger more inclusive festivals might be more to your liking.
Anthesteria
This is the oldest of the Dionysic festivals at Athens. It takes place during the 11th, 12th, and 13th of the month Anthesterion or February (Pickard-Cambridge 10). This festival is mainly known for its religious purposes, but it includes many dramatic elements. On the first day of the festival, people gather near the sanctuary of Dionysus, drink wine, and pour libations to Dionysus. The second day consists of drinking matches and includes a symbolic marriage. According to Pickard-Cambridge, there are secret ceremonies that take place in preparation for the ritualistic marriage of the wife of the archon, the manager of the festival, to Dionysus (11). The person representing Dionysus is most likely the archon himself and the act is most certainly a fertility ritual. Compared to the first two days, the third lacks the merry ambiance associated with the first days. The festival also serves as a rite of passage for boys and girls. Throughout the festival, children wear crowns of garland to indicate their passage out of infancy.
History of the Anthesteria tells that it was not a drama festival. However, during an unknown year, a contest of comic and tragic actors occurred. The victors of the contest would then win a slot to act in the Dionysia. It was at this time that the Anthesteria came to be recognized for its dramatic aspects. Pickard-Cambridge stated that, "the festival fell at a time which would be convenient for the choice of actors to perform at the Dionysia a few weeks later; a time of public holiday making would also be suitable, and so the contests may naturally have been ‘thrown in’ on the third day of the festival" (pg 16).
City Dionysia
The greatest drama festival of all is the City Dionysia or the Great Dionysia. The festival takes place during the month Elaphebolion or March and it is in honor of Dionysus Eleuthereus. Because March is such a pleasant time to be in Greece, the Great Dionysia attracts many foreigners. During this festival, the streets are packed with merry people, united in celebration and ultimately forming the grandest of all Bacchic festivals. This festival opposes the quietness and simplicity of the Lenaea. So, for those who want to experience a more lively environment, the Great Dionysia should be your pick.
Over the five or six days of the festival, there are religious ceremonies, sacrificing of bulls, choral songs and dances, and exhibitions of tragedies and comedies. On the first day of the festival there is a major procession in which the statue of Dionysus Eleuthereus is transported from Athens to Eleutherae and then back to Athens, in remembrance of the arrival of the sacred statue and of the cult of Dionysus to Athens (Haigh 8). Cecil Burns confirms that the procession starts at sunrise and conveys "the god from the temple on the slope of the Acropolis to a temple in the Academy" where youths then proceed to sing and dance for Dionysus (43). The entire procession is a vivid spectacle with everybody adorned in brilliantly colored masks and costumes. The return to Athens can be even more exciting because by this time everybody has filled up on wine and ‘let loose’. The return to Athens is called a carnival or revel and is the set of the wildest rejoicing because at this time, the God has come to its worshippers (Burns 44).
Besides the dramatic processions, the festival also offers elaborate theatrical productions. Although the main feature of this festival is tragedy, there are dramatic contests in three genres-tragedy, comedy, and satyric drama. The poets who compete in the contests prepare four plays-three tragedies and a satyric drama. There are three styles of drama in this festival, but if your favorite is tragedy, then make sure to attend this one.
Rural Dionysia
The Rural Dionysia is like many of the other festivals in honour of Dionysus. It is held in the month Poseidon or December. The festival used to be held in the rural parts of Attica, so that is why it is referred to as the Rural Dionysia. Haigh states that originally, the Rural Dionysia was very simple, "The villagers holding aloft the phallus, marched in procession to the altar of Dionysus, where a goat was sacrificed, and songs and dances performed in honour of the god" (29). It was not until later years, when people became more refined, that dramatic contests were included. Apparently, the Rural Dionysia was good enough for the drama mania to spread to other Attic towns. Now, the Rural Dionysia is a certifiably excellent drama festival and also worthy of award-winning playwrights. "The fame of these contests is shown by the fact that even distinguished poets, such as Euripides, occasionally appeared as competitors" (29). If Euripedes believed the drama contests at the Rural Dionysia were worthy of his time, then one can surely expect a great festival. Despite it being a rustic festival, the Rural Dionysia still ranks high on the list.
Conclusion
There are many more festivals throughout the year if none of these appear enjoyable. Even though all the festivals in this report were different they were all similar in their reverence to Dionysus. The drama festivals all have processions, religious ceremonies, drama exhibitions, etc… Ultimately, the details of each festival will influence your decision. You will just have to go and check them out in order to pick a favorite.
Works Cited
Burns, C. Delisle. Greek Ideals: A Study of Social Life. 2nd ed. New York: Haskell, 1974.
Haigh, A.E. The Attic Theatre: A Description of the Stage and Theatre of the Athenians, and of the Dramatic Performances at Athens. London: Frowde, 1907.
Harris, Stephen L. and Gloria Platzner. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. 3rd ed. Mountain View: Mayfield, 2001.
Pickard-Cambridge, Arthur. The Dramatic Festivals of Athens. 2nd ed. London: Oxford UP, 1968.