Picturedabove:amaskedGreekChorus

TheGreekChorusDynamicinAncientandContemporaryTheatrebyCelineDelcayre

SinceitsorigininclassicalGreektheatre,thetheatricaldeviceofthechorushaschangedandevolved,bothinitscompositionandinitsfunctionasastorytellingdevice. Frommusicals to contemporary plays likeMacWellman’sBad Penny, thechorushastakenmanydifferentforms,addingdepthandcomplexitytothewaywetellandsharestories.[define] TheChorusinAncientGreekTheatre

TheGreeks,oftenconsideredtobethepioneersofWesterntheatre,werethefirst to introduce the chorus as a dramatic element. At the beginning of the fifthcenturyB.C.E., chorusesweremadeupof approximately fifty actors confined to aspace we now call the orchestra pit. Through song and movement, the chorushelpedtotellthestoryofthetheatricalpieceofwhichtheywereapart.Despitethelargesizeoftheseearlychoruses,theyrepresentedacollectiveconsciousness,orasinglebody,oftenwearingmaskstocreateasenseofunificationandanonymity.Astimepassed,thechoruswasreducedtotwelvebytheGreekplaywrightAeschylus,then raised to fifteen by his successor Sophocles. These smaller choruses took amore active role in storytelling, either by taking on a role in the narrative, or byrepresentingacollectivecharactersuchasagroupoftownsfolkoranarmy.

Throughout Greek plays such asOedipus Rex, Antigone, and Lysistrata, thechorusfunctionsasastorytellingdevicebyservingasalinkbetweentheaudienceandthepieceitself,highlightingimportantaspectsofthesceneandprojectingandemphasizing the current emotional state of the piece. The chorus achieves thiseither through direct narration andexplanation, or through analyticalcommentary or conversation about theevents and characters of the play. Insome instances, the chorus is in indirectconversationwithcharactersandactively moves and participates in theevents of the story. However, manytimes the chorus speaks through songscalled odes that are separate from theactionoftheplay.

Thisdichotomybetweendirectlyplungingintotheplayversuswatchingand

commenting on it creates an interesting dynamic, catching the audience betweentwoopposingforces.Sometimestheimagery,rhythm,andmusicofthechoruspullthe audience into the piece on a sensory level. At other times, the thought andrhetoric of the chorus alienates the audience, causing them to view events andcharactersfromanoutsideperspective.

Picturedabove:Oklahoma!atSonomaState,photographbyLinneaMullins(top)andHowILearnedtoDriveatSonomaState(chorusmembersareseatingintheback)photographedbyTonyBish(bottom)

The Chorus in ContemporaryTheatre

This role of the chorus, as both aninternal and external influence, is stillpresent in theatre today. One of themorewell known examples is the role of thechorus in modern musical theatreproductions.Membersofamusical theatrechorususesongandmovement,much liketheGreeks,tohighlightcertainmomentsorthemes. This is an amplification of thesensory, emotive qualities of the earlychorus. Also similar to the ancient Greekchorus,musical theatre chorusmembers adopt roles thathelp to set the sceneorgive context to the actions and interactions of other characters. This makes thechorus somewhatof a spectator to theactionof the storyalongside theaudience.For example, in Rodgers and Hammerstein’sOklahoma! (1943), chorus memberstakeontheroleoftownsfolkduringtheauctionscene,thenappearasguestsintheweddingscene.

These chorus dynamics are not limitedto musical theatre. In fact, many modernplaywrights still use the chorus as astorytelling element. Paula Vogel’s PulitzerPrize‐winning play How I Learned to Drive(1997) provides an excellent example of amodern‐day use of the chorus.How I Learnedto Drive shares the story of a girl, Lil’ Bit,growingupinMarylandduringthe1960sandthe intimate relationship she shares with herUnclePeck.

In this five‐actor play, all voices and roles, besides those of the twomaincharactersofPeckandLil’Bit,arerepresentedbymembersofathree‐actor“GreekChorus.” Vogel’s Greek Chorus members move between representing specificcharactersinvolvedinthestory,andbeingneutralbystanderswatchingtheeventsoftheplayunfold.Inthiscase,theuseofthechorushelpsfocustheaudienceonthetwo lead characters and their experiences. This concept of isolating the centralaspects of the story is very similar to the guiding functions of the ancient Greekchoruses. TheChorusinBadPenny

Thechorusdoesnotalwayspresentitselfanditsstrategysotransparently.InMacWellman’splay,BadPenny, the chorus ismoremysterious.Theirpresence intheplay,aswellasthecrypticnatureoftheirlanguageinspiresthoughtprovokingquestionsaboutthenatureoftheirpresenceanditseffectontheworldtheyinhabit.

Picturedabove:Oklahoma!atSonomaState,photographbyLinneaMullins(top)andHowILearnedtoDriveatSonomaState(chorusmembersareseatingintheback)photographedbyTonyBish(bottom)

Understandingthedynamicsofthechorusandthewaysinwhichtheyengagewithboththestoryandtheaudiencecanhelptodeepentheunderstandingofthepieceasawhole.