Pompeii Theatre, the ancient epicentre of entertainment

This entrainment site for meetings, a cultural exchange and an engaging dialogue, the theatre area of Pompeii might be a today's equivalent of a social media platform that allows spectators to get familiar with the new trendy "go-to" events, plays and topic for discussions. The theatrical experience of Pompeii starts with the surroundings, the main buildings that [...]

This entrainment site for meetings, a cultural exchange and an engaging dialogue, the theatre area of Pompeii might be a today’s equivalent of a social media platform that allows spectators to get familiar with the new trendy “go-to” events, plays and topic for discussions. The theatrical experience of Pompeii starts with the surroundings, the main buildings that make up the area, the Amphitheatre, the Large Theatre, the Odeon (small theatre), and the Quadriporticus. Most of the theatres were adapted for gladiatorial performances during the reign of the Roman empire.

 

The Amphitheatre

The earliest Roman amphitheatre that wasn’t built out of wood but for the very first time ever in history, the stone was the material, similarly to Colosseum { Rome }, it was privately funded by Quinctius Valgus and Marcius Porcius around 70 BC.

 

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Live in Pompeii { 1971 } by Pink Floyd, a concert recorded for the very 1st time in amphitheatre without an audience and with a very limited musical backup

 

 

 

 

The design of amphitheatre is oftentimes seen as the prototype for inspirational ideas that were adopted later in daily life such as the washroom, located in the palaestra, could be seen as the pioneering bathroom design for modern-days-stadiums.

Fresco – “The Amphitheatre at Pompeii, depicting the riot between the Nucerians and the Pompeians”, Casa della Rissa nell’Anfiteatro, Pompeii, Italy

The Large Theatre

The Large theatre, accommodating 5,000 seats, was built in line with a semi-circular arrangement of tiers of stone benches, with a rectangular stage as the central point. The side entrances, as well as those located at the back of the stage, were the points of entry and exit to/from the settings for the actors and chorus. The remarkable point of the theatrical experience was the lack of scenery at the time of a performance, instead, an actor would be honoured with the role to prepare the audience for an event mise-en-scene by painting a visual picture of where the scene was set. The Large Theatre was known as the epicentre of pantomimes, popular { vulgar } plays, and one-act plays.

The Large Theatre was used primarily for staging drama.

The social categorisation of people according to their status was mirrored in the theatre’s seating area, cavae, which was divided into three sections: the ima  { lowermost section } reserved for senators, magistrates, noble people; the media { middle section } dedicated to the middle class; the summa { the top } reserved for the plebeians.

 

The earthquake of 62 CE initiated series of major renovations to the theatre, including the transformation of colonnade leading to the theatre into barracks for gladiator residence.

 

 

 

 

The theatre has been used for concerts, operas, and theatre in modern times. In the 1950s, in an effort to preserve the original steps, iron frames were installed that allowed for wooden boards to be rested upon them to provide seating.

 

 

The Odeon

With seating of 1,500 spectators, this smaller area distinguished its character for the larger theatre by having a roof. The audience of a slightly different taste of performance would enjoy being part of Odeon, theatrum tectum. With a history reaching as far as 80 BC, more educated spectators were enjoying musical performances, poetry recitals, and mime.

Where the Large Theatre was used primarily for staging drama, the Odeon was intended for a more educated audience, as well as a musical concert performance. The thin walls and rectangular plan lead to the conclusion that the roof would have been wood rather than vaulted stone. There are two raised tribunalia, platforms, above the seating that were reserved for important visitors. These platforms are cut off from the general seating completely with entranced from narrow staircases near the stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quadriporticus

The passage, walkway, porticos post scans, behind the scene of the theatre. The popularly used spectators’ route to travel between events or find a shet from rain or sun. The interior area of this courtyard was transformed into gladiatorial housing and gyms.

Palaestra Scene by Ward-Perkins, J, Claridge, A, Pompeii AD79

The years of 2008 marked a date of major restorations, resulting with modern theatrical and musical performances to take place. Productions of Puccini’s La Boheme and Bizet’s Carmen in 2014 were the grand reopening spots on the map of the new era of the theatre of Pompeii

 

 

Pompeii Theatre
by Georg Rehler

Images courtesy of Myartprints, Australian Gallery Directors Council Ltd, Sydney, and All Empires,Robert Etienne: Pompeji, die eingeäscherte Stadt, Ravensburg 1991