Actors and playwrights competed for prizes. After 449 B.C., playwrights did not act in plays or perform in contests, which prevented playwrights from competing in more than one category. In ancient Greece, women, foreigners and slaves could not take part in the Athens Theater.
The audience sat in the theatron, also called the "seeing place." This was a semi-circular terraced rows of benches. Priests, magistrates and other important people sat in the front row, center. Guests received tickets to the theater, which often had symbols that indicated where they would sit. The tickets cost roughly one day's pay, according to Utah State University.
The actors changed their clothes and masks in tents called skene. The skene also served as the background for the play. The stage was built in a circle, though some historians think the stage was originally rectangular. The seats were made of stone, though they were originally made of wood. Murders and suicides were never shown to the audience. Instead, a platform on wheels brought the actors, playing dead bodies, out to the audience.
The actors performed in the front of the stage, while the chorus was in the back, according to the College of New Rochelle. While modern orchestras are arranged in a circular fashion, ancient orchestras were rectangular. Musical performances not connected to plays were held indoors.
Plays were highly related to religion and were based on history or myth. The Greeks held dramas during special occasions, such as the worship of the Gods. Until 450 B.C., all drama was performed in honor of god Dionysus and was held in the spring, in the City of Dionysia. In some cities, attending the theater was a civic duty.
Actors wore masks during the play, since facial gestures were not important, according to North Virginia Community College. Plays had to be highly expressive since the theater was very large, so much of the audience could not see subtle movements, emotions and whispered words. Only three actors could perform on the stage at a given time, though they could fulfill multiple roles. Other actors could be on the stage, but they must remain mute.