Did you know?

The acoustics in Roman theatres

Listening from the top of the terraces, it is amazing to note how clearly sounds can be heard. From the outset, Greek and later Roman architects built theatres with great acoustic properties.
According to Vitruvius, the famous Roman architect from the 1st century BC, to obtain good acoustics it was important to begin by choosing a site where “the voice traverses freely, without meeting with any impediment”. The construction had to respect some major technical principles for projecting sound: the slope of the terraces had to be constant, the portico and the stage wall of equal height, and bronze vases present with their mouths turned to the stage. All these elements enabled the resonance of voices to be amplified.

Highly valued shows in the Roman world

In the Roman world, the theatre played an essential role. Theatrical performances happened so often that there had to be a large number of actors all over the Empire. In Rome in 27 BC, 65 days every year were dedicated to public games, 45 of which were theatrical performances. At the end of the 3rd century BC there were almost 180 days of shows every year, around a hundred of which were dedicated to the theatre, with performances lasting all day. For the Imperial government, organising these many shows was a way of keeping the population happy.

Varied shows

Under the reign of Augustus, at the time the Roman Theatre of Orange was built, tragedies were often reserved for small theatres that scheduled quality texts: the odeons. In the large theatres, the shows performed were generally more entertaining, inspired by everyday life, like Atellan Farce or mimes.
The Atellan Farce was originally Etruscan with four stock characters: Maccus the simpleton, Pappus the old man, Doscenus the hunchback and Bucco the greedy.
Mimes were short Burlesque and satirical comedies that combined text, body language and singing. Mimes were the most licentious shows and were also the only where female roles were performed by women. Over time, these shows became increasingly vulgar with the audience demanding that the actresses undressed until they ended up completely naked. Almost pornographic, they were banned after Christianity was adopted in the Empire.
Performed in Rome in 22 BC, pantomimes were also very popular. Inspired by mythological scenes, they were performed solo by a mute dancer wearing a mask with a closed mouth and incarnating various characters.

The actors

In Ancient Rome, the status of actors was ambiguous. Actors were foreigners, slaves or freed slaves. These morally infamous non-citizens could nevertheless be incredibly popular. Some actors filled the theatres for several consecutive days! The success of the pantomime played a great part in turning certain actors into adored, powerful and rich stars.
The profession was demanding as the actors had to demonstrate perfect command over their bodies. Their work was strictly codified, which enabled them to be understood at every moment. There were 14 hand positions, each with a different meaning!
Costumes and masks played an important role in identifying characters. The theatrical repertoire comprised 70 different characters who could be identified from their props. The white wig represented the old man, the blonde wig the ingénue and the red one the slave. Actors could play several roles in one performance, all they had to do was change props in the corridor. Various elements of masks symbolised the individual characters: big ears meant spitefulness, paleness indicated debauchery and red cheeks meant the person was in love.