This is the first book to approach the visuality of ancient Greek drama through the lens of theater phenomenology. Gathering evidence from tragedy, comedy, satyr play, and vase painting, Naomi Weiss argues that, from its very beginnings, Greek theater in the fifth century BCE was understood as a complex interplay of actuality and virtuality. Classical drama frequently exposes and interrogates potential viewing experiences within the
theatron-literally, "the place for seeing." Weiss shows how, in so doing, it demands distinctive modes of engagement from its audiences. Examining plays and pottery with attention to the instability and ambiguity inherent in visual perception,
Seeing Theater provides an entirely new model for understanding this ancient art form.
About the AuthorNaomi Weiss is Professor of Classics at Harvard University. She is author of
The Music of Tragedy: Performance and Imagination in Euripidean Theater.
Book InformationISBN 9780520393080
Author Naomi A. WeissFormat Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint University of California PressPublisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 91g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 25mm