Plautus and Terence in Performance

Bexley, E.M.

Abstract

This chapter examines the stagecraft and performance of Plautus's and Terence's comedies. The first section gives an overview of the production process, discussing ancient rehearsal practices, possible performance locations, and the structural characteristics of Roman theater buildings. To complement this historical background, the chapter's second section concentrates on four individual scenes and describes various ways in which they could be staged. For Pseudolus 129-229 and Menaechmi 1050-1162, the major performance issues are role division, stage properties, and the size of acting troupes; Eunuchus 46-206 demonstrates clearly the dramatic effects of impersonation; and Hecyra 623-726 calls for the creative enactment of one character's asides. Throughout, these discussions of performance emphasize the effects that different staging techniques will have on the audience.

Citation

Bexley, E. (2014). Plautus and Terence in Performance. In M. Fontaine, & A. Scafuro (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of Greek and Roman comedy (462-476). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199743544.013.023

• Online Publication Date: Jan 23, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 23, 2014
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 6, 2017
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Pages: 462-476
• Series Title: Oxford handbooks
• Book Title: The Oxford handbook of Greek and Roman comedy.
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199743544.013.023
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1666993