I have always been into theatre, from my high school drama days through to now. It almost didn’t matter the genre. Broadway blockbuster musicals, Shakespeare, contemporary comedy a la Tom Stoppard, or even Chekhov and the shockingly depressing Russian dramatists… I was always game to see, read, or perform. It was during this time that my godparents included me in their season tickets to a local Los Angeles community theatre, to better expand my experiences. And it was at this theatre that I first experienced the works of the Ancient Greek world.

Over the next few years, as the theatre troupe made efforts to do at least one Greek work per season (with three seasons per year), I met the famous Oedipus, shared the grief of Antigone, laughed to Aristophanes, and endured the solemnity of Euripides. I learned to appreciate the origins of what theatre would become, seeing the evolution from Aeschylus and his introduction of dialogue between characters to Sophocles and his advent of more minor parts. And I marveled at themes that were still relevant, issues of destiny, of anger and hurt, of revenge.

But something is different about experiencing Ancient Greek theatre here, in its birthplace. Something is special about looking at – or even sitting inside – a theatre that actually presented works by Sophocles during his life. And something is truly amazing about watching Greek theatre performed in the shadow of the Acropolis of Athens.

The easiest way to explore Greek theatre while here in Greece is by visiting the remnants of an ancient theatre. And none is easier to see or more important than Athens’ Theatre of Dionysus. Named for the Greek god of the theatre (among wine and other things), this huge theatre was originally constructed in the pre-classical period, roughly 550 BCE. It sits at the base of the Acropolis, and admission is part of your Acropolis ticket. (It should be noted, though, that the theatre itself cannot be physically entered. Rather, you’ll walk a path that goes basically where the stage would have been, with one portion of it on each side.)

The Theatre of Dionysus was capable of holding about 25,000 spectators, and was in use from the earliest days of Greek theatre (indeed, this was the original one in the Greek world) through Roman times. It is here that those most important of Greek dramatists and comedic writers would have debuted their plays, which typically followed mythological stories and the history of classical Greece. Originally, plays had only a chorus (dancers and singers) and a single dramatic character who interacted only with them. But Aeschylus was said to have invented dialogue between a main and a secondary character, with Sophocles adding a tertiary role.

Actors would have all been male, and would have all worn masks. A change in mask meant a change of character, and the masks themselves would have ranged from simple to extravagantly complex. (After all, if one is playing a god, one ought to look the part.)

A second theatre also sits at the base of the Acropolis, although this one, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, only dates to Roman times. This one, however, has been fully restored (only the partially ruined backdrop is original) and is still in use for concerts today. Sadly, either nothing was playing or I didn’t see anything advertised while I was in Athens, because that would have been cool.

For a more personal theatre experience, just southeast of Athens, on Cape Sounion, sits the Theatre of Thorikos. This one dates to 500 BCE or so, and is in shockingly good condition, especially when one considers that it is no longer protected by the Greek authorities in light of the country’s budget crisis. So while that is terrible, it also means you can walk right in, sit down on marble benches, and actually experience being inside an Ancient Greek theatre, one where Aeschylus himself performed!

But if performance is something you crave, a bit of research – or luck – can net you some amazing experiences. I happened to be walking around Athens and noticed a flyer for a performance of monologues of women in Greek tragedy. It was being done by the University of Athens at their history museum, which sits just beneath the Acropolis. I figured, heck, why not? (That is the attitude I try to take during all of my travels, though it can sometimes be a struggle to step out of my comfort zone. Theatre, however, is as within the zone as it gets.)

The space was beautiful, heavily decorated with masks, and I soon found out why. The first “act” was actually an interview with one of Athens’ last remaining traditional Greek mask designers and makers, and a demonstration of the power of them – both from a visual perspective as well as a sound amplification standpoint – by an actor doing some speeches in Ancient Greek. It was fascinating, and hearing Euripides performed in Greek was mystical.

Then came the Greek women, headlined by a monologue from Antigone, one of my personal favorite plays. The performers were powerful, the monologues chosen well, and this time, it was done in English. It was a surreal experience to be part of, to be witnessing performance of the classical Greek dramatists here in Athens, literally just below the Acropolis.

Ancient Greek theatre is something amazing. To think of how it has survived the millennia, remaining relevant, is inspiring. And when one adds the physical theatres themselves that can be explored, it is a transcendent experience to have when in Athens and surrounds.

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