GREEK THEATRE
Greek Theatre: From the Ancient World to the Modern, Through Theory and Performance is BADA’s month-long summer program dedicated to exploring the performance and reception of ancient drama. Its interdisciplinary model means it is suitable for students and theatre practitioners at various stages of their careers.
Participants will spend the first two weeks of the course in London before travelling to Greece for nine days and then returning to the UK for a final six day residency in Oxford.
At the heart of the course lies the fruitful interaction between text, performance and context, paying close attention to the cultural, social and political developments in 5th Century BCE Athens. We’ll combine theory and practice throughout, and there will be opportunities to perform in Greece, and amongst the statues of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
Sign up for our Greek Theatre mailing list for news, announcements, and application reminders.
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BADA is pleased to announce our brand new course: Greek Theatre. This intense, interdisciplinary course not only combines performance and academic research to immerse participants in the world of the classical Greek theatre but also includes the unique opportunity to explore multiple ancient sites and to visit archives and exhibits normally reserved for scholars. Participants will come away with a deep understanding of the culture and context in which Greek theatre developed and be able to draw connections from the ancient theatre, through Shakespeare and the Elizabethan theatre, to theatre and performance today.
Eunice Roberts
Dean, British American Drama Academy
I’m very excited BADA is launching this new course dedicated to ancient Greek theatre and its reception. This is a unique opportunity for a group of 16 participants to explore Greek theatre throughout the ages with constant practice-based sessions designed to deepen understanding of its cultural and historical legacy – both good and ill. The course represents the perfect alignment of BADA’s rich tradition of training in London and Oxford, with the huge benefit of exposure to the sites of Ancient Greece. We have created an incredible itinerary, with access to academics and practitioners with compelling expertise in research, archiving and performance. If you have any questions about the course or how it will run, please drop me a line at pomahony@bada.org.uk.
Paul O’Mahony
Course Director, Greek Theatre
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Applications for Greek Theatre Summer 2022 are closed. Applications for the Summer 2023 will open in September 2022. Sign up for our Greek Theatre mailing list if you would like to be notified when the next round of applications opens.
Your application for Greek Theatre includes:
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- Application form
- Personal statement (approximately 500 words): Tell us about your background/experience and why you are interested in attending this program.
- Academic Recommendation: Please ask a faculty member to submit a recommendation letter on your behalf via this link: www.bada.org.uk/greek-rec/ The deadline for Recommendations was February 11, 2022.
All applicants who submitted applications before the deadline will receive an admissions decision by February 1st.
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Proposed Itinerary for 2022.
Key Dates
3rd June Arrive in London 4th June Orientation 6th June Teaching starts 17th June Travel to Athens 25th June Travel to Oxford 1st July Course ends
Sample Daily Schedule
Schedule subject to change depending on the availability of guest artists and theatres’ performance schedules.
Week 1
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
AM
ORIENTATION
FREE
ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)BRITISH MUSEUM
ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)PM
ORIENTATION
FREE
ACTING
(2 Hours) & THEATRE TRIPACADEMIC
(2 Hours) & ACTING
(2 Hours)ACTING
MASTERCLASSESACTING
(2 Hours)ACTING
(2 Hours)Week 2
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
AM
TRIP TO STRATFORD
FREE
ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)ACADEMIC
(3 Hours)ACADEMIC
(1 Hour) & ACTING
(2 Hours)FLIGHT TO ATHENS
PM
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
FREE
ACTING
MASTERCLASSESACTING
(2 Hours)GUILDHALL AMPHITHEATRE & THEATRE TRIP
FREE
TRANSFER TO DELPHI & MEAL AT EPIKOUROS
Week 3
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
AM
GUIDED TOUR -ANCIENT SITE OF DELPHI
TRAVEL TO NAFPLIO
VISIT ANCIENT THEATRE OF EPIDAVROS
GUIDED TOUR -ANCIENT MYCENAE
TRAVEL TO ATHENS
GUIDED TOUR – ACROPOLIS & MUSEUM
GUIDED TOUR – NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEM
PM
ACTING CLASS W/ PAUL O’MAHONY
ORIENTATION & MEAL AT OMORFO TAVERNAKI
MOVEMENT WORKSHOP
ACADEMIC
(3 Hours) AT CHSORIENTATION & TRIP TO ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS
FREE
WALKING TOUR – PANATHENAIC FESTIVAL & WORKSHOP WITH ARGYRIS XAFIS
Week 4
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
AM
FLIGHT TO LONDON
FREE
APGRD WELCOME
APGRD ARCHIVES PROJECT
APGRD ARCHIVES PROJECT
THEATRE AND CLASSICS SYMPOSIUM
ONWARD TRAVEL
PM
TRANSFER TO OXFORD
FREE
APGRD ARCHIVES PROJECT & PRIVATE TOUR – ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM
APGRD ARCHIVES PROJECT
APGRD ARCHIVES PROJECT & FORMAL HALL AT ST JOHN’S
THEATRE AND CLASSICS SYMPOSIUM & FINAL NIGHT
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Greek Theatre is an intense, interdisciplinary course that combines acting and performance work, academic writing, and archival research. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides will form the basis of our work on this course – both in the classroom and during studio time. A reading list will be provided prior to the course beginning.
Classes include- Athenian Tragedy in Performance Spanning performance practice in the ancient world up to and including its reception today. How have generations reimagined tragedy to speak to their own eras?
- Athens and Empire 5th Century BCE Athens was a fledgling democracy with a large empire. The tension inherent in this duality is often manifested in tragedy. This module explores the historical context of tragedy in Athens, as well as the appropriation of wider Greek literature and civilisation by far-right groups today.
- Performing Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides We learn so much about these plays by exploring them as originally intended – in performance. This module will comprise of acting classes on how to approach scenes, monologues and choral work. There will be sessions in mask and movement work and opportunities to explore the plays through informal offerings in Greece and at the Ashmolean.
- Shakespeare and the Ancient World The influence of Greek and Roman literature is found throughout Shakespeare’s work. This module explores several of his plays in performance.
Work ExpectationsIn addition to in-class acting and academic work and out of class preparation, participants will submit additional written work drawing from the theatre visits, site visits, and archive work:- Theatre reports (5 total)
- Research papers (3 total)
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Two weeks in London will be spent with time split between the classroom and the studio. Classes will cover the context of tragedy’s creation and early performance, as well as the reception of Attic tragedy in the UK and US. There will be an additional module on the influence of ancient texts in the work of Shakespeare. Studio sessions will focus on performance technique, with sessions on choral work and the role of the mask. Masterclasses will be provided by leading practitioners working with the RSC and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
There will be guided tours of the British Museum and Guildhall Amphitheatre plus two trips to see performances in London, and one further trip to Stratford-upon-Avon to watch a production at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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We will then spend 9 days in Greece where we’ll retrace the route of the Panathenaic Festival in Athens, and visit the ancient sites of Delphi, Mycenae and Epidavros.
We’ll have masterclasses with a leading actor from the National Theatre of Greece, and a choreographer from Greece’s National Opera company. You’ll be accompanied by the course director throughout.
During your stay in Greece, you will see a number of ancient sites, including:
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We’ll return to the UK for our final 6 days in Oxford. There we will be based at the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, the foremost resource in the world for the study of tragedy and its reception. We’ll have full access to the archive with guidance from an archivist and a talk from Fiona Macintosh. We’ll also be able to attend the post-graduate Theatre and Classics Symposium held by the APGRD in conjunction with the Royal Holloway Theatre Department.
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Schedules permitting, we will be joined by the following artists for workshops and masterclasses during the course.
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The APGRD (Archive of Performances of Greek & Roman Drama) is a pioneering international centre for research into performances of Greek and Roman drama worldwide, from antiquity to the present, on stage, screen and radio, in opera and dance.
Based at the University of Oxford, the APGRD’s rich collections and activities have been made possible by generous support from the AHRC, The Leverhulme Trust, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Onassis Foundation.
As well as hosting a high-profile series of public talks, the APGRD supports new writing and works closely with practitioners engaged in the creative arts and beyond.
Research
The provision of cutting-edge research is one of the APGRD’s primary aims, with a publication record to match.Our research team of experienced and emergent scholars has produced pioneering studies and our digital resources include freely available databases of both ancient and modern productions. New research programmes include Performing Epic; Translating Ancient Drama, and Interactive Multimedia e-books.
The APGRD aims to create a wider community of scholarship, drawing upon experts and practitioners from the worlds of classics, theatre, music and dance. This unique, multidisciplinary, and inclusive approach gives the APGRD additional vitality and relevance.
Preserve
Our archives contain over 10,000 items relating to modern performances of Greek and Roman drama. The centrepiece of the archive is the Leyhausen-Spiess collection, which documents European theatre history from the 1920s to the 1970s.Managed by a professional archivist, the APGRD archives are accessible to scholars and practitioners. To make an appointment to consult the collections, please see our Visit us page.
Our video, audio and manuscript collections provide the raw materials for future scholarship and allow modern performances to be preserved for posterity. Donations to the archive are welcome.
Create
From commissioning new plays to hosting rehearsed readings, the APGRD works to further the understanding of ancient theatre – where western drama began and where the first musical theatre appeared.The APGRD’s members have been producers, academic advisors and consultants on internationally acclaimed productions. The APGRD provides directors, writers, actors, choreographers and composers with a space to speak and engage with academics and students.
We welcome applicants at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as those who are not currently enrolled in educational programmes. Applicants aged 18 must have at least one year’s experience away from home to be considered for this course.Please note: Greek Theatre is a physically demanding course with a packed schedule that includes a number of walking tours and site visits. All teaching spaces and accommodations are fully accessible but the historical nature of the ancient sites allows for limited accommodations.
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The 2022 Greek Theatre Program fees are: $8,450
Program fees include all excursions (theatre trips, site visits, museum admission and tours, etc.), air transportation to/from London to Greece, all ground transportation and accommodations while on the course.
All fees are payable in US dollars. Please contact Helen Ainsworth at hainsworth@bada.org.uk should you wish to settle the fees in UK Sterling so that an appropriate rate can be agreed.
On acceptance, in order to hold their place, applicants will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500.
The remaining fees are due as follows:
1st March $3,700 1st April $2,700 1st May $1,550 The balance of fees payable become non-refundable on the due dates above.
Please note, in addition to the fees payable to BADA, participants are responsible for:
- Roundtrip Airfare to the UK
- Insurance
- Spending money
Greek Theatre Program Refund Policy
A deposit of $500 is required on acceptance, which is non-refundable. The balance of fees payable fall due as stated above and become non-refundable on those dates.
If the program is canceled by BADA due to circumstances beyond our control, all fees, with the exception of the application fee, will be refunded. BADA accepts no responsibility for personally incurred expenses such as flights or pre-booked ground transportation.
Fee Protection Insurance
BADA suggests that, if you are offered a place on this program, you should seriously consider the benefits of taking out a fee protection plan. If for any reason you cannot start or complete the course, insurance would alleviate if not eliminate your financial loss.
Various insurers offer Fee Protection Insurance; BADA does not recommend one above another nor does BADA recommend a particular type of coverage.
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These are the proposed accommodations for the 2022 Greek Theatre course and are representative of the type and quality of accommodations for course participants; final accommodations will be confirmed in Spring 2022.
London – The Stay Club Camden
The Stay Club Camden is located in the heart of Camden, one of London’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Directly across the street is the world-famous Camden Market – a collection of over 1,000 shops, stalls, cafes, and food purveyors. There are also a large number of restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores in the area immediately surrounding the Stay Club.
BADA’s premises are just a fifteen minute walk and nearby Tube stations at Chalk Farm (5 minutes) and Camden Road (10 minutes) will whisk you to the West End and all that Central London has to offer in only 15 minutes. Hampstead Heath, a large and ancient park that contains spectacular views from one of the highest points in all of London, is about 25 minutes away on foot.
Greece – Acropole Hotel
The Acropole Delphi Hotel is a family-run hotel that invites you to enjoy Delphi. Only one block from the town centre, the peaceful location allows guests to get away from the crowds while still being very close to all the local amenities, the Archaeological Site and the Museum. You’ll fall under the spell of its stunning views of the Gorge of Delphi and the olive groves of Itea. The amazing sunrises and sunsets will remain with you a lifetime.
Oxford – St. John’s College
While in Oxford, the course is based at the University of Oxford’s St. John’s College, which was founded in 1555. The college lies in the heart of Oxford and is ideally located and only a 10 minutes’ walk from the Oxford Railway Station and 5 minutes’ walk from the Gloucester Green Bus Station.
Oxford is one of Europe’s great university cities and contains many of England’s most sublime and beautiful buildings and hosts some of its finest and most historic museums as well as beautiful parks and meadows for our programme participants to explore.
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BADA is not an accredited US institution; we are unable to provide academic credit for the course.
With its intensive workload, 77 contact hours and 90 further unsupervised work hours, this program has a suggested credit equivalency of two 3 credit courses, in line with other programs BADA runs. You will finish the program with a portfolio of work, and the course director can provide a written assessment for your home institution.
Classroom and Coursework breakdown by hours
77 hours of contact time
Classroom time in London – 24 hours
Acting classes in London – 12 hours
Trips to British Museum and Guildhall Amphitheatre – 9 hours
London masterclasses – 4 hours
Greece – 2 masterclasses – 4 hours
Greece – guided tours of Delphi, Mycenae, Acropolis – 9 hours
Greece classroom time – 3 hours
Greece acting class time – 4 hours
Oxford classroom time – 4 hours
Oxford acting classes – 4 hours90 hours of unsupervised work
London – 2 theatre trips, one Stratford trip – 9 hours
Greece – 2 theatre shows – 6 hours
Report on each theatre show we see – 5 x 2 = 10 hours
Oxford seminar – 8 hours
APGRD access time – 10 hours
Performance writing/prep – 35 hours
3 papers x 4 hours – 12 hours -
Please visit our Covid-19 page for information on protocols and mitigations currently in effect at BADA.
For enquiries about BADA’s Greek Theatre program, please contact:
Paul O’Mahony, Course Director
pomahony@bada.org.uk