009 Greek Theater
“Imagine with me that we are going to a play. Yes, it’s outdoors and in our local amphitheater. So many people today, another good tragedy I so enjoy.” Of course this is speaking of an ancient Greek theater that had no lighting or sound system. People would take their places and fill the many levels. One of the largest theaters allowed 14,000 people to listen intently to the performance even though they were at the top most levels. The acoustics and physics of the design were perfect for the speaking actors and the eager listeners throughout the bowl shaped auditorium. The stage was flat and quite wide. The actors wore highly decorated masks that conveyed their character they were portraying. Most actors played several parts of the play by going off stage and reentering with a different mask. They projected their voices towards the focus of the parabolic shaped seating area. The play was performed in the daytime for all to enjoy, no going home after dark! By the way, the play we saw today was tragically great.
When the actors placed on their masks they became an actor under a mask. The Greek word that describes this is ὑποκριτής, pronounced “hupo - creetays”, essentially an ‘under actor’.
This word for the Greek actor has had a long journey through cultures and time. Passing through the middle ages, France, and England, it has taken a place in our dictionary as ‘hypocrite’. (A mask on the outside, a different person underneath pretending to be someone or something that they are not).
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Most of the time we are not aware of our own hypocrisy. On the outside we broadcast a belief or image of one thing but deep inside we do not hold to that image.
We sometimes are critical of others and claim we would never engage in that kind of thinking or behavior.
Often we become disturbed when a fellow traveler mentions that our walk does not match our talk.
It’s cathartic to ask a fellow traveler how they perceive us. Hopefully in our personal reflection and thoughts of others we reduce our mixed identity.
“Imagine with me that we are going to a play. Yes, it’s outdoors and in our local amphitheater. So many people today, another good tragedy I so enjoy.” Of course this is speaking of an ancient Greek theater that had no lighting or sound system. People would take their places and fill the many levels. One of the largest theaters allowed 14,000 people to listen intently to the performance even though they were at the top most levels. The acoustics and physics of the design were perfect for the speaking actors and the eager listeners throughout the bowl shaped auditorium. The stage was flat and quite wide. The actors wore highly decorated masks that conveyed their character they were portraying. Most actors played several parts of the play by going off stage and reentering with a different mask. They projected their voices towards the focus of the parabolic shaped seating area. The play was performed in the daytime for all to enjoy, no going home after dark! By the way, the play we saw today was tragically great.
When the actors placed on their masks they became an actor under a mask. The Greek word that describes this is ὑποκριτής, pronounced “hupo - creetays”, essentially an ‘under actor’.
This word for the Greek actor has had a long journey through cultures and time. Passing through the middle ages, France, and England, it has taken a place in our dictionary as ‘hypocrite’. (A mask on the outside, a different person underneath pretending to be someone or something that they are not).
=====================
Most of the time we are not aware of our own hypocrisy. On the outside we broadcast a belief or image of one thing but deep inside we do not hold to that image.
We sometimes are critical of others and claim we would never engage in that kind of thinking or behavior.
Often we become disturbed when a fellow traveler mentions that our walk does not match our talk.
It’s cathartic to ask a fellow traveler how they perceive us. Hopefully in our personal reflection and thoughts of others we reduce our mixed identity.