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Crossing the Stages:
The Production, Performance and Reception of Ancient Theater
Emma M. Griffiths
University of Bristol
Child Actors on the Fifth Century Stage: A Director's View
There are several child characters in extant Greek tragedy, and the
question is often asked whether they were played by child actors. The
answer has usually been sought in secondary evidence and in assessing the
balance of probabilities about what would have been 'natural'.
It is my contention that the answer lies in the text itself, and that the
plays which involve children were written by playwrights who were aware
of, and responding to, the difficulties of working with child actors. In
particular, it can be shown that all child characters have their movements
verbally cued, in a way which the movements of adult characters are not.
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