Theater Uses

The primary use of theaters was for dramatic performances of plays. These plays would most commonly be performed during religious festivals. The frequency that they were used seems to be of some debate. . At the Theater of Dionysus in Athens, there were two main festivals that occurred which would draw very large crowds from other areas of Greece. The Theater of Dionysus was located close to a sanctuary and was closely related to religious practices. The large performances at festivals would also include sacrifices. The skene of the theater was wooded and said to be rebuilt each year in Athens for their largest festival, the Great Dionysia. The wooded skene gave a sense of flexibility in the play, so that the skene could be constructed each year with that years specific festival in mind. The performances of dramatic plays only occurred during these religious festivals at the Theater of Dionysus. Since dramatic plays were only performed during a few months of the year, the skene was only needed during that time.
The performance of dramatic performances was not the only use of theaters, other uses included dispersal of information, speeches, and debates. The physical structure of the theater served multiple purposes as well. Some rectangular theaters doubled as the agora.