14 June 2010 | The exhibition “The Art of Ancient Greek Theatre,” which will open at the Getty Villa in Malibu in August will be “the first exploration in nearly sixty years of the many ways Greek plays and stagecraft inspired classical artists, whose works are often the only surviving evidence of the performing arts in antiquity,” its organisers announced.

The exhibition, the LA Times reported, will feature art borrowed from many celebrated collections and will include vases, masks, and figures.

“Theatrical performance emerged in ancient Athens from the worship of Dionysos, the god of wine and theater,” according to the exhibition announcement by the Getty. “From productions in the Theater of Dionysos, the tragedies and satyr plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides as well as the comedies of Aristophanes and Menander spread throughout the Mediterranean, flourishing especially in southern Italy. There, in Magna Graecia, vase painters and sculptors created vivid depictions of dramatic scenes, representing sets, costumes, masks, choreography, and music.”

In addition to the display of the classical artists’ works, the Getty will also publish an accompanying book, 'The Art of Ancient Greek Theater,” which is edited by the exhibition’s curator, Mary Louise Hart, and describes the development of theater in ancient Greece and its relationship to the visual arts.

The exhibition will be on display between August 26, 2010 and January 3, 2011. It coincides with the Villa's Outdoor Theater production of Sophocles' “Elektra,” which will run between September 9 and October 2, and during which the Getty will stay open during special hours in order to allow playgoers to visit the art exhibit. From November 19 to 20, the Getty will present a workshop performance of Sophocles's “The Trackers” in its indoor theater.

Admission into the Getty Villa is free, tickets have to be booked in advance. For more information on the exhibition and tickets availability, visit the Getty’s website.

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