http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT259CRSZfw

Chorus of Agamemnon with masks and music. 1983 TV production by National Theatre of Great Britain. Masks by Jenny West.

Classroom rehearsal by Northwestern University students, March 2007.

Photograph of the chorus in Peter Hall's National Theatre of Great Britain production of the Oresteia's Agamemnon.

Tragic and Comic theatrical masks. Hadrians Villa mosaic.

The ancient Greek theatre at Epidaurus. The acoustics are so extraordinary that it's literally possible to drop a pin in the central chorus area and hear the sound of its fall from the back row of the auditorium.

Quite obviously, a modern, naturalistic acting style would be swallowed up by the vastness of this space. Masks/dancing/song/music: they're completely appropriate.

One- largely discredited- theory is that the construction of the classical Greek theatrical mask incorporated an internal amplification system, rather like a primitive bullhorn. With architectural acoustics this good, it simply wasn't necessary.

Classical Greek actors with masks.

No buskins.

Since the actual masks worn by classical Greek actors were made of linen, muslin and/or cork, they were clearly perishable and none have survived. All we have are representations on ceramics, statuettes or mosaics (above).

I've been attempting a Google search for masks of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, but with little luck.

The famous gold "Mask of Agamemnon" was a funereal archaeological find by Schliemann in 1876 at the presumed site of Troy and, however impressive, may not actually depict Agamemnon himself at all. In any case, since the eye sockets and lips are closed, it couldn't have functioned as a theatrical mask.

The Theatre of Dionysus, Athens where the Oresteia was originally performed.

It's worth noting how close the audience was to Nature. If you're sitting on the side of a mountain under the sky, it's easy to imagine that the gods are all around.

Teracotta mask of Dionysus (1st-2nd c. BC). God of wine, the irrational & theatre, the Oresteia was performed at a civic/religious festival in his honour.

Bronze theatre token. 5th c BC. Your ticket to see the Oresteia.