Hey guys! I have been researching and wondered why were the masks in acting such a big deal so I researched and found my answers. Hope this helps you all out!
Masks in Ancient Greek time made the expressions more exaggerated in different roles. For example in tragedies the masks seem so lifelike since the emotions are very real in the expressions. The Greek masks also allowed people farther away from the stage to still see the expressions and the movement instead of the real person's face. The masks also helped the actors by allowing them to play different roles and even different genders. The masks also helped project voices more like a microphone. The masks were different in each play like for a comedy the masks were ugly for the audience to laugh at. The masks were made up of different light materials like wood, linen, cork, and sometimes real hair to make the characters look real. The masks were in a shape almost like a helmet which covered the face but not the mouth for the actor to speak through and the eyes also had holes for the actor to see through. The mouth figure was big enough for the person to speak through but was not big enough for the audience to see the lips moving. Though there is no real physical examples from the past there are paintings and pictures still alive that show the form.
Click here for the links to the website I got my information from, Actor Mask and Mask
Masks in Ancient Greek time made the expressions more exaggerated in different roles. For example in tragedies the masks seem so lifelike since the emotions are very real in the expressions. The Greek masks also allowed people farther away from the stage to still see the expressions and the movement instead of the real person's face. The masks also helped the actors by allowing them to play different roles and even different genders. The masks also helped project voices more like a microphone. The masks were different in each play like for a comedy the masks were ugly for the audience to laugh at. The masks were made up of different light materials like wood, linen, cork, and sometimes real hair to make the characters look real. The masks were in a shape almost like a helmet which covered the face but not the mouth for the actor to speak through and the eyes also had holes for the actor to see through. The mouth figure was big enough for the person to speak through but was not big enough for the audience to see the lips moving. Though there is no real physical examples from the past there are paintings and pictures still alive that show the form.
Click here for the links to the website I got my information from, Actor Mask and Mask