Reconstructing Sites of Oratorical Performance in Ancient Greece

Featuring Richard Graff of the Department of Writing Studies at University of Minnesota

Prof. Graff’s research constitutes a long-term collaborative and interdisciplinary study of the physical settings of ancient Greek oratorical performance. In addition to providing interpretive synthesis of the archaeological and literary evidence for the relevant structures, the project has utilized both traditional and emergent research methods to elucidate the ways their design organized the communicative (inter)actions that took place within them: in particular, the 3D digital reconstruction and visualization methods being developed in the U of M Interactive Visualization Lab. Graff will demonstrate how these tools are being employed to identify salient architectural-spatial and acoustical variables in a selection of Greek civic structures, and to assess their suitability as venues for speaking, seeing, and hearing.

Coincidentally, many of the ancient Greek performance spaces to be discussed bear striking architectural resemblance to the Best Buy Theater…