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13 Things 2008
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
The mask has two main functions. It both conceals and creates. It conceals, by covering the wearer’s identity and making them anonymous. It creates by proposing a new identity that is displayed on the exterior of the mask. In my two case studies I try to explore these two aspects of masking. In Athenian Theater the act of creation is the predominant action of these masks, while for Halloween the act of concealment is far more important. Etymologically this separation of the two case studies and the mask’s function is logical. In Ancient Greek the word “proposon” is used for both face and mask, implying that when masked you have a new face, a new persona, a new identity. In English the word “mask” refers to “the altered appearance of the masker rather than the status of the portrayal” (Mack 1994). The nature of the specific performances, because both Halloween and Greek Theater can both be considered an act of performance, put the mask in separate contexts, calling up different properties and resulting in different outcomes. With this, I will begin the exploration of Dionysian Theater and our modern Halloween.
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