Ancient Greece and the Origins of Theater - Reading Comprehension Text

Greek theater had its beginnings in various religious festivals throughout the Greek world honoring the Greek gods. These festivals featured the performance of songs and dances by groups of men and boys called a chorus. Over time, these performances came to include three actors who portrayed individual characters in a story. By the 6th Century BCE, the Greeks were creating special places called theaters, where people could attend such performances.

This Reading Comprehension / Informational Text explores the history of theater in ancient Greece.

This activity is suitable for advanced to proficient ESL learners or native English speakers. After carefully reading the text, students are required to complete some comprehension exercises including:

• comprehension questions
• a multiple choice exercise
• a crossword
• a definitions match

This resource can be used as a mini-lesson, assigned for homework or used for vocabulary building purposes.

Total number of pages: 7
Answer key included