Roman Marble Theatrical Mask

Roman theatre masks were an extremely important part of Roman theatre. This is because the masks that the actors wore helped carry the voice of the actor so that members of the audience were able to hear what the actors were saying. It has been suggested that because of the shape and sizes of the masks that were used, voice projections were able to be heard from a greater distance than you could hear someone who was not wearing a mask. Theatre masks were important for a variety of different reasons; to distinguish a character, to project the actors voice and to relay the emotional disposition of a character. Theatrical performances were dependent upon masks and body movement to relay not only what an actor is saying but also how they are feeling. Masks require a wholly different style of acting in order to communicate what is lost by the lack of facial expression; the masked actor must compensate by using a complementary physicality. Rather than limiting the actor’s ability to transfer complex text or emotions, however, the stylized movements of a masked actor bring a new dimension of expression, as well as a new language, to the performance.