Overview of the Play and its Chorus Songs & Dances

PROLOGUE

lines 1-63

Dionysos alone; Ino already on stage, mourning over Semele’s tomb; other Chorus members in place in audience and scattered about, as well as offstage

CHORUS SONG #1

lines 64-169

Chorus enters singing & dancing

Song #1: “Blessed are the Dancers” [in five parts]

1. Out of the Land of Asia
2. Spoken calls to silence (by various chorus members)
3. Hymn to Dionysos (“Blessed are those…”)
4. On, Bacchae!
5. To the Mountain

ACT I

lines 170-369

Chorus on stage

Teiresias, Cadmus, and Pentheus

 

CHORUS SONG #2

lines 370-433

Chorus sings and dances

Song #2: “Peace Song”

 

ACT 2

lines 434-519

Chorus on stage; starts drumming at line 504

Attendant, Pentheus, Dionysos

 

CHORUS SONG #3

lines 520-575

Chorus sings and dances (and drums)

Song #3: “O Dirce, Holy River”

 

ACT 3 – with CHORUS SONG #4

lines 576-861

Bacchae, Dionysos, Pentheus, Cattle Herder

Chorus sings and dances a song at lines 596-603:

Song #4: “Look How the Fire Leaps Up!”

Chorus and Dionysos have spoken interchanges following this song

Dance (to spoken words of Cattle Herder, and possible drumming or other instrumental music): “Strange New Magic Dance”, lines 677-769

Dance (around Pentheus & Dionysos as they speak), lines 820-845

CHORUS SONG #5

lines 862-910

Chorus sings and dances

Song #5: “Dance Like a Fawn/Live Day by Day”

 

ACT 4

lines 911-976

Chorus on stage

Pentheus and Dionysos

 

CHORUS SONG #6

lines 977-1023

Chorus sings and dances

Song #6: “I Hunt Another Game”

 

ACT 5

lines 1024-1151

Messenger and Bacchae

 

CHORUS SONG #7a & 7b

lines 1152-1199

Song #7a: “We Dance to the Glory of Bacchus”

Song #7b: “Happy Was the Hunting” (DUET with AGAVE)

 

EXODOS (LAST ACT)

lines 1200-1387

Cadmus, Agave, Dionysos

Bacchae on stage

 

CHORUS SONG #8

lines 1388-1394

Song #8: “The Gods Have Many Shapes”