Un A ritual framework for the scene: the histrionic sacerdos in the palliata

Abstract

In different passages of the palliata it is possible to read indications of the ritual logics that frame the ludi scaenici. Certain masks mimic a histrionic auctoritas allowing the theatrical event to proceed through the power of a hilarious parody of the ritual celebration. This ability to persuade viewers to enter the playful space of the performance also includes a demand: silence, attention and fair evaluation by their part. Actors and public join together to officiate and to assist in the theatrical convivium based in a pact of equitable reciprocity which relevance is analyzed in this article.