Research on the ancient theatrical building as a place of performance determining a distinct type of theatre has drawn on a variety ofsources. Among them, it has mined dramatic texts as one of at least equal importance to other direct or indirect sources, such as archeological evidence,ancient scholia or other kinds of texts. Remarkably, many a time the study of material remains has produced findings that were subsequently confirmedby scholars assessing the demands of the text in terms of stage arrangement.With this background in mind I have endeavoured in this paper to draw on the extant plays of Sophocles for information on the architectural structure ofthe Theatre of Dionysos in Athens during the fifth century. My aim is thus to uncover indirect pieces of information or even mere allusions to the theatricalspace in which those plays were performed. Key issues discussed in this paperare: (a) the presence and use of the stage building; (b) the number of doors onits façade; and (c) the possible existence of a slightly raised stage and the concomitant separation between acting area and orchestra.
