The Greeks had many brilliant ideas. They used mechanical devices like trap doors and the "machina": a crane for winching gods on and off the stage (hence 'Deus ex machina'). They had a "Greek chorus" that offered information to help the audience follow the performance. The chorus comments on themes, and shows how an audience might react to the drama. The players wore masks. Illustrations on vases show helmet-like masks, covering the entire face and head, with holes for the eyes and a small aperture for the mouth, plus a wig. The mask was to ‘melt’ into the face and allow the actor to vanish into the role. Therefore, onlookers did not think about the actor, but thought about the character.