World Theater: More Than You Ever Wanted to Know

The history of theatre is almost as old as the history of civilization. It seems as if people have had the urge to perform-as well as to watch a performance-almost from the moment communication first became possible. Just as language developed along different lines according to geographic and cultural differences, so did drama and theatre. When most people think of theatre today what comes to mind are actors on a stage decorated with a realistic set and costumes, speaking lines that deliver psychological insight into the characters while also furthering plot and theme. This description, however, is really best applied to western theatre, and only western theatre of the century or two for that matter.

Western theatre traces its roots to ancient Greece. In fact, it is often said that Greece is the birthplace of theatre, though that is probably just more typical western enlightenment wish-fulfillment. Evidence that the Greeks were themselves influenced by ritualistic performances from the Indian subcontinent, Saharan Africa and possibly even the Far East is growing. There is a great deal of literature that suggests that Greek drama evolved from these multicultural ritualistic beginnings. Some even argue that the primary difference between western theatre and eastern theatre is that this evolution never took place in the east; eastern theatre remained ritualistic while western theatre became performance-oriented.

Today an actor is referred to as a thespian; this dates back to what is typically regarded as the origin of Greek theatre when a man named Thespis began to perform poetry in character. Eventually, Greek drama evolved into the highest form of theatre known until the Renaissance with the great tragedies of Sophocles and the great comedies of Aristophanes. Although western theatre dates back to this time, most audiences today would feel as out of place at a traditional Greek performance as they would at a Japanese Kabuki performance. The actors wore large masks, which was a holdover from the ritualistic beginnings.