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In conclusion, theatre has changed immensely over the years, not only in terms of content, but also in style and in stage architecture. It will also continue to change, adapting to the current social, economical, and political situations at the time. Entertaining and educating the world, theatre is definitely here to stay.
In the time that you have been personally involved with theatre, have you witnessed a change?
Yes, when I was in high school, we would never kiss onstage, but nowadays, it is quite common. There are also newer and more controversial themes.
Have the contents of plays/scripts changed based on political or social events happening in the world at that time?
Plays have always reflected current history.
Have certain script/play contents changed as certain things in the world become socially taboo or not taboo?
Yes, such as blacks and homosexuality. There was a time when blacks were never allowed to perform, but now you see them on Broadway. Homosexuality was also very taboo; you never would see that kind of topic in a play, but now there are many plays about such ideas.
Do you think that scripts/plays have been modernized over the course of history to be recycled for the current age?
Yes, lately there have been lots of remakes of older plays slightly changed and brought back to popularity. (Wizard of Oz -> The Wiz -> Wicked)
Within five months of each other, Drury Lane and Covent Garden burned down. New buildings were built to replace them and a new period of theatre emerged.
During the last half of the 19th century, political events led to experimenting to make theatre more useful in society. Common man wanted to be recognized and so people asserted themselves through action.
In 380 BC, Greek comedic writer Aristophanes died.
After the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, Chinese plays became saturated with military propaganda.
Born in 1828, Ibsen would soon become the Father of Modern Realistic Drama.
Playwright Ben Jonson was born in 1573 and became the first real English comic.
When Charles II was restored to the throne 18 years later, theatre was again legal, thus beginning a new era.
Theatrical families from Britain began to appear in America in the mid 1700s, as it was easier and less expensive to travel as a family.
Great playwrights Sophocles and Euripides both died in 406 BC.
Opera writers Gilbert and Sullivan became active around 1877 and produced plays that are still popular today, such as "The Pirates of Penzance" and "The Mikado".
David Garrick was born in 1717 and would later become an actor who was more relaxed and natural on stage, not as stiff as the previous style. He also helped innovate stage lighting.
Nudity and obscenity is introduced in plays such as Hair and Calcutta.
This era began in the early 14th century. Theatre was seeking new life after suffering for the past several decades.
Conflict in the world such as Vietnam and social protests are occurring which will lead to a push for innovation in theatre.
In the early 1600s, theatre began to be geared to more intelligent audiences, such as nobility and royalty.
I predict that the future of theatre will change, but not drastically. Of course the classic will stay around - they have for thousands already. New advances in technology will most likely introduce new ways to put on the shows, tech-wise. Special effects and such from TV and film will probably seep over into the world of theatre, too. Theatre will always have live actors and audiences. The day that that is no longer will be the day theatre dies.
During the Renaissance period, the heart of the theatre explosion was in England.
This era began in 500 AD and lasted until 1500 AD, and introduced theatre to the church.
During this time, the three leading writers were Plautus, Terence, and Seneca, the first two being comedic writers and he last being a tragic writer.
In 534 BC, a man named Thespis stepped out of the chorus and held dialog onstage, making him the history's first actor.
The first record of a theatrical performance was in Egypt around 2000 BC.
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1400 years after the Egyptian performance, the Greeks began to pay tribute to their gods.
Theatre continued to develop elsewhere, such as Spain and France.
Born in 1856, Shaw dominated the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In fact, many rank him next to Shakespeare.
Economic changes after 1968 led to theatres using less scenery and having smaller casts to save some money.
The first American theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1716, but the mortgage was foreclosed in 1723.
Theatre went back into hibernation during the English Civil War in 1642.
Christopher Marlowe and William were both born in 1564, and would later become some of the world's greatest playwrights.
Earliest known author of plays, Aeschylus, died in 456 BC.
Today, community theatre is becoming more and more prevalent, as is the popularity of musical theatre on Broadway in New York.
Theatre was outlawed in the American Colonies, but as rebellious attitudes towards the mother country grew, so did the amount of plays.
This was a major tool in restoring theatre, as it endorsed theatre as "useful and instructive" and finally allowed women to act.
The first Roman performance was in 364 BC, but was far different than that of the Greeks.
You may think theatre is just when actors perform a play or a scene from a play on stage in front of an audience, right? Wrong. In fact, theatre originated way back when the first cavemen reenacted their great hunt from earlier that day. It continued on to elaborate reenactments with props, and then costumes, and before they knew it, it was a full-fledged play.
Also during this time, Hollywood and film started to emerge and the basic elements were based on that of traditional theatre.
With each era of theatre also came changes to the stage and its architecture, until it finally reached the proscenium arch stage that we are familiar with today.
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