History of theatre

Hannah Pritchard as Lady Macbeth and David Garrick as Macbeth at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in April 1768
Performer playing Sugriva in the Koodiyattam form of Sanskrit theatre
Commedia dell'arte troupe I Gelosi performing, by Hieronymus Francken I, c. 1590

The history of theatre charts the development of theatre over the past 2,500 years. While performative elements are present in every society, it is customary to acknowledge a distinction between theatre as an art form and entertainment, and theatrical or performative elements in other activities. The history of theatre is primarily concerned with the origin and subsequent development of the theatre as an autonomous activity. Since classical Athens in the 5th century BC, vibrant traditions of theatre have flourished in cultures across the world.[1]

  1. ^ Banham (1995), Brockett and Hildy (2003), and Goldhill (1997, 54).