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534
Greek Times
Thespis wins the first public contest for tragic poets in Greece, and the term thespian derives from his name. He also introduces masks, which become a staple of Greek and Roman theatre. -
Jul 11, 1495
Everyman
Everyman, the best surviving example of a morality play, is written. The morality play touches on large contemporary issues with moral overtones and describes the lives of everyday people facing temptation. -
May 6, 1576
Elizabethan
The Theatre, the first commercial theatre, opens in London. It is also the first Elizabethan playhouse. -
America
The first professional theatre company in the American colonies, the Virginia Company of Comedians, opens a temporary wooden playhouse in Williamsburg, Virginia. -
Regulation Act
The Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 bans drinking in legitimate theatres in the US. Many tavern owners take advantage of the situation and renovate their establishments to accommodate live performances. -
Pulitzter Prize
Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire opens at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski and Jessica Tandy as Blanche DuBois?. The play wins the 1948 Pulitzer Prize. -
Dark Ages
The church introduces dramatic performances to Easter services, acting out the story of the Resurrection. Ironically, the institution that discouraged theatre is responsible for its rebirth.
