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6 BCE
Greek Theatre
Beginning approximately 700 BC, Greece experienced a thriving theatrical tradition known as ancient Greek theatre. Its heart was the city-state of Athens, politics, and culture. It was here that theatre was institutionalized as a component of the Dionysia festival, which worshipped the deity Dionysus. Three theatrical forms emerged there: comedy (490 BC), tragedy (late 500 BC), and satyr play. The celebration was spread across Athens' many colonies. -
1568
Commedia Dell'arte
Commedia Dell'arte was during the 16th and 18th centuries, "comedy of the art," an early kind of professional theatre that had its roots in Italian theatre, gained popularity across Europe. The entrances and departures of characters are predetermined. The lasso, a joke or "something foolish or witty" that is typically well-known to the actors and partially a choreographed routine, is a distinctive feature of commedia. Pantomime is another feature of commedia. -
Shakespeare/Elizabethan
Shakespeare's plays are a canon of approximately 39 dramatic works written by English poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare. The exact number of plays as well as their classifications as tragedy, history, comedy, or otherwise is a matter of scholarly debate. Shakespeare's plays are widely regarded as being among the greatest in the English language and are continually performed around the world. The plays have been translated into every major living language. -
Melodrama
Melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or excessively sentimental, rather than action. Melodramas are typically, focused on morality and family issues, love, and marriage, often with challenges from an outside source, such as a "temptress", a scoundrel, or an aristocratic villain. -
Realism
A movement, realism in theatre started in the late 19th century, primarily in the 1870s, and continued into the early 20th century. With the intention of giving texts and performances a higher degree of realism, it created a set of dramatic and theatrical norms. The language, performing style, story framework, and set, costume, lighting, and sound design all follow these traditions. They involve reproducing a lifelike scene on stage, with the exception of the absence of a fourth wall -
Expressionism
In early 20th-century theatre and theatre, expressionism was a trend that mostly originated in Germany. After that, it gained popularity everywhere—in the United States, Spain, China, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Expressionist theatre, like the larger Expressionism movement in the arts, employed exaggerated and distorted scenery and dramatic components to convey powerful emotions and ideas to viewers.