The History of Acting

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Have you ever seen a movie or play and thought to yourself “Man, that is so cool. I wonder what the past behind all these actors and plays are”? The history of acting and theater has evolved greatly since its creation, and has a long and in-depth past. The history of acting and theater is comprised of many components, including Greek/Roman Theater, Middle Ages Theater, European/Renaissance Theater, Elizabethan Theater, and Modern Theater.
The history of acting started out in Ancient Greece and Rome, where its deepest roots come from. In 700 B.C., the first dithyramb , which are songs that tell a story and to honor the gods, are composted in Athens, Greece. (“History”) The dithyramb, which was made up of men and young boys, would tell a story through various narrations by singing and dancing. (“History”) In 600 B.C., the Festival of Dionysius was founded in Athens, and plays are performed there to honor the gods. (“History”) After the plays were over, prizes and gifts were awarded to the best play that was performed by the actors, who were only narrators at this period of time (“History”) In 530 B.C., the first actor was added to the chorus assembly. This is also the first time an actor is on stage as a character, not as a narrator. (“History”) A second after is added by Aeschylus, the great tragedian, and wins numerous awards in 474 B.C. (“History”) In 468 B.C., Sophocles adds a third actor to the theater, and writes many influential plays, one being -Oedipus Rex. (“History”) Actors also had a different name, which was the word “hypocrites”. (“History2”) Originally, in the 5th century B.C., there was not a selection process for choosing actors. (“HIstory2”) The play-write Sophron begins using mimes, which became a very popular an...

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... different types of theater acting.
Larque, Thomas. "Elizabethan Theatre - A Lecture - by Thomas Larque (2001)." Elizabethan Theatre - A Lecture - by Thomas Larque (2001). N.p., 2001. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
This source provided information about the Elizabethan Theater era of acting.
Robinson, Scott R. "European Drama in the Middle Ages." European Drama in the Middle Ages. N.p., 01 May 2002. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
This source provided information about European Theater.
"Theatre in the Middle Ages." The Finer Times: War, Crime and History Resource. The Finer Times, 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
This information provided information about theater in the Middle Ages.
Trumbull, Eric W. "Introduction to Theatre -- Medieval Theatre." Introduction to Theatre -- Medieval Theatre. N.p., 16 Nov. 2008. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
This information provided information about Medieval Theater.

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