A Brief History of Theatre, Essay Example

Modern historians understand that theatre has its roots in storytelling and ancient rituals performed by Western and non-Western societies. While the Ancient Greeks were the first to popularize theatre for the purpose of entertainment; they were not the first culture to embrace a form of storytelling that involved people acting out a specific story. This form of storytelling has been around for almost all of human history. Theatre historians focus on where evidence exists in the form of writing and archeological ruins (Zarrilli et. al.; Nagler). Humans have developed a unique ability for symbolic communication (Zarrilli et. al.). This ability is necessary for writing and performing drama (Zarrilli et. al.). To understand ancient dramas, one must understand ancient communication which takes us to the example of the Mesopotamians and the Native Americans in North America who developed complex yet practical systems of writing which were used for communications between individuals and even large tribes (Zarrilli et. al.).

“Telling stories about ourselves, our communities, and our place in the world, allowed an entirely new way of understanding and representing reality.” (Zarrilli et. al.) As human societies continued to evolve, so too did our ways of telling stories. Humans have gone from simple hunter-gatherers to agriculture to industry, all in the short time that we have been on this earth.  This willingness to evolve and this change in the human consciousness brought about a new era of storytelling.

In the modern world, states are the most common form of government structure (Zarrilli et. al.). Centralized control and an organized economic structure are tenets of a state government (Zarrilli et. al.). Changes in the way that government operates along with the rapidly-advancing technology of the modern era has allowed for a variety of artistic mediums to flourish. Early religious and civic festivals of early state societies produced two main methods of drama (Zarrilli et. al.). The first was the reenacting of myths and events of the past (Zarrilli et. al.). The second was the independent or literary dramas (Zarrilli et. al.), such as that of Shakespeare.

The use of imagery is essential for humans in order to access things that are invisible; in other words, things that language cannot accurately describe (Zarrilli et. al.). Such imagery was used heavily throughout the Ancient World, particularly in Ancient Egypt, to represent deities and religious beliefs as well as secular ideas, laws, and cultural norms. The Chinese are also well-known for their use of pictures to describe almost every concept known to their culture. The Chinese have told stories this way for thousands of years.

In many cultures and historical periods, life is viewed through a microcosm and macrocosm. There is a sense of duality that is linked to many modern religions as well as many cultures. The concept of good vs. evil is an idea that is derived from the duality of two of the Abrahamic faiths – Christianity and Islam – and has a presence throughout the world today. This idea of duality is prevalent in many Ancient dramas and many theatrical works today.

While most acting is now performed in movies and TV shows rather than on a stage, theatre is still a cherished performance medium. Human history is filled with examples of ritual and storytelling that involved character acting and role-playing. The development of complex writing and communications systems coupled with the need to feel a sense of purpose in the world.

Bibliography

Zarrilli, Phillip , Carol Fisher Sorgenfrei, Bruce McConachi, and Gary  Jay Williams. Zarrilli Theatre Histories – An Introduction – 1st Edition (Paperback). N.A.: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Maria Nagler, Alois. A source book in theatrical history, Volume 1959, Part 2. N.A.: Courier Dover Publications, 1959. Print.