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In the time of Dionysus, he had dithyrambs made for him in celebration of his greatness and these beginnings of tragedies were a result as the dithyrambs were acted out. These could teach to be a better person and citizen. This can be seen as Aristotle wrote about catharsis and purgation showing that it is best to feel pity and fear from someone else’s perspective.

A play from this era is The Persians, by Aeschylus.

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These were one of the three main types of vernacular dramas that were produced in the Middle Ages, along with mystery and miracle plays. These were seen as a stepping stone between this kind of liturgical dramas, to more professional secular dramas.

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These were Italian plays developed 500 years ago and were built to travel. They brought this version of art and theatre around the world. They defined commonality and made it so that the plays were universal by slapstick humor, masks, and big gestures along with improve so that language of a play did not matter.

A play from this era is La Fortunata Isabella, by Flaminio Scala and the Gelosi troupe.

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During this era, the theme of plays changed from the prior era to a focus on comedies and tragedies. This era allowed for playwrights such as Marlowe, Johnson and Shakespeare to take the stage and create legendary works. As these plays grew in popularity, theaters began to be built.

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Shakespeare's birth and death: 1564-1616

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Shakespeare's birth and death: 1564-1616

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Shakespeare was renowned for his plays, poetry, and acting. He has many successful plays such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. They are still widely, know, circulated, and remade to this day.

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This was the first permanent public theatre and was built during the ELizabethian Era. It was erected by an actor named James Burbage. The lumbar from this theatre was used to build The Globe.

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In this era, William Shakespeare wrote plays under the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first. He helped guide this era into becoming the "golden age" in English history as there was a rebirth in artistic expression and appreciation of the arts. The tragedies created during this era are still influential in modern times.

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This theatre was built from the remains of the Theatre. It became the first playhouse in which people could see the plays of Shakespeare.

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This historic theatre burned to the ground during 1613 due to a fire. The occurrence of this fire happened during a performance of Henry VIII. A reconstruction of this theatre still exists to this day.

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These were English comedies performed during the Restoration era. This came after an eighteen year ban of public stage performances during the Puritan regime. During this era, the reopening of theaters and these plays being performed signaled the rebirth of English drama.

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This was the primary form of theatre during the 19th century. During it's beginnings plays could consist of romance, supernatural, or exotic themes. These plays still influence us today as they can serve as the basis for differing modern plays and theatrical works such as My Fair Lady.

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In this kind of theatre the focus was on feelings that were true to life. The fourth wall was focused on in the sense that the watcher was a fly on the wall observing environmental realistic situations, conflicts, and dialogues. This led for a response that drew away from this widely considered "boring art" and to a more dramatized style in expressionism or symbolism.

A play from this era was Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw.

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This was a reaction against naturalism and realism in theatres. The underlying theme of these plays implied a higher, more spiritual existence and looked to express emotional experiences through visual means. What would be seen in these was highly stylized and anti-realistic dialogue and acting style compared to naturalism and realism which contains natural dialogue and imagery.

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This was the most popular entertainment at the beginning of the century. The plays of this era caricaturized ethnic stereotypes.

A play from this era was Happy-Go-Lucky, by Williams and Brown.

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Naturalism: late 19th to early 20th century

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Naturalism: late 19th to early 20th century

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This could be correlated to theater of the Realism era, as it drew upon the replication of life circumstances but used more enhancement as it tried for more of an illusion of reality through strategies that were dramatic and theatrical. This was inspired by Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

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This era of theater began in Germany but quickly spread throughout the whole world. Its popularity grew as it rejected realism with a portrayal of a dream-like state, nonlinear events, imagery, and symbolism. This was important as it changed art standards and purposes by touching on social issues and using different techniques from realism.

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This era occurred between the end of World War I and the Great Depression, leading up to World War II. This era marked an explosion of creativity and interest in African American art and theater, and has been considered a rebirth for the African American arts.

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"Shuffle Along" play of Harlem Renaissance: 1921

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"Shuffle Along" play of Harlem Renaissance: 1921

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It can be said that this play represented the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. The attendance became so high that the city had to redirect traffic patterns to accommodate the patrons. It inspired an interest in African American theater and black musicals as it proved that all races could enjoy them.

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Brecht called attention to a new kind of theater that contained nonlinear plot and moments that were episodic. These had the effect of a montage when put together and came to be known as Epic theater style. Plays from this era and style called to fact and reality through political theater that addressed contemporary issues.

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World War II was the catalyst of this era as the global nature and consequential trauma put into perspective human life and its fragility. Antonin Artaud rejected realism in theatres and called for a return to myth and magic to expose conflicts deep in the human mind during WWII. On stage, these plays addressed French philosopher Albert Camus’s philosophy from his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus that states that human condition is meaningless in the sense that humanity needs to understand that there will never be a complete, satisfying and rational explanation of the universe and the world must ultimately be seen as absurd. Plays that exhibited this philosophy attempted to convey a sense of bewilderment, anxiety, and wonder in the face of the unexplainable universe.