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Theatre buildings were called theatron. The theaters were large, open air structures constructed on the slopes of hills. They consisted of three main elements: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience.
Orchestra: A large circular or rectangular area at the center part of the theatre, where the play, dance, religious rites, and acting took place.
Theatron- viewing place on the slope of a hill Skene -stage Parodos- side entrance.
The Greek Theater(Epidauros)
Skene

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European theater began in Ancient Greece. It began around 700 B.C. with festivals honoring their many gods. One god, Dionysus, with a religious festival called, - The Cult of Dionysus, to honor Dionysus (Di-on-i-sus), the god of wine and fertility. The city-state of Athens was the center of a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, where the festivals and competitions were usually performed.
The three well-known Greek tragedy playwrights are Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus.
The theater of ancient Greece consisted of three types of drama: Tragedy, Comedy and the Satyr play.
Tragedy is a compound of two Greek words, -tragos or "goat" and -woń (ode) meaning "song, referring to goats sacrificed to Dionysus before performances, or to goat-skins worn by the performers.
In Greece, tragedy was the most admired type of play. It dealt with tragic events and have an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. Thespis was the first actor and introduced the use of masks and was called the "Father of Tragedy".
The actors, directors, and dramatists were all the same person. After some time, only three actors were allowed to perform in each play. Due to limited number of actors allowed on-stage, the chorus played into a very active part of Greek theatre. Music was often played during the chorus. Men performed songs to welcome Dionysus and women were not allowed to perform. Competitions in song, dance, music, scenic representation and bodily exercises were done during the festivals. And to promote a common identity, Athenians spread these festivals to their numerous allies.
Comedy plays were derived from imitation; there were no traces of their origin. Aristophanes wrote most of the comedy plays. Out of these 11 plays, Lysistrata survived, a humorous tale about a strong woman who led a female coalition to end war in Greece. Cyclops was an adventurous comedy by Euripides.
Satyr Play contains comic elements to lighten the overall mood or a serious play with a happy ending. The satyr play was a short, lighthearted tailpiece performed after each trilogy of the tragedies. It is an ancient Greek form of tragic comedy. It featured choruses of satyrs, based on Greek mythology, and with pretended drunkenness, bold sexuality (including phallic props), tricks, and sight jokes. This featured half-man/half-goat characters known as Satyrs. They were awful, ridiculous, and usually drunk. The Satyr characters lusted after everyone on stage, and they delivered the most humorous lines, often at the expense of others.

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The theatre of ancient Rome started in the 3rd century BC. It had varied and interesting art forms, like festival performances of street theatre, acrobatics, the staging of comedies of Plautus, and the high-verbally elaborate tragedies of Seneca. Although Rome had a native tradition of performance, the Hellenization (historical spread of ancient Greek culture) of Roman culture in the 3rd century BC had an intense and energizing effect on Roman theatre and encouraged the development of Latin literature.
According to Roman historian Livy, in the 4th century BC, the Etruscan actors were the first experienced theater. While in 240 BC, Roman drama began with the plays of Livius Andronicus. It remained popular throughout late Antiquity. And by the mid-4th century AD, 102 out of 176 ludi publici being dedicated to theatre, besides a considerably lower number of gladiator and chariot racing events.
Greek theaters had a great influence on the Roman's theater, too. The Triumvir Pompey- was one of the first permanent (non-wooden) theaters in Rome, whose structure was somewhat similar to the theatron of Athens. The building was a part of a multi-use complex that included a large quadriporticus (a columned quadrangle), directly behind the scaenae fron-, an elaborately decorated background of theatre stage, enclosed by the large columned porticos with an expansive garden complex of fountains and statues. There were rooms also that were dedicated to the exposition of art and other works collected by Pompey Magnus which were located along the stretch of covered arcade.

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The usual themes for Roman theater plays were chariots races, gladiators, and public executions. The Romans loved a good spectacle. They loved to watch combat, admired blood sports and gladiator competition. The more realistic the violence, the more it pleased Roman audiences. The Christians
however opposed the barbaric themes of the plays and closed down all theaters.
Comedy plays were popular too in the Roman Theater from 350 to 250 B.C. and women were allowed to perform on stage.

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Medieval Theater 500 C.E.-1400
During the Medieval era, theater performances were not allowed throughout Europe. To keep the theater alive, minstrels, though denounced by the Church, performed in markets, public places and festivals. They travelled from one town to another as puppeteers, jugglers, story tellers, dancers, singers, and other theatrical acts. These minstrels were viewed as dangerous and pagan.
Churches in Europe started staging their own theater performances during Easter Sundays with biblical stories and events. Eventually, some plays were brought outside the church due to their portrayal of the devil and hell. An example of this kind of play is the -Mystére d"Adam" or "The Mystery of Adam". The story revolves around Adam and Eve and ends with the devil capturing and bringing them to hell. Over the centuries, the plays revolved around biblical themes from the Story of the Creation to the Last Judgment.

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Renaissance Theater: 1400-1600
Renaissance theater arts were characterized by a return of Classical Greek and Roman arts and culture.
During Middle Ages, mystery plays formed a part of religious festivals in England and other parts of Europe during the Renaissance period. Morality plays (in which the protagonist was met by personifications of various moral attributes who try to choose a Godly life over the evil) and the University drama were formed to recreate Athenian tragedy. Public theatres were developed like, the Commedia dell'arte (Italian comedy and a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional players who traveled in troupes) and the elaborate masques (a dramatic entertainment consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song and sometimes players wore masks) that were usually presented in court.
One of the most prominent supporters of the theater was Queen Elizabeth I. The companies of players (companies of actors) were organized by the aristocrats and performed seasonally in many places. They were called professional players that performed on the Elizabethan stage. The tours of these players gradually replaced the performances of the mystery and morality plays by local players. Gorboduc (authors were Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville), also known as Ferrex and Porrex, was an English play and first performed at the Christmas celebration in 1561, and performed before Queen Elizabeth 1 on 18 January 1562, by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple was one of the four Inns of Court -professional associations for barristers and judges in London).

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The famous actor and poet who emerged in this period was William Shakespeare. He was baptized on April 26, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616. He was an English poet, playwright and actor and regarded as the greatest writer and dramatist in the whole world. Shakespeare was often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His works consist of about 38 plays. Some of these plays were well-loved Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Much Ado about Nothing. The four tragedies considered to be Shakespeare's greatest works were Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.
The history plays depicted English or European history. Shakespeare's plays were about the lives of kings, such as Richard III and Henry V, Christopher Marlowe's Edward II and George Peele's Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First. Comedies were common, too. These dealt with life in London after the fashion of Roman New Comedy. Some of comedy plays were - The Shoemaker's Holiday by Thomas Dekker and-A Chaste Maid in Cheapside by Thomas Middleton.

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For the first time, ballet was performed in public during this period. Ballet is a formalized form of dance which originated from the Italian Renaissance courts. It developed and flourished from Italy to France with the help of Catherine de' Medici, (Queen of France). An early example of Catherine's development of ballet is through 'Le Paradis d' Amour', a piece of work presented at her daughter's wedding, Marguerite de Valois to Henry of Navarre. Money of the Aristocrats was responsible for the initial stages of -court ballet for the Aristocrats'
entertainment. The first formal -court ballet ever inend ed recognized was, 'Ballet des Polonais' in 1573. A true form 27. Ballet de la nuit
of royal entertainment, 'Ballet des Polonais' was
commissioned by Catherine de' Medici to honor the Polish Ambassadors who visited Paris for the enthronement of King Henry in Poland.

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Innovations of the Stage:
1. Proscenium was developed. This is the area of a theater surrounding the stage opening. Arches frame and divide the stage from the audience. 2. Backdrops for scenery were popularized by the art of painting clothes. 3. Commedia dell'arte or -Comedy of the Profession was developed. It was quick-witted performance of the characters/players