Theatre is one of the most ancient artistic forms in mankind History, and it consists on the staging of a narrative through individuals that assume the role of others, representing live on a stage various scenes, in order to tell a story to the audience.
Though there are records of whimsical representations from the time of the Ancient Egypt, and there are also some experts who advocate that theatre was already a part of some primitive rituals, the theatrical art as it is known nowadays has its roots in Ancient Greece, and the word itself derives from the Greek word “théatron”, which means “a place for viewing”; theatre is then both the place where the art performance takes place, and a form of art itself.
The visual component is intrinsically connected to theatre, as is proven by the Greek concept that gave origin to the word; theatre can then be perceived as a representation of something that is only complete, that can only be considered theatre when performed to someone, being the public an essential and integral part of this art form.
It is the individuals that are present on stage, the actors that play the role of other people, acting like the characters of the story being told, that have the job of bringing the theatrical text to reality, being them the real expression of the narrative. Even though they are not essential, other elements, such as lighting, scenarios, cyclorama, sound track, props, costumes, extras, among many others, are a great contribution to the creation of the necessary environment for the play, giving realism to the staging, which allows spectators to understand the story more easily. This way, besides the actors, several professionals from different areas are needed in order to produce a theatre play.
Just like any art form, theatre is divided into various genres and sub-genres, each one with its specific characteristics, though they all share a common base: the artistic form of staging and telling a story in real time to a group of spectators.
