Theatre History and Its Impact on Society

Theatre is an artform holding a great amount of influence in our society in both modern times and as we reflect back on history. While some may argue against the fact that it has made a significant impact on our society, time and time again, it is proven that this is not the case. Overtime, countless advances have been made in theatre, crafting an impressionable relationship with society. These relationship sparking advances are seen through theatre history, differences and similarities of the concept of theatre in present day, and the impact theatre as an artform has had on society.

These concepts will be examined throughout the duration of this essay, as well as the argument that theatre has not impacted society throughout history.

Of course, theatre did not simply emerge from the woodwork and begin shaping elements of society. For hundreds of centuries, theatrical studies and practices have taken place, developing into what they are known as today. The concept of theatre was born in Ancient Greece during the Classical Era, giving life to the beloved artform; the first evidence of theatre itself as an individual artform is traced back to 534 BCE in the city-state of Athens where the first recorded prize was issued in a tragedy contest.

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Therefore, even in the earliest times, was used as a form of entertainment, commencing with famous styles such as tragedy which still exist today. Theatrics evolved through from the Hellenistic Age where the basic structure of a theatre itself was solidified (before actual evidence of dramatic activity occurred).

In approximately 300 BCE, the Theatre of Dionysus was constructed out of stone, in a semi circle shape, with elevated seating, a design which is used to this day in modern theatres. We can also see in early centuries that theatre was expanded and brought into venues other than traditional theatres; seating areas were made available in locations including “market squares, at stations along streets where pageant wagons were to stop, in various kinds of halls, and in fields just outside many cities”. Theatre-in -the-round was demonstrated in this era as well. This idea was first seen in the Middle Ages and has carried the trend through history into present day as performances are often witnessed in various unexpected locations including festivals, malls, and gymnasiums. Finally, in the Renaissance period, theatre is allowed to transform from simply an artform to a career and way of life. During this time, many people such as academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and charities began looking into the idea of profiting from public theatre performances.Thanks to this specific advancement, artists were given the opportunity to make their hobbies and passions into a career which they could centre their lives around. These early base levels of theatre in periods of time BCE set a ground level for theatre which is built off of. By essentially inventing the artform, it’s home, it’s nature, and its purpose, theatre was given the ability to grow into what it is known as today. Understanding the history of theatre is critical for understanding the advances that later arose as well as the relationship with society that was eventually formed. Early historical origins into times as early as the Classical Era has allowed an extensive amount of theories and techniques to be borrowed from, adopted, changed, and developed into methods for current theatrical pieces. Without these early stages, theatre as we know it would not exist.

As time, society, and theatre progress, it becomes easier to compare past works to present works of theatre to identify changes first hand. With this being said, there are both several similarities and differences when it comes to past and present pieces. In terms of similarities, many common themes from present day theatrical pieces were also popular in the past. For example, themes including memory, archives, land, politics, language, conflict, intrigue, past, present, and future are seen in the Canadian Opera company’s Louis Riel which has been produced in a variety of eras. Additionally, actors continue to be interested in the same types of roles; every serious actor dreams of playing Hamlet even though the play was written in 1599 as characters with depth and lack of clarity never get boring to theatrical professionals or audiencesAs we continue into 2019, countless actors dream of playing historic role including Hamlet and Lady Macbeth, demonstrating that the essence of being an actor truly hasn’t changed drastically. As for differences, character analysis has become much more in depth as time has gone on; all successful actors spend countless hours doing character development to perfect the voice, walk, gestures, and personality of each role they’re assigned. Whereas in the past, actors would only do basic development for their characters if at all. Lastly, harsh plot lines are often explored in present theatrical pieces as opposed to those typically “light and fluffy” plot lines of more historic scripts. This concept is clearly shown through a variety of productions from the past and present; while there were many mature, controversial topics discussed in past productions, these types of plots are much more common in present day. These include suicide, mental illness, grief, etc.Overall, theatre has certainly advanced. Examining the ways in which current theatre differs from and/or compares to more historic versions of theatre gives insight into the various advances made in the artform. By looking at similarities including themes and desires of actors to play challenging, meaty roles, it becomes clear that the past has influenced the present and continues to do so. Meanwhile, differences such as deeper character analysis and more blunt plotlines reveal progress and development from older theatrical works. Nevertheless, these advances are derived from past techniques and productions. This merely shows the impact the past has had on the future and introduces the idea of society being connected to theatre.

Finally, after closely examining the history of theatre and comparing the present day works to those of the past, we are able to see the major impacts made on society. This begins with the overall exposure of theatre as an artform to the general public. Nowadays, theatre terms/phrases are often considered common knowledge or pop culture. In fact, many individuals recognize and use common theatrical phrases in everyday conversation. For example, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players” giving the theatre community a good reputation within other groups of society. A deeper, more significant societal impact theatre has made is those surrounding issues which are not freely discussed. By theatrical pieces giving exposure to typically controversial subjects, they become normalized in society. There are a variety of musicals and plays which focus on social issues; Drag Queen culture as well as the LGBTQ+ community are the focus of the 2013 musical, Kinky Boots which shed light on struggles surrounding the topics and opening the eyes of audience members.Another major benefit of theatre’s presence in society is the fact that positive messages in productions teach audience members valuable life lessons. Theatrical pieces consistently provide observers with touching, inspiring messages which prompt them to do/change something in society. Each piece conveys an important lesson which audiences have the ability to take away from the experience and better not only their own lives but also the lives of others, further proving the positive change theatre has yielded. Finally, artists have become more accepted in society; unfortunately, theatre professionals still haven’t earned the respect of many individuals. However, the good reputation theatre is creating allows these artists to make a career out of the artform.This is extremely important as it is allowing people to follow their dreams and pursue something they love, ultimately making our society happier, more diverse, and more productive as a whole. Examining theatre’s relationship with society solidifies the concept that theatre has developed greatly as an artform as well as left a significant impression on the world and people around it. Not only has theatre become recognized by individuals as an important part of their culture, theatre professionals have also gained recognition thanks to the exposure received by the artform. There are countless ways that society has been directly affected by something occuring in the theatre. Whether it be change inflicting messages being conveyed to audience members or isolated issues being brought to the attention of society members, individuals as well as communities have been changed for the better. The relationship between the stage and the world is nothing but remarkably inspiring.

Unfortunately, despite everything proven above, there are still individuals who argue that theatre couldn’t possibly have made a significant impact on our society. I hear people constantly saying that theatre is simply a hobby and doesn’t benefit the world whatsoever. While I do see where this argument is coming from, I just simply cannot allow it to be viewed as correct due to the overwhelming amount of evidence produced through this essay alone.

In conclusion, theatre as an artform has done incredible things for not only individuals, but also for the world. Through the history of theatre, the comparison of past and present theatre pieces and the examination of the relationship between theatre and society, this concept is clearly demonstrated, leaving no room for competing opinions.