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200
1200 B.C.E. in Greece
the "Cult of Dionysus" practiced ritual celebrations of fertility, which over time altered and became Spring rituals with theatre at the center of the celebration -
300
600 B.C.E. Near Greece
The choros, originally danced in a circle by temple virgins, is the centrepiece of the developing Greek theatre. -
400
534 B.C.E. Thepis wins drama compition.
Thespis wins the first public contest for tragic poets in Greece, and the term thespian derives from his name. He also introduces masks, which become a staple of Greek and Roman theater. -
500
340 B.C.E. Epidaurus theatre
The theatre at Epidaurus is the earliest and best surviving example of a classical Greek stage and auditorium -
Jan 1, 600
350-250 B.C.E. Hellenistic or Colonial period is an era of Comedy theatre
In this era Comedy is preferred over tragedy. Old Comedy, buffoonery and farce that often attacks individuals and portrays the foibles of a social class, evolves into New Comedy, a more polished and refined humor that centers on the shortcomings of the middle class. Comic drama moves from politics and philosophy to everyday life. -
Jan 1, 1170
The first known mystery play is performed
The play "The Mystery of Adam" takes place outside a church somewhere in France. -
Jan 1, 1489
Ballet was performed for the first time.
Ballet is performed for the first time. -
Jan 1, 1495
A morality play that meets people on their level
Everyman, the best surviving example of a morality play, is written. The morality play touches on large contemporary issues with moral overtones and describes the lives of everyday people facing temptation. -
William Shakespeare writes some of the greatest plays of all time 1598-1608
William Shakespeare writes Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, All's Well That Ends Well, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Anthony and Cleopatra. -
1642–1660 Puritans banish Theatre.
Following the civil war of 1642, the Puritans close or burn down all English theaters and forbid acting. -
Women start appearing in plays.
Women start appearing in French and English plays. Elizabeth Barry and Anne Bracegirdle are among the pioneers. -
Romeo and Juliet is performed in America
Romeo and Juliet, the first play by Shakespeare to be presented in America, is performed in New York -
The first "spotlight" is used in U.S. called the "Limelight"
Gaslighting is used for the first time in American theater at Philadelphia's Chestnut Street Theatre. Thomas Drummond invents the limelight, which is used in the same manner as the spotlight is used today. -
Drinking banned from theaters
The Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 bans drinking in legitimate theaters. Many tavern owners take advantage of the situation and renovate their establishments to accommodate live performances. -
Cats opens on Broadway.
Cats opens on Broadway. Becomes Broadway's longest-running play. -
The Wizard of Oz. opens on broadway
The Wizard of Oz, based on the book by Frank Baum, opens on Broadway as a musical to huge success -
Opera and Theatre mix
The Broadway musical links with opera in Jerome Kern's revolutionary Show Boat. Dancer Isadora Duncan dies when her scarf gets caught in the wheel of a moving car -
1983 Homosexual theaters were accepted
Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy wins the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and Tony Award for best play, marking the acceptance of gay theatre. -
Screens are installed into the back of seats.
The Metropolitan Opera installs screens on audience seats that display captions, to attract a wider audience -
Terrorist take hostage a Theatre in Russia.
Chechen terrorists take hostage the entire audience of a Moscow theatre in an atrocity resulting in the death of more than 150 people -
500-800 C.E. Theatre all but died in Rome
Theater is all but extinct in both the western and eastern Roman Empires during the Dark Ages because Christians oppose the entertainment. -
The Roman Catholic Church reinstated Theatre
The church introduces dramatic performances to Easter services, acting out the story of the Resurrection. Ironically, the institution that discouraged theater is responsible for its rebirth.
