Western theatre: Quick Facts

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout.

Stone amphitheatre at Epidaurus, Greece, with rows of tiered seating curving around a circular stage, surrounded by trees and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.

Leptis Magna, Libya: Roman amphitheatre

Drawing of an ancient Roman pantomimus

setting for the Valenciennes mystery play

Ornate stage of Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy, featuring classical architectural details, statues in niches, and a central archway opening onto a perspective street set.

commedia dell'arte troupe

Italian-manner stage

Joseph Grimaldi as the clown in Harlequin Padmanada; or, The Golden Fish

Witness Western theatre in the Middle Ages by following a troupe performing The Play of Abraham and Isaac

Go inside a Globe Theatre model with Maynard Mack to examine features of the Elizabethan playhouse

Listen to a commentary on the rivalry between Junius Brutus Booth and Edmund Kean competing as interpreters of William Shakespeare's Richard III in the early 19th century

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Western arts African theatre Western painting Western architecture Western sculpture Western music Western dance theatrical production Western literature 10 Superstitions and Traditions in Theater Performance art

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William Shakespeare and Lord Chamberlain's Men performing "Love's Labour's Lost" for Queen Elizabeth I, from the Works of William Shakespeare; etching, dated c. mid-19th century.

A Night at the Theatre Quiz