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Ancient Greek
Theater & Folklore
The time is 534 BCE... the place? Ancient Greece, in the city-state of Athens. The poet Thespis was credited for inventing the form of tragedy and becoming the first-ever actor, who brought his troupe on wagons, to perform in the central agora (or Greek meeting place) (Bay, et al. 2023).
Image found at https://www.athenskey.com/agora.html
"Theater... or Performance? Or both?"
The word "theater" conjures many images to mind. The word itself comes from the Greek "theatron," "a place of seeing." Today, it's defined as "a building or space in which a performance may be given before an audience" (Bay, et al., 2023). Ancient Greeks began the tradition of using space for performance as expression, as social commentary, and more.
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