''For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation)

Theatre or theater (Greek "theatron", "θέατρον") is the branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed any one or more elements of the other performing arts. In addition to the standard narrative dialogue style, theatre takes such forms as opera, ballet, mime, kabuki, classical Indian dance, Chinese opera, mummers' plays, and pantomime.

Overview of theatre

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"Drama" (literally translated, Action, from a verbal root meaning "I do") is that branch of theatre in which speech, either from written text (plays), or improvised is paramount. "Musical theatre" is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance routines, and spoken dialogue. However, theatre is more than just what one sees on stage. Theatre involves an entire world behind the scenes that creates the costumes, sets and lighting to make the overall effect interesting. There is a particularly long tradition of political theatre, intended to educate audiences on contemporary issues and encourage social change. Various creeds, Catholicism for instance, have built upon the entertainment value of theatre and created (for example) passion plays, mystery plays and morality plays.

There is an enormous variety of philosophies, artistic processes, and theatrical approaches to creating plays and drama. Some are connected to political or spiritual ideologies, and some are based on purely "artistic" concerns. Some processes focus on a story, some on theatre as an event, some on theatre as a catalyst for social change. According to Aristotle's seminal theatrical critique Poetics, there are six elements necessary for theatre. They are Plot, Character, Idea, Language, Song, and Spectacle. The 17th-century Spanish writer Lope de Vega wrote that for theatre one needs "three boards, two actors, and one passion". Others notable for their contribution to theatrical philosophy are Konstantin Stanislavski, Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, Orson Welles, Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowski.

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#Theatre Geeks episode 1 now up! http://ow.ly/FbJp
ectheatre (ElkhartCivicTheatre) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:39:14 -0000
#Theatre Geeks episode 1 now up! http://ow.ly/FbJp
Is excited to be seeing Alison Moyet this evening at the new theatre oxford. Ahh my icon and dream meet from childhood finally realised.
Jasonwoodtweets (Jason wood) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:39:04 -0000
Is excited to be seeing Alison Moyet this evening at the new theatre oxford. Ahh my icon and dream meet from childhood finally realised.
@nayenggita di jakarta theatre tadi, di ballroomnya.. iya rame banget tadi.. hehee..
ariessaa (jessica ariessa) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:38:20 -0000
@nayenggita di jakarta theatre tadi, di ballroomnya.. iya rame banget tadi.. hehee..
TODAY: Bring the Noise at The Marlborough Theatre http://bit.ly/624yy3
brightongigs (brightongigs) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:37:45 -0000
TODAY: Bring the Noise at The Marlborough Theatre http://bit.ly/624yy3
Times Square, Chelsea, Billy's, Madison Square Garden, Theatre District, Meatpacking, Pasti's, MET Opera & Almodovar's Broken Embraces.
alikemalguven (Ali K. Guven) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:37:20 -0000
Times Square, Chelsea, Billy's, Madison Square Garden, Theatre District, Meatpacking, Pasti's, MET Opera & Almodovar's Broken Embraces.
STEPHEN GATELY’s memorial service will go ahead as planned this Sunday (Nov 29) at The Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London at 7:30pm.
Pressparty (Pressparty) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:37:13 -0000
STEPHEN GATELY’s memorial service will go ahead as planned this Sunday (Nov 29) at The Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London at 7:30pm.

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