''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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In the theater waiting for 9 to start. A computer animated Star Wars show? Whhyyy?
OkieBookworm (April Stevens) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:02:46 -0000
In the theater waiting for 9 to start. A computer animated Star Wars show? Whhyyy?
@colleennika I saw it at Sunshine Theater in NYC... I want to see Coco b4 Chanel at the Paris theater this week,come with,dress up
angellustnyc (angellustnyc) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:02:44 -0000
@colleennika I saw it at Sunshine Theater in NYC... I want to see Coco b4 Chanel at the Paris theater this week,come with,dress up
Entertainment Memo to rude theater-goers: Hugh Jackman will go Wolverine on your ass - Entertainme.. http://bit.ly/JQDXS
Textworldnewsww (Textworldnewsww.nl) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:02:26 -0000
Entertainment Memo to rude theater-goers: Hugh Jackman will go Wolverine on your ass - Entertainme.. http://bit.ly/JQDXS
akhirnya bisa ngelihat dream theater beraksi diatas panggung! emang keren bgt sih petrucci..wow..!
PedroBautista (Pedro Bautista) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:02:26 -0000
akhirnya bisa ngelihat dream theater beraksi diatas panggung! emang keren bgt sih petrucci..wow..!
Love the excitement as a crowd gathers outside a theater before a film, it's happening now @ the Oriental! #mkeff09
tilney (Tilney) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:01:57 -0000
Love the excitement as a crowd gathers outside a theater before a film, it's happening now @ the Oriental! #mkeff09
Jesus Christ as Denouement in the Theater of God - John Piper http://bit.ly/JopqE #tulip (via @ReformedNews)
Spidercam (Cameron Morgan) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:01:55 -0000
Jesus Christ as Denouement in the Theater of God - John Piper http://bit.ly/JopqE #tulip (via @ReformedNews)

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