Wikipedia 10K Redux by Reagle from Starling archive. Bugs abound!!!
The earliest days of theater has not been definitively identified. Some theories hold that theatrical and dramatic representations came from the revelry of the ancient Greek celebration of Bacchus. In any case, little doubt exists about the fact that the modern theater was born in ancient Greece. Important figures in ancient Greek theater include: * AristophaneS * SophocleS * EuripideS * AeschyluS ...and AristotlE, primarily for his timeless theories on the dramatic arts. In the middle ages in Europe, the theater was reduced to didactic, metaphorical illustrations that featured the "Everyman." The Renaissance brought the geniuses of WilliamShakespeare. The Baroque theater produced MolierE.