19th century playwrights remade the French theater – first with Realism, then Naturalism.

19th century racism contributed to a unique and troubling performance culture in America.

How did American theater develop after the Revolutionary War?

In the 18th century, audiences were ready for some really, really dramatic theater.

After Germany was unified, we got Sturm, Drang, Weimar Classicism and Goethe.

English Sentimental Comedies weren't that funny, but they were definitely sentimental.

Let's discuss wizard theater and the rise of classical Chinese theater and Beijing Opera.

Learn about the all-night dance shows in India that culminate in killing a Demon.

Under the Shoguns, we get Kabuki and Bunraku. And Samurais get in trouble for watching it.

American theater existed before Europeans arrived, and the Spanish greatly influenced it.

Meet Renaissance France's theater greatest playwright: Molière.

The French Neoclassical revival involved a lot of rules – and some rule-breaking.

Spain was having kind of a moment in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the 1600s, English theater had to go into hiding, from PURITANS. Enter: WOMEN.

Thanks, Shakespeare! Let's talk about Ben Jonson, revenge tragedies, and court masques.

Let's take a look at Shakespeare's comedies, romances, problem plays and heroines.

Shakespeare's tragedies had some jokes, and they changed the way tragedies were written.

How a young Shakespeare stormed into London's theater – and wrote some pretty good plays.

Let's take a look at London theater and the playwrights who set the stage for Shakespeare.

Painting, music, architecture, and plays with fart jokes were all thriving from 1300-1500.

Noh, and its counterpart Kyogen are some of the most revered theater forms in Japan.

After European churches changed their minds on theater, drama became an outdoor activity.

Meet Hrotsvitha: a cool, 10th century nun/playwright who influenced a new era of theater.

As Christianity rose in the west, theater declined. But it returned – via Catholic Mass!

Thanks to Bharata Muni, we can tell you quite a bit about Ancient Sanskrit theater.

Roman dramas lifted stories and characters directly from Greek dramatists like Menander.

Turns out, Roman theater looks A LOT like Greek theater.

How did Greek comedy evolve out of tragedies? And how did that become real comedy?

Let's look at Aristotle's rules for theater, and how they can be used for catharsis.

Western theater arose in Athens, Greece from religious rituals – including RITUAL MADNESS.

1.What is theater? And 2. Is it spelled -re or -er? The first question is a bit trickier.