Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one or more persons, isolated in time and/or space, present themselves to another or others."[1] By this broad definition, theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of human tendency for storytelling. Since its inception, theatre has come to take on many forms, utilizing speech, gesture, music, dance, and spectacle, combining the other performing arts, often as well as the visual arts, into a single artistic form. The word theater means a “place for seeing.” The two most common types of theatre plays are comedy and tragedy, symbolised by the theatre masks. The first known theatrical event was a performance of the sacred plays of the myth of Osiris and Isis in 2500 BC in Egypt. [2] This story of the god Osiris was performed annually at festivals throughout the civilization, marking the beginning of a long relationship between theatre and religion. The ancient Greeks began formalizing theatre as an art, developing strict definitions of tragedy and comedy as well as other forms, including satyr plays. Like the religious plays of ancient Egypt, Greek plays made use of mythological characters. The Greeks also developed the concepts of dramatic criticism, acting as a career, and theatre architecture. The history of Eastern theatre is traced back to 1000 BC with the Sanskrit drama of ancient Indian theatre. Chinese theatre also dates back to around the same time. Japanese forms of Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen date back to the 17th century AD. Other Eastern forms were developed throughout China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. The most popular forms of theater in the medieval Islamic world were puppet theatre (which included hand puppets, shadow plays and marionette productions) and live passion plays known as ta'ziya, where actors re-enact episodes from Muslim history. In particular, Shia Islamic plays revolved around the shaheed (martyrdom) of Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali. Live secular plays were known as akhraja, recorded in medieval adab literature, though they were less common than puppetry and ta'ziya theater.[3] The most recognisable figures in theatre are the directors, playwrights, and actors, but theatre is a highly collaborative endeavour. Plays are usually produced by a production team that commonly includes a scenic or set designer, lighting designer, costume designer, sound designer, stage manager, props mistress or props master and production manager. Depending on the production, this team may also include a dramaturg, video designer or fight director. The artistic staff is assisted by technical theatre personnel who handle creation and execution of the production. Notable theatre festivals * Blyth Festival - Blyth, Ontario, Canada. * Curitiba Theatre Festival - Brazil. * Edinburgh International Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland * Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá - Colombia. * Festival Internacional de Artistas de Rua da Bahia - Brazil. (Street artists). * Galway Arts Festival (Galway Ireland). * Golden Mask Festival (Russia). * Magnetic North Theatre Festival (Canada). * Natyanjali Classical Indian musical theatre festival in the Hindu temples of South India. * Oregon Shakespeare Festival - Ashland, Oregon. * Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, California). * Project06 (Galway Ireland). * Stockton International Riverside Festival - Stockton-on-tees, England * Shaw Festival - Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. * Stratford Shakespeare Festival - Stratford, Ontario, Canada. * Williamstown Theatre Festival - Williamstown, Massachusetts * Festival Internacional de Teatro Ciudad de Manizales - Manizales, Caldas, Colombia * Prem Utsav Play festival based on stories of famous Indian author Munshi Premchand every year on 31 July in Mumbai, India * The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey - Madison, New Jersey * JoakimFest - City of Kragujevac, Serbia Official Website * JoakimInterFest - City of Kragujevac, Serbia Official Website Awards in theatre * Back Stage West Garland Awards (USA) * Drama Desk Award (USA) * Dora Award (Canada) * Elliot Norton Awards (Boston, MA, USA) * European Theatre Award (Europe) * Evening Standard Awards (United Kingdom) * Golden Mask Award (Russia) * Green Room Award (Australia) * Hans-Reinhart-Ring (Switzerland) * Hedda award (Norway) * Helpmann Award (Australia) * Jessie Award (Canada) * Joseph Jefferson Award (USA) * Laurence Olivier Awards (United Kingdom) * London Critics' Circle Theatre Awards (United Kingdom) * Lucille Lortel Award (USA) * Manchester Evening News Annual Drama Awards (United Kingdom) * Masques (Quebec, Canada) * Matilda Award (Australia) * Molière Award (France) * Musical Awards Gala (Netherlands) * Naledi Theatre Awards (South Africa) * New York Innovative Theatre Awards (USA) * Obie Award (USA) * Ovation Awards (USA) * Sangeet Natak Academy Award (India) * Sterling Award (Canada) * Theatre Pasta Theatre Awards (USA)Official Website * Tony Award (USA) * The Statuette of Joakim Vujic (City of Kragujevac, Serbia)Official Website Theatre portal * Culinary theatre * Jobs in theater * List of playwrights * List of theatre directors * Movie theatre * Outline of theatre * Reader's theatre * Theatre consultant * Theatre for development * Theater (structure) * Theatre technique * Theatrical style