1. Origins of theatre in our world today
What is Theatre?
Origins of theatre in our world today

2. Imitation is the basis of all theatre
Humans have always had a basic need to imitate.
Infants learn language by imi­tating the sounds made by those around them.
Children’s play often involves imitations of things they have seen or stories they know.

3. One definition of theater is a person or persons (the actor/s) imitating the actions and words of others (the play) for the benefit of others (the audience).

4. Primitive Times
Little is known about how theatre evolved in primitive times because of a lack of written records.
Anthropologists (those who study humanity) have studied artifacts and cave drawings. They have also visited with and watched primitive tribes that exist in the modern era.

5. Theory to Primitive Theatre
The most accepted theory goes like this:
Several members of the tribe went out to hunt. This was necessary for survival. The rest of the tribe stayed to protect the camp. When the hunters returned, they asked “Did the hunt go well?” The hunters answered, “Let us show you.”

6. So they re-enacted the hunt. They showed the others what happened
So they re-enacted the hunt. They showed the others what happened. Some of the hunters portrayed the animals. Maybe they used the skins of the animals they have killed. Others were the hunters. Together they showed the story of the hunt.
THIS RE-ENACTMENT OF THE HUNT WAS THEATRE.

7. Years passed. The story changed, maybe because new things happened in the hunt. Maybe because the story needed to stay exciting. This is how theatre evolved.
Primitive tribes began to act out the hunting stories before the hunt to bring them magic that would bring them success.
Primitive people used magic to explain things they did not understand.
They also used magic for protecting and to control nature.

8. They repeated this “magical theatre” performance before every hunt.
They performed it the same way every time so it became a ritual.
A ritual is something performed the repeatedly in exactly the same way.
The tribe created new rituals. The tribe chose one member to oversee the rituals.
This member is called the SHAMAN.
The shaman was also the religious leader.
So rituals became religious celebrations.

9. In these primitive times, religion and theatre were the same.
Chinese New Year
In these primitive times, religion and theatre were the same.
In many civilizations that followed, theatre was separated from religion.
Theatrical performances were (and are) an important part of almost all religious ceremonies.
Bali masked dancer
Christian Christmas Paegent