The Origins of Acting Pt. 1

How did Greek and Roman theatre create the art form of acting?  What was commedia del' arte's influence on the development of acting?

    Greek and Roman theatre created the art form of acting through the development of theatre. Theatre began as spoken stories that were passed down through word of mouth. Eventually, theatre were created to develop the Greek god Dionysus with stories that included Lampoons, Comedies, and Tragedies. The performances had to be much bigger and declamatory; having to focus on vocal projection because of the larger open spaces that the crowds were in. However, theatre momentarily died during the Dark Ages after Rome fell. Commedia del' arte's influenced the development of acting as it was an incredibly popular form of theatre that spread amongst different cultures. It had many character types and acting styles that influenced early film as well such as Charlie Chaplin.