| History
of Layke Anderson:
The first recorded case of an
actor performing took place in 534 BC (probably on 23 November,
though the changes in calendar over the years make it hard
to determine exactly) when the Greek performer Thespis stepped
on to the stage at the Theatre Dionysus and became the first
known person to speak words as a character in a play. Prior
to Thespis' act, stories were told in song and dance and in
third person narrative, but no one had assumed the role of
a character in a story. In honour of Thespis, actors are commonly
called Thespians.
Theatrical legend to this day
maintains that Thespis exists as a mischievous spirit, and
disasters in the theatre are sometimes blamed on his ghostly
intervention.a actors were traditionally not people of high
status, and in the Early Middle Ages travelling acting troupes
were often viewed with distrust. In many parts of Europe,
actors could not even receive a Christian burial, and traditional
beliefs of the region and time period held that this left
any actor forever condemned.
However, this negative
perception was largely reversed in the 19th and 20th centuries
as acting has become an honored and popular profession and
art. Part of the cause is the easier popular access to dramatic
film entertainment and the resulting rise of the movie star
— as regards both their social status and the salaries
they command. The combination of public presence and wealth
has profoundly rehabilitated their image.
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