English theater

Plays of the Elizabethan period developed from the interludes performed by wandering actors, and the classically inspired plays of schools and universities. (The Elizabethan Period is the period from 1558 to 1603, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I). These two traditions merged in the 1580's when a new group of playwrights, many of them university-educated, began writing for professional actors of the public theater.

The Elizabethan playwright Thomas Kyd is important in the history of drama because he brought classical influence to popular drama. By 1590, several dramatists had bridged the gap between the learned and popular audiences. Their blending of classical and medieval devices with absorbing stories established the foundations upon which William Shakespeare built.

Excerpt adapted from the "Drama" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999