History of the Theatre Third Edition Author:Oscar G. Brockett The theatre is an extremely complex institution, since it encompasses playwriting, directing, acting, costume, makeup, scenery, lighting, properties, theatre architecture, machinery, special effects, management, audiences, and criticism. The author has touched on all of these subjects, although the space devoted to each varies. For e... more »xample, because drama is treated as one element in the total theatrical context, only the basic outlines of its development have been traced, for it would require a book of equal or greater scope to do it justice. The objective has been to provide a chronological narrative of the theatre's history as an institution rather than an exhaustive treatment of any one part. Furthermore, since the theatre cannot be divorced from the many forces that have shaped it, the author has sought not only to show how the theatre has developed, but also to suggest whenever possible why it took particular paths. Although there are facts in abundance, the major concern has been for those practices that give each era its distinctive flavor and those trends that were to influence succeeding eras.« less