For this past weeks class, we learned about the history of the theater. I knew a lot about theater going into this class, but, I knew Lisa would give me some new facts about theater that I did not already know, which she did of course. Theater goes as far back as 8500 years before the birth of Christ, which was something I did not know. But, during those times, it was not theater as we know it, but, there were tribal rituals and dances that took place.  The Greeks would evolve theater during this time and such playwrights as Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Aristotle started to form what drama was and what theater should be. The Romans then made some contributions to the craft during this time. Over the next 1700 years or so, theater would evolve and such playwrights as Shakespeare came along and made the theater what it is today. Shakespeare gave the plays meaning and purpose. He made them more enjoyable and presented ideas to the public that people never thought of until his time. And as the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe took place, theater began to change and became more radical. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, theater would work its way to the United States and theater became a staple in the United States, especially during the 20th century in the United States. Now we have plays that are of all genres (tragedy, musicals, love stories, etc.). This is thanks to the creators of theater from thousands of years ago, who made the contributions to theater that are still present in today’s society.