The Roman Theatre And Its Audience [Paperback]

The Roman Theatre and Its Audiencedeals not only with every era but with every genre that entertained the sons of Romulus...Beacham charts the transformation of sedate Hellenistic comedy into raucous entertainment suitable for the Roman spectators described by Horace aspotus et exlex('drunk and disorderly').A fine piece of work...[Beacham's] theories about mime, pantomime, and Roman wall painting will stir much discussion, and his book will be valued by all who are interested in the theatre of the ancient world.Drawing on recent archaeological investigations and scholarship, and on his own research and staging experience, Beacham traces the history of the Roman theatre, from its origins in the fourth century B.C. to the demise of formal theatrical activity at the end of antiquity.