“Life is a theater, and we are actors,” by William Shakespeare.

Same rights grandfather William Shakespeare, we are all with you an interesting actor play called life. Each of us stands in the lead role himself. And that is why the great art of the theater is such an interesting and fascinating. Theater scene, the acting – it is nothing like our life in miniature, where during the performance of two hours, along with the actors sometimes are living your whole life, the ups and downs, love, intrigue, joy, sadness, tragedy, comedy, drama .

When in the early 20th century, the cinema was invented, and the first movies appeared, many predicted the death of the theater and its replacement by TV. But fortunately it did not happen; the great mystery of the theater is immortal. The theater existed and will exist as long as there are people.

The art of theater was born in ancient times, when man first began to ponder the meaning of his life, and above all those eternal questions that haunt philosophers, thinkers and romantics of all ages. From the history of the theater the first organized theatrical performances have appeared in ancient Egypt and had a theatrical form of religious mysteries.

Word “the mystery” origin from Greek and means secret rite, the involvement of the Divine. The ancient Egyptian mysteries were closed, accessible only to a narrow circle of dedicated people – priests. They were religious in nature and dedicated to Egyptian gods, Isis and Osiris.

From ancient Egyptian religious mysteries moved to ancient Greece. The Greeks at one time a lot of things borrowed from the Egyptians (in particular, dramatized the religious mysteries). Well-known Greek philosophers Plato and Pythagoras studied in Egypt temples and were the sacrament of initiation into the Egyptian mysteries. In Greece, the mystery was the first widespread and accessible to many people. At first, too, as in Egypt there was only a small circle of initiates (the mysteries), then the circle becomes more and more until it has acquired a mass character. So much so that among the ancient Greeks, it became fashionable to be initiated into the mystery. The most famous Greek mysteries were “Eleusinian Mysteries.” They held each year in the small town of Eleusis (suburb of Athens) and dedicated to the Greek goddess of fertility and agriculture Demeter and Persephone.

Eleusinian Mysteries themselves were a theatrical spectacle in the plot of which lay the ancient Greek myth of Persephone’s abduction by the underworld god Hades. Also known as the Eleusinian Mysteries are Orphic mysteries, Dionysiac, Crete, and many different mysteries, which were played in the captivating theater performances of various Greek myths.

Abduction of Persephone

With the advent of Christianity as a manifestation of the pagan religions, mysteries were banned. However, they made a huge contribution to the development of Greek culture and gave impetus to the emergence of the famous Greek Theatre.

Youth nativity scenes that go on Christmas Day in cities and villages in western Ukraine, playing the pageant birth of Jesus Christ, is an example of a true Christian religious mystery.

In Greece, the theater closed religious mystery is gradually turned into a secular public performances, and the priests and clergy of the ancient pagan gods retrained in the actors.

From the Greek art of the theater was taken by the Romans, and later, with the conquests of the Roman legions and the troops of Alexander of Macedon spread throughout Europe and Asia, from Britain to the misty sun of India.

As time went on, changing the century, and with them has changed and the theater, from the semi-circular scenes of Greek and Roman amphitheaters, a street, carnival submission of the Middle Ages, until filled with spectacular special effects and 3D graphics, scene of present days. The shape and nature of the theater has changed, only one – the audience interest in the mystery of the great theater remained unchanged.

P. S. The last days the more and more popular become theater’s with comfortable home atmosphere, when number of viewer are no more then 20-30 person and when you can feel there almost like at home, drinking aromatic and tasty Matcha tea (or some other nice sort of teas) with tasty sweet cakes and feeling yourself like part of great theater mystery.