Mystery play Medieval stage dramas that dramatized biblical stories and saints’ lives, performed in towns by guilds and communities from the later Middle Ages; important for liturgy, popular cu…
National Theatre (Prague) — Národní divadlo National Theatre (Prague) Historic Czech theatre in Prague, founded in the 19th-century national revival. A landmark performing house hosting opera, ballet and drama; rebuilt after an 1881 fire and restored…
Nightclub: an overview of evening entertainment venues Nightclub A nightclub is a commercial venue for evening socializing and entertainment, often featuring music, dancing, live performers and alcohol. Varieties range from small bars to large t…
Noh (Nō): Japan's Classical Musical Drama Noh Noh (Nō) is a classical Japanese musical drama combining slow, stylized dance, chant, and instrumental music. It originated in the medieval period and remains a living performance…
Oklahoma! — landmark 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (musical) Oklahoma! is a seminal American musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II that premiered on Broadway in 1943. Noted for its integrated storytelling, choreography and endu…
Olga Harmony — Mexican Playwright and Drama Educator Olga Harmony Olga Harmony (1928–2018) was a Mexican playwright and drama teacher whose plays and pedagogy influenced generations of Mexican theatre practitioners.
Oliver! (musical) — stage musical by Lionel Bart Oliver! Oliver! is a stage musical by Lionel Bart adapted from Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. Known for songs like 'Consider Yourself' and a successful 1968 film, it remains a staple of m…
Opera: the musical drama — history, structure, and performance Opera Opera is a staged drama set to music in which singers and orchestra combine storytelling, vocal art and theatrical design. This overview describes its components, history, performa…
Opéra de Monte-Carlo (Salle Garnier) Opéra de Monte-Carlo Late 19th-century opera house in Monaco, also called Salle Garnier; a Belle Époque miniature by Charles Garnier, opened in 1879 and restored in the 2000s, hosting opera, ballet and…
Opera house: architecture, history, and cultural role Opera house An opera house is a purpose-built performing arts building for staged opera and ballet; this article explains its design, history, notable examples and contemporary uses.
Opéra-Comique: Paris theatre and company Opéra-Comique Historic Parisian opera house and company founded in 1714, associated with the opéra-comique genre—works with spoken dialogue—home to premieres like Bizet's Carmen and Debussy's Pe…
Operetta: history, characteristics, and legacy of light opera Operetta Operetta—often called light opera—is a 19th-century theatrical form mixing sung numbers with spoken dialogue, dance and comedy; it shaped musical theatre and influenced national st…
Orchestra pit: design, function, and notable examples Orchestra pit Comprehensive guide to orchestra pits: what they are, typical designs, acoustic and staging roles, historical development, operational concerns, and notable examples such as the Ba…
Othello — Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Jealousy and the Moor of Venice Othello A concise encyclopedic overview of Shakespeare’s Othello: plot, characters, historical background, themes, and cultural influence, including notable adaptations and performance his…
Pantomime: British Family Musical Comedy Tradition and Seasonal Theatre Pantomime Pantomime: the British family musical-comedy tradition staged at Christmas and New Year, blending fairy-tale plots, songs, slapstick, cross-dressing roles and lively audience parti…
Paris Opera (Opéra National de Paris) — institutions, history, and repertoire Paris Opera France’s principal opera company, the Opéra National de Paris, operates the historic Opéra Garnier and modern Opéra Bastille and houses a world‑renowned ballet company and school.
Pas de Quatre: the 1845 Romantic ballet for four celebrated ballerinas Pas de Quatre Pas de Quatre (1845) is a short Romantic-era ballet by Jules Perrot to music by Cesare Pugni, created to showcase four leading ballerinas and notable for its rare gathering of riva…
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride — a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Patience (operetta) An encyclopedic overview of the two-act operetta Patience (1881) by Gilbert and Sullivan: its satirical targets, musical and dramatic features, premiere and move to the Savoy, rece…
Performance (performing arts) Performance An overview of performance as a live act in the performing arts: definitions, key elements, historical context, common types, and how performers and audiences interact.
Pericles, Prince of Tyre — Shakespeare's late romance Pericles, Prince of Tyre A clear, expanded encyclopedia entry on Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre: plot, characters, authorship questions, themes, textual history and performance highlights.
Petit Théâtre de la Reine — Marie Antoinette's private theatre at Versailles Petit Théâtre de la Reine A concise account of the Petit Théâtre de la Reine at Versailles: its design by Richard Mique for Marie Antoinette, architecture, original stage machinery and sets, historical uses…
Phantasmagoria: 19th‑Century Ghost Projection Shows and Their Legacy Phantasmagoria Phantasmagoria were theatrical horror shows of the late 18th and 19th centuries that used magic lanterns and theatrical trickery to project moving apparitions and create immersive,…
Play (theatre): form, genres, history and production Play (theatre) An overview of the theatrical play as a performed literary form: its structure, roles, staging, main genres, historical development and how directors and actors shape meaning.
Playwright: the craft of writing for the stage Playwright Overview of the playwright — a writer of dramatic texts for live performance. Covers what playwrights write, the word's origin, dramatic forms, development and collaboration, publi…
Prince Escalus (Romeo and Juliet) Prince Escalus Prince Escalus is the magistrate of Verona in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He represents civil authority, punishes public disorder, and ultimately presides over the play's tragi…
Pro Wrestling: Staged Athletic Performance, Storytelling, and the Promotions Industry Professional wrestling Overview of professional wrestling: a scripted athletic spectacle blending choreographed matches, character-driven storylines and promotions that stage events for live audiences, T…
Puck — Shakespeare's mischievous fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck (Shakespeare) Puck is the playful, troublemaking sprite in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. A servant of Oberon, he has folkloric roots as Robin Goodfellow and appears widely in…
Punch and Judy — traditional British glove-puppet show Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a long-standing British seaside puppet entertainment featuring glove puppets, a portable booth, comic slapstick and a single unseen performer known as the Profess…
Puppet: Forms, Techniques, History and Cultural Uses Puppet Puppets are crafted figures animated by people to tell stories, teach, entertain, or perform ritual functions. This article surveys forms, mechanisms, history, uses, and distinctio…
Puppeteer: craft, techniques, and role in performance Puppeteer A puppeteer is an artist who creates and animates puppets—figures shaped like humans, animals, mythical beings or objects—using hands, rods, strings, electronics and other means fo…
Pygmalion — play by George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion Pygmalion is a stage play by George Bernard Shaw exploring language, class and identity through the transformation of a Cockney flower seller into a lady.
Radio drama: history, techniques, formats and cultural influence Radio drama Radio drama (audio drama) is scripted performance created for listening. This article surveys its characteristics, production methods, history, formats, international traditions an…
Rehearsal: practice and preparation for performance Rehearsal Rehearsal is the structured practice that prepares musicians, actors, dancers and technical crews for public performance. Types include dress, technical, sectionals, open rehearsal…
Rent (musical) A rock musical by Jonathan Larson that reimagines Puccini's La bohème for late 20th-century New York, celebrated for its songs, themes of community and illness, and long Broadway r…
Richard II — Shakespeare's history of kingship and deposition Richard II (play) A concise encyclopedia article on Shakespeare's Richard II: its themes, sources, historical staging, structure, and lasting influence on English drama and political debate.
Richard III (play) — Shakespeare’s history drama and its legacy Richard III (play) Overview of Shakespeare's Richard III: background, plot and characters, historical sources and accuracy, performance history, themes, and notable adaptations.
Roman theatre: architecture, history, and notable examples Roman Theatre Ancient Roman theatres were purpose-built venues for drama and public spectacle. This article explains their design, history, uses and highlights examples such as the Roman Theatre…
Romeo (Shakespearean character) Romeo (Shakespeare) Romeo Montague, one of the central figures in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is a young lover whose passion and impulsiveness drive the tragedy and have inspired countless adaptat…
Romeo and Juliet A tragedy by William Shakespeare about two young lovers from feuding families in Verona; celebrated for its poetry, dramatic structure, themes of fate and conflict, and wide-rangin…
Rosemont Theatre — Concert Hall and Performing Arts Venue in Illinois Rosemont Theatre Indoor concert hall in Rosemont, Illinois, seating about 4,400. Opened in 1995, it presents touring music, comedy and family shows and sits near O'Hare, Allstate Arena and the conv…
Royal Opera House (Covent Garden, London) Royal Opera House Major London theatre and cultural institution housing the Royal Opera, Royal Ballet and its orchestra; historic building in Covent Garden rebuilt and modernised with extensive stag…
Royal Variety Performance An annual British gala variety show attended by senior members of the royal family; a televised charity gala presenting singers, comedians, dance and specialty acts and supporting…
Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse — an operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan Ruddigore Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse is a two-act comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan. Premiered in 1887 at the Savoy Theatre, it blends supernatural parody, satirical libretti, and…
Sadler's Wells Theatre, London Sadler's Wells Theatre Major London performing-arts theatre founded in 1683, renowned for dance. Home to two stages, rehearsal facilities, and a long history of companies that evolved into the Royal Ball…
Salle Le Peletier: 19th-century home of the Paris Opera (1821–1873) Salle Le Peletier Salle Le Peletier housed the Paris Opera from 1821 until a devastating fire in 1873. This article summarizes its architecture, changing official names, cultural role, and legacy le…
San Francisco Ballet — Overview, History, and Significance San Francisco Ballet A comprehensive overview of the San Francisco Ballet: its history, artistic structure, repertoire, education and community work, and its place in American dance.
Satyr play (ancient Greek theatrical genre) Satyr play A satyr play is a short, comic ancient Greek drama featuring a chorus of satyrs, ribald humor, mythic subjects and rustic spectacle. Only fragments and one complete example survive…
Scenario (theatre, film, and planning) Scenario A scenario is a concise outline of events or actions used in performing arts and planning to shape a story, prompt improvisation, or explore alternative futures.
