Theatre from the Middle Ages through to the Renaissance Period.

Theatre was totally abolished after the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. There were only wandering actors, referred to as jongleurs, who would travel from town to town to tell stories, juggle, and do acrobatic tricks. With the decay of theatre, Christianity became popular. Ironically it was the Catholic Church which revived theatre through The Middle Ages after initiating the decline of theatre in Rome. The Catholic Church wanted to re-establish itself in …

…any plays with a religious subject matter. This resulted in a revival of Greek and Roman works. The abandonment of all religious subject matter destroyed the last remaining basis for an international drama. Therefore each country developed it's own national interests and characteristic style. With no more support from the Church, including financial support, theatre companies turned to noblemen and rulers for help. With their support, the professional theatre companies gradually established themselves throughout Europe.