The Romans loved live theatre. Plays were only performed during religious ceremonies and religious festivals. However, since the ancient Romans celebrated over 200 holidays a year, there were many opportunities for plays to be staged. Someone had to pay for the play, as actors received a small fee. Usually a wealthy noble would pay the bill, in honor of the gods, and give the play to the people as a gift.

There was a Forum in the center of each town of size. The Forum was an open area, and used as the marketplace. Typically, there were buildings around the Forum including a major temple. When it came time to stage a play, a wooden platform was built in the Forum.  

The actors were men. Each actor played several roles. They wore simple costumes that could be changed quickly and in public. The actors held up happy face masks and sad faced masks, to help the audience understand what was going on in the play. Over time, masks became very elaborate. 

Pantomime: During the play, the Roman people would talk to each other. Because it was noisy, sometimes people would raise their voices so they could be heard. That made it even more noisy. So that everyone could follow along with the story told by the actors, no matter how noisy the crowd became, the actors would sometimes use a technique called pantomime. Pantomime is a play without words. The actors used dance, music, hand gestures, facial expressions, elaborate sets, and costumes to present the play. 

Actors were not highly respected in ancient Rome. It could be a dangerous occupation. When the Romans saw a play they did not like, they shouted at the actors and told them to get off the stage. If they did not get off the stage, the audience might begin to throw things at them. 

Roman Theatre and Masks (scbeo schools)  

Roman Entertainment (wjcc schools) 

Ancient Roman Architecture - Free Powerpoints