THE EVOLUTION OF ACTING STYLES FROM CLASSICAL TO MODERN AGES

This study investigates the evolution of acting styles from the Classical to the Modern age, using Herakles by Euripides and The Gods Are Not To Blame by Ola Rotimi as primary case studies. While both plays originate from Greek tragic tradition, they are situated within vastly different cultural and historical contexts, Herakles within the ritualistic framework of Classical Athens, and The Gods Are Not To Blame within the postcolonial Yoruba theatrical tradition. The research explores how acting techniques, emotional expression, use of space and movement, vocal delivery, and audience engagement have transformed over time, reflecting broader shifts in societal values, cultural identity, and theatrical priorities. The study adopts a qualitative analytical approach, grounding its observations in specific productions: the 2004 staging of Herakles by the National Theatre of Greece featuring Dimitris Lignadis, and the 2015 University of Ibadan production of The Gods Are Not To Blame directed by Professor Duro Oni and starring Ayo Akinwale. Through these examples, the research illustrates how Classical acting emphasized symbolic abstraction, formalized gestures, and metaphysical reflection, while modern African acting embraces realism, emotional immediacy, and communal storytelling rooted in indigenous performance traditions. Findings reveal that acting is not a fixed technique but a culturally adaptive practice. The transition from mask-based, declamatory performance to psychologically rich, participatory expression underscores the evolving role of the actor from a vessel of mythic truth to a mirror of lived experience. The study concludes that the evolution of acting styles is inseparable from the cultural and historical conditions in which theatre is produced, and recommends further exploration of performance across diverse traditions to enrich global theatre scholarship.