What Does it Mean to Be a Thespian?

You have seen thespians in movies, on television and on stage. Brad Pitt, Whoopi Goldberg and Jason Bateman are all thespians. A thespian is a dramatic actor or actress.

Origin of Drama

A dramatic actor is also refered to as a thespian.

Drama originated in Greece. A poet named Thespis was the first person to use actors alongside the chorus and its leader.

Thespis

Thespis lived in the 6th century BC. None of his plays survived through the centuries, and even the titles are unreliable.

Connotations

The word "thespian" is not used very often in modern times. Today it is often used facetiously or in a joking manner to indicate that someone is over dramatic.

References

• Dictionary.com: Thespian
• Encyclopedia.com: Thespis