Dramas are now known as one kind of acting, but that was not the original intent. The drama styles used in films and theatrical productions today are a lot different than the styles used in ancient times.

The concept of acting out a story may have originated with the Greeks. They are the most famous civilization for the form of dramatic acting that is most commonly known today. In Greek theater, there were three different types of drama acting.

The first was comedy, which was any story with a happy ending, usually meaning that the characters didn't die in the play. This was actually quite entertaining for the Greeks of the day. The second form of drama was tragedy.

This, of course, meant that one or more of the characters in the story died. This was one of the most popular forms of drama. The third type of drama was satire. Satirical plays were usually parodies of current political or otherwise popular figures. Those plays were probably similar to the Saturday Night Live show of today.

The influence of drama had a far-reaching impact; much farther than just about anything else that came from Greece. When drama reached other countries, over time they each added their own particular flair to it. In Europe, things such as opera, mysteries, and the typical formula for Shakespearian plays were invented. Places such as Japan and India developed the concept of combining acting and dance together.

Modern drama is so diverse that it is hard to study all the different types at once. Of course, there is the more traditional form of drama, the theatrical play, and then there are more modern dramas, such as the TV drama, and movie dramas. While ancient theatrical plays were over-acted, in modern drama, realism is prized.

The drama acting skill that is most coveted by actors and actresses now are the portrayals of different types of emotions and characters. About eighty years ago, awards started being given for the best actors and actresses. Many other awards were added around that time and afterwards as well.

The skill of modern drama is quite prized in modern society. Most top actors and actresses earn a great deal of money, more so than the respected occupations of soldiers and medical professionals. There are many different acting schools, and nearly every college has a drama department of some kind.

Since its conception, drama and acting have always been a big part of people's lives. The reason for this may be that people like to see things that could happen to them, but likely never would.

The drama industry has capitalized on this fact. That is part of the reason why movies and acting are so important to people today, just as dramatic theatrical productions were in ancient times.