The term ‘theatre’ has its origins in the Greek word theatron, meaning a ‘place for looking’. Thus, originally, theatre referred to both a place as well as to a particular form of sense perception. Today, the concept of ‘theatre’ can refer to: (1) a building; (2) an activity (‘going to’ or ‘doing’ theatre); (3) an institution; and, (4) more narrowly, an art form. In the past, theatre was often used as a synonym for drama, a usage that can be still be found in the names of some university departments. The terminological complexity of the term means that the object of theatre studies is multi-dimensional and composed of many different fields of enquiry and scholarly perspectives. These areas of study can be grouped under the following broad categories:

• historical

• aesthetic/theoretical

• social/cultural.

If we examine our four definitions, we can see they correspond to these categories in one or more ways. Theatre buildings are, for example, of historical interest, the extant Greek theatres being over 2,000 years old. Those of particular architectural significance may also be of aesthetic interest, and, depending on where they are located, theatre buildings occupy a variety of social and cultural functions ranging from high-class political and economic representation to covert demonstrations of counter-cultural resistance. As an activity for the spectators, theatre-going may encompass a similar mix of social and aesthetic processes ranging from conspicuous consumption (the box at the opera) to semi-religious observance.