Short answers, pulled from the story.
Thespis became the first known person to speak words as a character in a play on an unspecified date before 534 BC at the Theatre Dionysus. This event marked the transition from stories expressed only through song, dance, and third-person narrative to dramatic performance.
Women began entering professional stages in Italy during the 16th century with Lucrezia Di Siena appearing on a contract dated the 10th of October 1564. She is recognized as perhaps the first Italian actress known by name while Vincenza Armani and Barbara Flaminia followed as the first well-documented actresses in Europe.
The ban on women performing on stage in Japan ended in 1858 when Ichikawa Kumehachi made her debut as the first actress in kabuki since the prohibition. Men had previously taken on female roles in kabuki theatre for centuries until this specific change occurred.
Shakespeare likely earned six shillings weekly during his early acting period matching typical skilled tradesman earnings in 1600s England. This wage level reflects the financial reality for actors before modern compensation structures emerged.
In 2024 the median hourly wage for actors in the United States reached $23.33 per hour according to available data. Only 12.7% of Screen Actors Guild members earn enough income to qualify for health insurance benefits provided by unions.