Short answers, pulled from the story.
Western theatre originated in the city-state of Athens. It developed as part of a broader culture of theatricality and performance in classical Greece that included festivals, religious rituals, politics, law, athletics, gymnastics, music, poetry, weddings, funerals, and symposia.
Athenian tragedy emerged sometime during the 6th century BCE and flowered during the 5th century BCE. Regular Roman drama began in the year 240 BC following the expansion of the Roman Republic into several Greek territories between 270 and 240 BC.
The authorship of A Treatise on Theatre (Nātyaśāstra) is attributed to Bharata Muni with estimates for its composition ranging from 200 BCE to 200 CE. This compendium addresses acting, dance, music, dramatic construction, architecture, costuming, make-up, props, company organization, and audience competitions.
London theatres were ordered closed in 1642 due to rising anti-theatrical sentiment among Puritans who viewed theatre as sinful. The closure lasted until Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 which marked the end of the Puritan Interregnum period that had paused theatre from 1642 to 1660.
Aristotle argues that tragedy consists of mythos or plot, ethos or character, dianoia or thought, lexis or diction, melos or song, and opsis or spectacle. These elements appear in order of importance within his seminal treatise Poetics which remains the earliest surviving example of theatrical theory.