Realism was one of the biggest periods of change in the theatre and the views of philososphers such as Auguste Comte and Darwin had a strong influence.

Acting and theatre had as many different periods in history as any of the other art forms. Theatre, art and music were greatly influenced by the relevant philosophies of the specific time. Some of the significant periods of the arts were the Classical Greek and Roman times, the Renaissance and the period of Realism. Each period had its own philosophies, beliefs and typical conventions. Until the period of Realism, acting was based on pretending and a stylized image of a specific character.

Actions on stage were many times grotesque and over exaggerated. During the period of Realism in theatre there was a complete change in how theatre was perceived and performed.

To understand this change it is important to understand the philosophies of the time. The Industrial Revolution had a vast influence on people's perceptions. Philosophers, such as August Comte and Charles Darwin, suddenly saw the world in a different light. Comte's philosophy of Positivism focussed on the importance of the senses.

He claimed anything that cannot be experienced through the five senses simply doesn't exist and in the process ruled out the entire spiritual world. Darwin focused on the concept of cause and effect and came to the conclusion that a person's genetic make-up and environment will define who they are and therefore people don't really have any control over who they will become.

These philophies again had an influence on the playwrights of the times as well as the theatre practitioners. The "well-made" play surfaced. In this type of play you will find no heroes, kings and gods, but rather real recognisable people from society around you. Theatre practitioners were frantic about recreating life on stage. The audience was to be lured into believing that what they see on stage is really happening, therefore the play was generally set in a short space of time (real time) with only a few characters.