Why does theatre survive? 3rd term acting studies essay by Ralph Gassmann "All the world’s a stage…" to quote the world’s most famous playwright William Shakespeare who rose to prominence in the 16th century during the reign of Elizabeth I, and who’s plays have excited and obsessed the generations since and will doubtless continue to do so as we approach the 2nd millennium. On this stage the actor represents the symbol of man with all his imperfection and weakness, with all his morals and ideals. Theatre provides us with a mirror of the society within which we live in and where the conflicts we experience in life