Thespis

Thespis of Icaria (Θέσπις ὁ Ἰκάριος, Théspis ho Ikários; /ˈθɛspɪs əv ɪˈkɛəriə/), was an Athenian poet, born in the deme (district) of Icaria. According to ancient tradition, Thespis was the first actor in a Greek drama; he was a singer of dithyrambs (songs about stories from mythology with choric refrains). He is credited with introducing a new style in which one singer or actor performed the words of individual characters in the stories, distinguishing between the characters with the aid of different masks.

This new style was called tragedy, and Thespis was the most popular exponent of it. Eventually, in 534 BCE competitions to find the best tragedy were instituted at the City Dionysia in Athens, and Thespis won the first documented competition. Capitalizing on his success, Thespis also invented theatrical touring; he would visit various cities while carrying his costumes, masks and other props in a horse-drawn wagon. In homage to Thespis, actors in the English-speaking part of the world have been referred to as thespians.