The Romans loved to watch plays. Each city had its own theater. Most were open. Even the small theaters could seat 7000 people. The audience sat on half circle facing a stage. Actors entered the stage through doors in the walls that were decorated with statues and columns.
Actors would try to win the audience's praise with brightly painted masks, costumes, dancing, and mime. Romans especially liked comedies which had happy endings. The masks helped the audience identify the characters from a distance.
If an actor was dying in the play, a condemned man would take the place of the actor at the last moment and would actually be killed on stage.
