Actors and Icons of the Ancient Theater examines actors and their popular reception from the origins of theater in Classical Greece to the Roman Empire Presents a highly original viewpoint into several new and contested fields of study Offers the first systematic survey of evidence for the spread of theater outside Athens and the impact of the expansion of theater upon actors and dramatic literature Addresses a study of the privatization of theater and reveals how it was driven by political interests Challenges preconceived notions about theater history.