as the first primadonnas and the first well-documented actresses in Italy (and in Europe). After the English Restoration of 1660, women began to appear onstage in England. In modern times, particularly in pantomime and some operas, women occasionally play the roles of boys or young men.

Terminology

While the word actor has existed for much of the history of English language, as to mean "one who does something", it was not used to refer to one who performs

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