Social and cultural norms: In many societies, women were traditionally expected to stay at home and take care of the household, while men were responsible for public activities such as performing on stage. This division of roles was based on the belief that women were inferior to men in terms of intelligence and physical strength, and therefore not capable of performing on stage.
Religious restrictions: In some cultures, religious beliefs also played a role in preventing women from performing on stage. For example, in ancient Greece, women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games or any other public events that required them to expose their bodies. Similarly, in many Christian societies, women were discouraged from performing on stage because it was seen as a form of immodesty.
Legal prohibitions: In some jurisdictions, there were also legal prohibitions against women performing on stage. For example, in England, the Licensing Act of 1737 prohibited women from acting in plays unless they were specifically licensed to do so. This law was repealed in 1843, but it still had a significant impact on the opportunities available to women in the theater world.
As a result of these social, cultural, religious, and legal restrictions, women were largely excluded from performing on stage in the early centuries. It was not until the late 18th and 19th centuries that women began to gain more opportunities to perform on stage, and even then they faced significant challenges and discrimination.