The Italian Renaissance gave birth to many innovations in theater architecture and scene design, including the proscenium arch stage, painted-flat wings and shutters, and Torelli's mechanized pole-and-chariot system. In addition, the Italian Renaissance saw the development of the neoclassical rules of dramatic structure, and of opera and commedia dell'arte.

The greatness of the English Renaissance was based on the development of brilliant drama by playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, and Ben Jonson, whose plays were performed in outdoor public theaters or indoor private ones.

The Spaniards developed theater practices similar to those of the Elizabethan English: the structure of their comedies was episodic; the Spanish corrales were similar to the English public theaters; and staging practices were almost identical. But Spanish drama had features that were unique. For instance, the plays' heroes and heroines were of both the nobility and the common people; and women were allowed to be employed as performers. Also, the Spaniards continued to produce religious drama during their golden age.

In French neoclassical theater, the tragic dramas of Corneille and Racine were clearly patterned after traditions established in the Italian Renaissance.