Final answer:
The Catholic Church hindered the growth of theatre by initially banning secular performances post-Roman Empire, which it deemed immoral. Despite this, liturgical dramas helped preserve dramatic arts within a religious context, which later evolved into public spectacles.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church played a dual role in the history of theatre. While the Church fostered the rebirth of theatre through liturgical dramas, it also had periods where it significantly hindered the growth of theatre.
This situation began with the end of the Western Roman Empire when Christian leaders discouraged public performances, denouncing them as immoral. However, as the influence of Rome waned and Europe fell into disarray, the Church found ways to preserve dramatic arts within a religious context.
One clear form of hindrance was the outright banning of secular theatre performances, which the Church regarded as sinful. Yet, theatre found a means to survive and eventually thrived as the Church integrated it into religious ceremonies and festivals, notably Easter services and the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Ironically, by incorporating theatrical elements like props, costumes, and scripted narratives, the Church evolved and reshaped theatre, moving it from inside the church to public spaces like courtyards and town squares.
Despite these advancements, the Church's initial hindrance stunted the development of secular and professional theatre. It wasn't until the late 15th century when a professional theatrical class began to emerge, aided by aristocratic patronage and renewed interest in classical artistry due to the influx of scholars from the fallen Constantinople.
During the English Renaissance, the rise of playwrights like Shakespeare witnessed the flowering of theatre—only to face new challenges such as the banning of theatre by the Puritans during the English Civil War because it was seen as corrupt and morally damaging.