After the 1660s, British Restoration comedy featured the first

Answer: After the 1660s, the period following the English Restoration of King Charles II to the throne, British Restoration comedy featured the first professional female actresses on the English stage. This was a significant moment of change in theater history. Prior to this, all female parts were played by boys or young men, but the Restoration marked the end of that practice. These actresses not only played the roles of women but also sometimes played male characters, typically in breeches roles, where they would wear male attire, adding a new dynamic to the performance.

Restoration comedies were known for their wit, sexual explicitness, and the depiction of manners and social life at the time. With women acting, the plays could approach gender and sexuality in innovative ways that weren't possible with all-male casts, making interactions on the stage appear more naturalistic and sophisticated in terms of gender relations.