The Case for Theatre

Theatre people love theatre.  And that is a wonderful aspect of the world of American theatre.  The people involved and the audiences that love the experience of theatre keep this ancient art form alive.   No, it may not be as ancient as painting, but that is only because if ancient man were performing a play we would have no record of such an event. However, we certainly have paintings left on walls of caves.  So, paintings win. But whenever it was that one human or a group of humans decided to get in front of a group and tell a great story, we had theatre.

And, for me, at a core fundamental level the purpose of theatre has not changed. Theatre at its best is the outward display of the inner journey we as humans must take in life, either willingly or unwillingly.  Now, I know that for many theatre is about such modern conventions as to push a social agenda or to celebrate the congregation of a specific group or to examine the current “issue of the day.” And all of those goals for theatre are fine but it is only when a play, a production, reaches deeper into the true nature of the experience of being human, only then, does the potential of the art of theatre become realized.

It is easy to ask the question of why theatre is even relevant in today’s world of technology.  And, based on the numbers of people that attend theatre, it is at best an outlier on our cultural map. But, thankfully, it somehow still manages to survive. So, what is it about seeing a play that gives theatre a purpose in our modern world?  Here are some thoughts:

Entertainment – The first responsibility is to the audience.  Keep them engaged with the action of the play.  Whether they end up loving or hating the play is left to the audience, but they certainly should not be allowed to drift away from the world of the play that is created on the stage. And that is a tall order that takes great energy and commitment by the artists involved.  But when done well it is time well spent. When done poorly an audience has given time from their existence and gained very little or nothing in the exchange.  Hardly a fair bit of commerce.   So, you could say there is a “respect for your fellow man or woman” aspect that is owed to the audience for the giving of their time and money.  Of course, misguided theatre artists often see it the other way, and believe that the audience owes them something.

Reflection – Theatre provides the opportunity for a community to reflect on the world and on our society. Not everyone enjoys going to therapy to examine the issues within.  And we all struggle in the collective sense to come to terms with a difficult social issue.  But individual or collective mental health requires some opportunity for reflection in order to see a problem with fresh eyes.  It can provide a rich experience to be challenged in a very personal way, but it also provides the chance to “walk in another’s shoes.”
 
Emotional Catharsis – This is often the expected theatre experience.  Audiences are used to seeing a play and are often caught up in the comedy or drama on stage. They become emotionally involved in the experience.  And by becoming emotionally invested, the experience can help release pent up emotions that a person may be carrying and not even conscious of.  And this may prevent this person from unleashing that pent up emotion on others in the community.

Community – We often talk about how important theatre is to our society.  Yet, I don’t see enough theatre companies really engaged in their specific communities. It too often is all about “come see the next show!”  Well, for theatre to create value in a community, it needs to contribute more than just productions.  The talents of theatre artists are many and varied.  Theatre artists have so much to offer a community but it often feels like this is not given enough time, attention or resources.  Often when I hear about one of these terrible shootings carried by someone we have allowed to live on the edges of our community, I think, “What if they had been encouraged at some point to get involved with a local community theatre?” It can be such a great place to help feel not so alone in the world. Theatres always need people to help in some manner. And there are people in our communities that badly need connection.  I think there is an opportunity missed on this point.  Theatre companies and artists often are too consumed with their egos and insecurities, their popularity and the “appearance” of things to be open enough to welcome the troubled in our communities inside the theatre walls.  For too many theatre artists, much like the movies or TV, it is only a world meant for pretty or smart people. But it really should be about helping to build community.

The Universal – Ok, this is my favorite because it gets to the heart of why theatre has managed to survive. And, for me, it is the most compelling idea. When I first saw a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream many years ago, I took away something important.  And although there were actors on the stage playing their parts and delivering those wonderful words, I walked away from the play with an entirely different experience.  Yes, in part because it was not that great of a production, but even in a strong show I still hear the voice of a playwright working out his own creative process and trying to make sense of the joy, folly and mystery of what it means to both live, love and create. There is so much more at work in that little play than what the audience can experience on the surface.  And that is when you know something is a great work.  It can work for an audience on a fairly straight forward level but also the work has, well, many layers to peel.  Those types of plays will linger in audiences’ minds and potentially impact the course of a person’s journey in life.

Intimacy – Watching an actor truly live a role on stage is far different from the experience of a movie or television.  The real dimension of “being human” is placed right in front of an audience and it becomes very hard to turn away.   And it can be intimate in a truly unique way because an audience is having the moment together.  That is increasingly rare in this modern time as movies are now enjoyed, more and more, in the privacy of homes.  There is something rich in an audience taking in a live play and taking the journey together.  And when done well, there is a reward for all. But this aspect will also always keep some people away from theatre.  Some people don’t want that kind of challenge. It makes them uncomfortable to feel and they certainly don’t want to bond with other people.  So, theatre will never reach some people.  But it can certainly reach far more people than it does at this time.  It is just up to each theatre company, each theatre artist, to be more respectful of the audience, to invest more in the local community, to work hard and dig deeper in his or her work and to never be afraid to ask that next difficult question.

Maybe you have different thoughts.  Feel free to share them in a response on this blog.(You do need a Google account to participate).

James Beck
Managing Artistic Director
Onion Man Productions
www.onionmanproductions.com