 Why is theatre so important?

Theater helps us to see a different perspective from our own. We as the audience get to witness the
trajectory of persons other than ourselves. As artists, we put ourselves into emotional and
intellectual situations that may never arise in our personal lives.

Theater reminds us that we are not alone. Not only are we sharing space and an experience with
the artists who are performing, we are sharing the experience with fellow audience members.
Movies and television don’t have the same intimacy or sense of participation. Sharing an experience
with live actors and live audience members is not only valuable, it’s necessary for human connection

 A unique experience

Although the script may be the same every night, the performance is unique, each and every time it
happens. No two performances are ever the same. In this way, everyone involved has a distinct and
unique experience that can never be replicated.

A stage production can transport the audience into a different world, and this can create a special
energy that you can actually feel. Those specific moments in that specific place in time will never be
repeated, and that experience is very special. It’s magic.

A performance can bring together anywhere from tens to hundreds of people, experiencing and
witnessing something that’s unique. With everyone so used to being in front of a screen, this is truly
an important reason.

 How it starts?

For a performance to happen, anywhere from a hundred to a thousand or more people need to
gather in one place for a couple of hours, and share together in witnessing and contemplating an
event that may be beautiful, funny, moving. And in an age when most of our communication
happens in front of a screen, this gathering function of theater is, in and of itself, something that
matters.

 What can we learn from the theatre?

Theater promotes education and literacy. It teaches us about human motivation and psychology. In
historical plays we get lessons in leadership and government. In contemporary plays, we learn about
people and cultures in different parts or our own country or in other countries.

Seeing actors on stage, live, moving and talking (sometimes singing and dancing) and becoming
completely different characters in front of your eyes, that’s exciting. And if mistakes happen, well,
that’s live theater! Yet another reminder that we’re all humans and that no one is infallible.

It’s really interesting to see a story told on stage, culminating what took weeks or months to create,
a collaborative effort coming together effortlessly; characters, set, costumes, sound and lights, and
of course the audience. That’s art, and it’s entertaining

 The foundation of future culture

Going to the theater also builds the foundation for the future of theater, for future playwrights,
directors, actors, and other creative professionals, so that humanity can continue the beautiful cycle
of culture.

 What is the most interesting thing to watch in the theater?

  Opera

Well performed opera is a feast for the eyes and ears, an escape into another world, sometimes
romantic, sometimes tragic, at other turns humorous. The music provides emotion to the words
spoken, but it also plays the role of ambience when there is only action. Opera performed live is a
uniquely thrilling experience – at its best, it is hugely powerful and the most emotionally direct of all
art forms. The combination of dramatic narrative, stagecraft and music, and especially the range and
vulnerability of the human voice, make opera the art form that comes closest to expressing pure
emotion. Those big moments in opera are usually the ones that deal most directly in the big human
themes: life, love, death, loss, passion, joy, anger – but opera can be subtle as well as likable.

 Ballet

Ballet teaches work ethic, perseverance, dedication, motivation, stamina, flexibility, and strength.
Dancers work hard in ballet but the results are worth it. With the help of dance, images and scenes
are evoked that further expand the viewer's imagination, and especially contribute to even greater
enjoyment!

 So what now?

Go. Go see a play or a musical, ballet or opera, and take a friend. There are plenty available at your
theater. Enjoy!