Do we need theatre?

Do we need theatre?

Andy Corelli, 3 August 2012

Session called by Andy Corelli

Present

Andy Corelli, Tina Finch, Laura Bradshaw, Michael Emhaut, Peter McMaster, Suzy Glass, Neil Murray, Keiran Hurley, Jo King, Thom Dibdin, Debbie Hannan, Gary McNair, Stewart, Jesse Phillipi and others floating in...

To all participants present, please feel free to amend anything if I have not transcribed a comment correctly! —————————————————————————————–

Do we enjoy going to the theatre. Sometimes it is too limited as a form. It doesn’t do everything I need it to do but it is part of a whole.

It’s for spiritual well-being.

In what way is it limiting?

Frustrated at traditional and conventional forms of theatre. Definition of traditional? 4th wall, suspension of disbelief.

Not looking for innovation all the time. If done with conviction, that’s good enough for me. It’s the integrity, intention and commitment of the production and the company.

Society needs theatre. But why is it so poorly attended? But it has survived since the days of the early Greeks. It is critical to life and culture. People coming together, creating a space to discuss themselves; the social aesthetic.

It’s the storytelling that’s important – but this can be satisfied by reading a book. It’s the shared experience, the need to ‘gather’. Why are folk moving away from place where they can gather? The easiest channel is through social networking. Digital tools mean communication is changing. It is a mutual experience. Theatre is versatile, flexible, innovative. It is quicker on its feet than any other art form. Theatre involves many other art forms – visual, music etc.

We need more theatre because of social networking which is becoming addictive and lonely.

Theatre just has to ‘move me’. Then people will see that we need theatre. We will never prove that we need theatre, but it is good for us. It is healthy. Do we need vegetables? No, but they are good for us.

It’s going to happen anyway.

I love August in Edinburgh! Its chocolate milk-shake for me!

Do we need theatre? No, but wouldn’t life be shit without it...

Could substitute anything for theatre but we need it if we want to live in a civilised society.

Do we need to play?

Tags:

need, bad, Theatre, worth, value, point, good, Value, theatre

Comments: 2

Beccy Owen, 17 December 2012

I wonder if we do need theatre to live in a civilised society: I think maybe we have and WANT theatre as a resource to document, investigate, tell stories but in terms of what we now NEED, theatre needs to bust up, challenge, subvert and help truly progress the civilisation, structures, ways of being and stories we've tied ourselves in knots with. Beccy
Beccy Owen, 17 December 2012
I wonder if we do need theatre to live in a civilised society: I think maybe we have and WANT theatre as a resource to document, investigate, tell stories but in terms of what we now NEED, theatre needs to bust up, challenge, subvert and help truly progress the civilisation, structures, ways of being and stories we've tied ourselves in knots with. Beccy