Is Theatre Important?

Samantha Miller, 2 October 2012

Session led/attended by- Samantha Miller, Gordon, Kathryn, Jill.

Discussion Summary-

I created and delivered this question because I was recently asked why I wanted to go into Theatre, rather than do something with my life that would help others' and possibly save their lives. I was interested in what people who live, breathe and work in this industry had to say, and if they believed Theatre was important.

I started off by saying I believe that Theatre can be a release for some people and it gives them the chance to step out of their day-to-day lives/routines, and step into a new reality to watch something that is pure entertainment. (The same has reading a book). An interesting comment came from this idea which was; "It is important to different people, at different times".- Gordon.

This point did make me think that when people need something, they will search for it and get it, and the Theatre will be there for them to experience, when it matters to them.

The idea of Theatre was then further explored, and it was put forward that Theatre is not just about entertainment, but also about addressing issues (positive or negative) in a different way, rather than reporting/broadcasting them through newspapers and TV Reports. Experiences had been shared, were watching a piece of Theatre gave us knowledge on a subject we had never ventured before that time, and inspired us to research further; “Why not explore those problems?”- Jill.

It was a joint belief that Theatre was important, and that something can be gained from it. Whether it is knowledge, experience or entertainment, it provides a service to many different types of people, and it is important to keep the flame burning and keep performance alive, not just in Theatre, but in Schools and other facilities.

Tags:

Audience, theatre, Theatre, Important, audience