The "What is Theatre?" Debate

Last week, in our lecture time, there was quite a heated discussion in the classroom as to what is the actual definition of theatre. I have been thinking a lot about this subject since we began the conversation.


Personally, I have been attending performances since I was about four years old. I know this is not the case for a large percentage of our population. There are many people that have never seen a live musical or play, ever. However, it still manages to thrive. I think that theatre remains successful in the modern day due to its offering of an emotional release and the fact that it is an opportunity to share in the human experience. As a performer and an audience member, I cannot deny that a good piece of theatre creates an atmosphere where an inexplicable type of energy is shared between the performers and the audience - I think this is partly because what is occurring is a one-time event (though rehearsed and will follow a similar path each performance). 


So, what is theatre? Well, I believe that it is subjective to the person you ask. Some people may consider hockey games "theatre" while others wouldn't. For some people Theatre Sports is theatre and for others it is just a form of entertainment. I think what is important to note is that all forms of entertainment have theatrical elements and the term "theatrical" in this case is not subjective. 


Now, if we want to get into the debate as to whether or not hockey is theatre or simply a sport, I think we need to define what consists to be a "sport." I think that sports differ from theatrical performances because in a live show, there is typically one team (of actors) that assemble to put on a performance. Though the performance may contain conflict, all of the actors are working towards the same goal and one could say they all "win" at the end of the performance. In a sporting game, there are two teams that are working towards beating the other team. Thus, at the end of a game, one team has won while the other has lost. The difference, in my opinion, between sports and theatre fall directly at this point: everyone "performing" in theatre is working towards a common goal, while everyone "performing" in a sporting event is actually competing.


What is interesting to note is that theatre could be considered the medium of entertainment that inspired all of the others. The Greeks started by celebrating their god Dionysius in a manner that would lead to theatrical performances. The theatrical performances in their own respective manners inspired the Olympic Games and other forms of entertainment. 


So, what is theatre? Arguably, it could be anything you want it to be. But I think if we examine theatrical elements and determine what is crucial to most pieces of theatre, we may be able to be closer to defining the ever-undefinable art of theatre.


Thoughts?