The Art of Sharing

At the beginning of this semester, we were asked as a class: "What is Theatre?" Naturally this sparked a debate as obviously musicals and plays fit into the category, but other events that are theatrical in own manner could be debated to fit the definition of theatre. As a part of the Practice blog post, I wrote that "arguably, [theatre] 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." (To view the entire blog post, go here.) Now that we are at the end of the semester, I feel as though I still agree with this statement.

We have traveled through the many eras of theatre, but one thing remains true: Theatre is about sharing the art of humanity with society and taking influences from society and integrating it. From Thespis stepping out of the Dithyrambic chorus and becoming the first actor to the introduction of the proscenium arch in the Italian Renaissance to Agnes DeMille's choreography in Oklahoma!, theatre continues to shape itself and redefine itself. It acts as a mirror to societies values and stories; the showgirls in the Ziegfeld Follies might not have been as popular in the time of Plautus' comedies, but in their respective eras, they were a hit simply because it was the sort of entertainment that the public was looking for. Theatre is a shared experience. The performers and the artists assemble to inspire the audiences, and the audiences and the general public inspire the artists to create these stories. In the theatre, the energy of the audience and the actors is shared infectiously. Theatre teaches us how to observe others and really listen. It shares ideas and stories. 

One of the theatrical elements that I think really defines theatre is one that Peter Brook declared. It is that there must be an agreement between the artists and the audience that a theatrical event is taking place. After all, two people can't share if only one of them knows that they are sharing. So let's share.