The Social Purpose of Theater

The theatre has been a part of entertainment since ancient Greece, around 4th century BC or thereabouts. The theatre grew out of festivals in honor of the god Dionysus. Aeschylus created the first play in her honor. The first Greek plays were all tragedies but eventually comedy made its way and these plays were performed at festivals all over Greece. Through the centuries theater played the main role of entertainment from noble and royalty to the common person in any city or village, and as we move into the twenties

Theatre is a relationship between the performers and a live audience. There is an invisible yet tangible energy that exude throughout the theatre, reaching the actors and audience. Both the performers and the audience bring their own energy, but once the two forms of energy meet up in the same space and intertwine then become a radiate experience. The natural excitement of anticipation and excitement of the audience can be intoxicating, they come with hope of being entertained and if the audience is lucky

Theater is the activity or profession of acting in, producing, directing, or writing plays. It is that of escaping the real world and going into a new one. Not only does one go more in depth into their mind, but they also go into the mind of others.Theater helped me find out who I really am. Growing up, I always enjoyed the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes, but I never got the chance until I was in the sixth grade.

In the theater, the role of a performer is to convince the audience they are something or someone they are not. In much the same way actors pretend to fool the audience, politicians likewise use acting to conceal their true political goals from potential opponents. This strong association between the theater and politics is readily apparent in Julius Caesar. The conspirators led by Cassius and Brutus use acting to conceal their politically motivated goal to assassinate Caesar. Marc Antony likewise uses acting to not only conceal his hatred for the conspirators, but to also turn public opinion against them. This relationship between politics and the theater is reinforced by having various characters directly reference the theater when discussing political goals. However, in the end, Antony manages to emerge victorious. This is largely due to Brutus’s decision to not only spare him but to allow him to speak at Caesars funeral. This decision marks a key turning point in the play and highlights a disconnect between Brutus and the theater. This disconnect results in the failure to anticipate not only Antony’s true intentions, but also in the power of rhetoric to sway the populace. Equally important is Antony’s own complete immersion in the theater to allow him to deceive the conspirators and recognize how best to use his words to influence the people. These two factors build off each other and are critical in determining the eventual conclusion

Middle School Theatre as a student is really interesting. I have an amazing teacher and I learn everyday. We learn about lot’s of things in theatre that helps me grow in theatre. In this paper I’m going to talk about all the things I’ve learned so far in Theatre and my favorite unit this year.

“Theatre makes us think about power and the way our society works and it does this with a clear purpose, to make a change.”

In Scott McCloud’s “Understanding Comics,” he defines art as both “any human activity that doesn’t grow out of EITHER of our species two basic instincts: survival and reproduction” (164), and “the way we assert our identities as individuals and break out of the narrow roles nature cast us in” (166). Although McCloud was discussing graphic novels in his work, I think that these quotes and his argument apply to any type of visual rhetoric. As a former theatre minor at Marquette, I have had the opportunity to be privy to this argument in the form of theatre. Watching a play unfold onstage has an effect on the participating audience, largely due to the intricacies of each scene. While a good play must start out

Theater has been a platform that has been used to deepen our communication and understanding of the complexities of the world around us. It teaches us through language, movement, and the establishment of intimate relationships that play to the contagious nature of emotions.

The theater is the attempt to bring together various human experiences and to project onto ourselves and others. Theater can range be dark, funny, and thought-provoking. It emphasizes human interaction, which in turn helps people can express themselves. Furthermore, it encourages public speaking and brings people together. I enjoy theater because it influences the way we think and feel about our own lives. In addition, it encourages us to take a look at our values and behavior. Participating in the Open Doors Theater Scholarship gives me the excellent opportunity to explore theater arts, learning more about communications, human relation skills, and the world around us. I am passionate about extending my experiences and taking advantage of

Theater reflects the dual nature of humanity, just as much as the god of wine. Theater intoxicates people, and brings them spiritual ecstasy. Not to mention that both wine and theater are connected at the roots of

What is theatre? Most people are blind to what it really is and what it can actually make you feel. It is more than just some people on a stage. when you're in the audience you feel and can actually sympathize with the people who are there on stage because they are there they are in front of you. Theatre is becoming another person to the extension where you become them. you can think in the moment of what they would think. It is countless hours of character analysis. But most importantly it is an art. An art that will never die. It is the oldest form of art. From cavemen

As my transcript undoubtedly shows, I am an Anthropology and Sociology major who also has a great intellectual and personal investment in Theater. I am continually fascinated and taking deeper looks into societal structures academically, but I have acquired a good deal of hands on practical knowledge about life, love, and how to make the "magic" happen through being a part of theater productions. Granted, I have certainly worked the most behind the scenes in set building, design, lighting, props, management and directing, but maybe because of that I am all the more cognizant of the message being conveyed to the audience and how the subtle ways in which the world of the play manifests change the message.

In the words of Gay McAuley, “for an activity to be regarded as a performance, it must involve the live presence of the performers and those witnessing it…” (McAuley, 2009, cited in Schechner, 2013, pp.38). This statement recognises the importance of both the actor and the audience for something to truly function as a performance. In addition, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones highlights the significance of the theatrical space and how it can influence an audience stating that “on entering a theatre of any kind, a spectator walks into a specific space, one that is designed to produce a certain reaction or series of responses” (Llewellyn-Jones, 2002, pp.3). The relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space is no less important today than it was at the time of theatre during the Spanish Golden Age and the creation of Commedia dell’arte in Italy. Despite being very close geographically with theatre thriving for both in the same era, sources that explore the social, cultural and historical context of these countries and the theatre styles will bring to light the similarities and differences. This essay will analyse the staging, the behaviour of the audience as well as the challenges the actors faced, and how this directly influenced the relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space.

I want to create a place where people feel accepted and included; where there is such a thing, I want to ensure that those ideals prevail, perseverate - in a healthy way, of course - within the community. When I first stepped into the world of theater, the community theater that I preformed with seemed loving, and though many were, being a much more soft-spoken fourth grader, without a lead role, without a familiar face, didn't exactly make me very many friends. As a freshman within my high school drama program, I found myself talking to, as well as befriending seniors - people with the leading role. I had never felt more welcome, nor seen my confidence shoot so high. At Stevenson, I will advocate for an environment where students feel encouraged,

When I saw Elphaba “defy gravity” in Wicked as a leery 13-year-old, my entire world changed. I had no idea one could be in a musical and get paid for it! On the train back home, I could not stop listening to the Wicked cast recording, and I soon knew every word. Today, I still have as much of a love for theatre as my 13-year-old self. Since then, I have seen 29 individual Broadway shows and I have cemented my desire to pursue theatre as a degree in college.