Theatre, A Fine Art Essay

Theatre: A Fine Art
Whether its setting has been the amphitheaters of ancient Greece, the crude carts of the Middle Ages, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a glittering showboat on the Mississippi, or the dazzling lights of a Broadway premier, the theatre has always held a remarkable fascination for the average individual.   In today’s digital age, it has never been easier to access theatre through television, the internet, and other electronic media. Theatre is more than mere entertainment, however.   To recognize only the entertainment concept of theatre is to miss the spectrum of the art form.   Theatre teaches and fosters in our society characteristics long associated with success.   Terms and phrases such as self-confidence, self-awareness, analytical skills, self-expression, self-development, discipline, human understanding and competition are learned and taught by participating in and experiencing theatre. My project is to research and determine how Theatre can influence the opinion of a society on current social and political issues, and to direct a one act play that will serve as an example of how Theatre, as an art form, can indeed cause an audience to question the status quo and re-examine their beliefs and values.   I chose this topic because I have always loved the Theatre and believe that as a collaborative art form it teaches many lessons, both for the audience and the performer.   Since an early age, I have been involved in theatre, both on stage as a performer and behind stage as part of the technical crew.   I have always been keenly aware of the power that spoken (and sung) words and actions on stage can have on people.   I believe that Theatre has had a profound impact for centuries on people, both in mirroring current issues in society and, from time to time, changing that same society.   And, as in most research, I have found to my surprise that not only does Theatre attempt to correct injustice, it also can be used for purely political and...