Theatre: Confronting Reality
TODAY, I challenge the thought that people go to the theatre to escape from reality. This may be true and this may be refreshing and this may be why we began performing, to help people escape from their daily life and to help them cope with whatever their struggle may be, but this is no longer sufficient.
IN TODAY’S WORLD… Violence is being answered with more violence. Prejudice is still a component of peoples’ lives. Silence is no longer our greatest strength.
THEATRE, should no longer allow us to escape entirely from our reality. Instead, it should challenge us to confront what we’d rather not, in an innovative and provocative way. Theatre should now suggest solutions and methods we can use to heal our souls and the world.
VIOLENCE creates more violence and solves nothing, Theatre provokes thought and inspires action which produces progress. By no means am I suggesting that theatre should no longer be entertaining and should instead be a global intervention, no, this would kill the art form. HOWEVER, directors and performers alike should beg the question of what their work is for and what impact they wish to make on their community. By doing this, we can challenge and inspire the world to think and act up for the better while disguising our message with pretty costumes, captivating songs and monologues and mind-blowing choreography.
By doing this, our patrons will still receive an entertaining experience that will allow them to ESCAPE FROM THEIR REALITY, BY CONFRONTING IT.