The theatre is something which was created by humanity to express feelings and spirits, and the fact of its creation clearly shows that it had a purpose. People created theatre to create a different world, where nevertheless, everything is reflected upon the reality and helps to experience our various deeds from the other side. The importance of the theatre cannot be overestimated, as we, as human beings, are bound to create and self-actualize by sharing our emotions with others, as well as properly percept what others have to tell us.
People have been making an attempt to give a definition to theatre since early ages. Philosophers have elucidated the science of theatre three different approaches (Bruch). For example, in Ion, Plato explores what happens to the actor when he (and it is always a male actor to Plato) creates a work of art. Also, the postulate of a scenario reflecting the community where the script writer worked supports this theory and consequently takes us to historical, biographical and sociological approaches of criticism. The next approach is examining the work of art. Aristotle was the first who used it in his Poetics. It was not until the twentieth century when critics discovered the true appraisal of empirical analysis in its assistance in understanding a work of literary art (Bruch). Although this method helps us apprehend the written dramatic text, it still does not enable us to complete understanding of theatre as physical performance. The third method is to examine the relationship between the work of art and its spectators or readers. Plato first emphasized on this approach in The Republic. Horace in Ars Poetica also described precepts and tenets about the connection between art and audience, the relationship which stifled art as an art form for a long time. Many modern scholars are preoccupied with the relationship between the piece of art and the audience (Bruch)
Of course, as human beings we have our comfort needs and spiritual needs. While comfort needs are oriented on satisfying our physical hypostasis or our body, which includes getting proper sleep, food, staying under acceptable temperature, being secured and safe, remaining healthy etc. On the other hand, there is our moral, spiritual hypostasis which significantly varies among different people depending upon their cultural development, mentality, national traits, surrounding and social morals, that is why pleasing its needs requires much more creative and profound approach, something which cannot be done with primitive measures, and that is where art in all its appearances comes along. Generally, there are two types of arts: visual and performance. Though theatre theoretically belongs to the latest one, I believe one would not be mistaken to call theatre the combination of two categories of arts, as it comes in both visual and audial appearances and impacts our physical organs of perception (eyesight, aural sense) as well as impress us mentally. Thus, theatre is important because it is a certain checkpoint of how one is sensitive to the deeds which happen with and to other people (taking in consideration that theatre reflects upon our reality and brings up specific things which require our attention and reaction), and it defines one’s morality and sensitivity. Theatre is also important because being one of the appearances of art, it is meant for those who are culturally developed and well-educated and are able to percept cultural values, as well as fully enjoy this art phenomenon. Theatre also implies the audience to interact with the actors and among each other, as theatre is a mass act, and thus shows how much of the ability to communicate and share experience, emotions and impressions, society possesses.
Consequently, it would be right to say that theatre helps us to better understand and more effectively perform the cooperation with the outside world as well as with our inside world. We express who we truly are when we examine the relationship between ourselves and our natural environment, ourselves and God or any other religious incarnation, between ourselves and others, between ourselves and the community we belong to, and within our own selves as well (Bruch). Of course, no creation will live without its creators and its targeted audience that is why not only theatre important for us as civilized human beings, but we play significant role in its existence by showing our gratitude to this spectacular form of art.
As a conclusion, we can say that the purpose of theatre is to entertain, impress, educate and mentally advance those who fully understand its magnitude. Theatre has been a part of humanity for over two thousand years, and it has proved to take a significant place in every world’s culture. Theatre makes us reflect on our own lives and live others’ lives through actors’ performance, which undoubtedly makes us more human, and the ability of theatre multiply joy and reduce sorrow has always been appreciated by those who understand the true value of it.
Work Cited:
Bruch, Debra. A Guide to Studying the Relationship Between Engineering and Theatre. The Experience of Theatre. 1990. Web. Retrieved on December, 15 2013
<http://dbruch.hypermart.net/engineer/exper.html>
