Shakespearean dramas, tragedies by Aeschylus, or Merchant Of Venice. Because of their innovative, yet enthralling and engaging style, they have all achieved international fame.
In the modern media landscape, the theater often resides in the shadows alongside film and television.
Yet, this makes sense because the theater is capable of more than merely putting stale plays on stage. It can have a unique impact on us, viewers, due to its immediate, direct manner of portrayal, something all other types of media are unable to do. Here’s why.
- A greater understanding of the drama is gained through theater
A fresh perception potential, wherein new views are opened up for us, is made possible by the theater thanks to its powerful staging capabilities and the live experience. As viewers, this helps us to comprehend the drama, the story, and the characters from a variety of perspectives.
We are much less distracted or agitated by the events themselves since the emphasis in theater is more on the gestures, facial expressions, and movements of the characters, that is, on the acting than on aggressive special effects, like in the film.
- Theater Enhances Concentration
As opposed to a movie, we cannot halt and go back in time to understand something in a play. We are compelled to pay attention, actively participate in the captivating staging, focus more, and pay close attention to and analyze the movements, facial expressions, and spoken words.
In the theater, we observe the entire stage, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, sometimes upwards, and occasionally to the rear, if the entire theater hall is part of the staging, rather than just a tiny portion, as on a television screen, for example. When actions are few in some plays, we must listen more intently, but in others, we must move while we are unintentionally integrating ourselves into the action.
- A Natural Way to Express Yourself and Be Creative Is Through Theater
Children begin acting out events and making up stories at a very young age. The desire to express ourselves via other characters and stories is a universal instinct that is carried on in the theater. Young people are encouraged to continue their growth of self-expression and creativity by being exposed to this medium.
Even if human urges naturally decline with age, the theater provides a means of expression that is in line with this. Since no one can communicate emotions without using their body, using physical expression during an emotional outburst is only natural.
- Theater Encourages Imagination and Opens the Mind
The theater is the first representational medium that ever encouraged creative imagination. It can elicit a range of feelings and thoughts, which prompts us to consider alternative viewpoints, depending on the staging.
But, contrary to what you might believe, theater also greatly expands the power of imagination. On the stage, spatial representation is feasible in a different way than, say, in a movie, where the action environment is processed as accurately as possible, whether it is fictionally animated or filmed at the original location.
