Why theatre? Response to Mrs. Moon's post

“Why theatre? Is kind of like asking, why have feelings or why care or why imagine. Yet, I don’t hear people ask, “Why have emotions” as much as they ask, “why would you do theatre.”

One of my favorite parts in Mrs. Moon’s blog post was probably the part about the turtle. It reminded me of all those times I tried to move earthworms off the path after a rainy day or that one morning when a baby magpie fell into our garden and I planned a rescue mission.  Despite my initially positive and helpful feelings, in the end, I felt nothing but frustration and dismay towards those I wanted to help (especially the magpie.) This is because they didn’t know I wanted to help or they just didn’t even want my help.

Had I decided to talk about my minor frustration when rescuing earthworms or baby birds at (fill in the blank with an important social gathering) or write it in some (fill in the blank with an important social paper) no one would care, in fact, the only reactions people would give would be negative.

Indignant protests of “Why are you even telling me such a stupid, irrelevant, and minor story?!” Would be heard from all over the room.

Had I heard a similar story about baby birds and earthworms, even I would respond the same way.

But…the basic story plot is nevertheless a tragedy: The needy could not be saved because of their own ignorance.

So I had wondered what would have happened if a renowned director or ballet master was to disregard the details of the petty “animal in danger” story and extract solely the tragic concept of “struggle to accept redemption” and exponentially amplify the intensity by formulating it into a religious play or some form of tragic ballet.

 I imagine the audience would react very differently.

I’m definitely not saying that great works of art have always somehow come about in this way or that redemption should be compared to failed animal rescue missions. I was merely expressing how oddly cool art is in the many ways that inspiration, expression, and impact can take place, especially in theatre.

 When it comes to creating something, thoughts and experiences don’t come by chronologically or alphabetically. Creating is more or less like entering a children’s ball pool, swimming around, and picking out something, (hopefully nothing gross) and combining, making connections, and predicting the potential. This unique feature about theatre lets anyone who has a message to share, do what they want to do.

Thinking about “why theatre” is also a really good question for me, always, because theatre is somewhat synonymous to performing.

Someone looked at me once and asked, “So can you act sad or something right now?”

 And maybe most theatre students will do something or actually comply in some form of way but being me I didn’t really want to talk to the person anymore.

 I actually remember talking about this in my blog post last year, but I used to think that I was taking theatre because I was willing to go through the terrors of doing things publicly for the sake of getting to learn more about what I wanted to really learn. Now, after a year has passed, I don’t think, but I know that I have to get my fears out of the way and that getting over that while doing and for something bigger than just “me” is the best way I can hope to do so.

I remember freshman year soccer everyone cried after this one game while I didn’t really feel the need to cry. Yet when I embarrassed myself after one game, but it didn’t really matter to the team, I cried when I got home. So really, it might have been because of my young age as well but back then I never understood the "bigger causes" than just “winning” and “me me me.”

I know that those who will cry with the team don’t necessarily cry because they’re “weak” but because they can see more about that particular sport than I can see.  And because I didn’t see the value didn’t mean it didn’t exist, but after my sophomore year injury, I couldn’t feel the courage or motivation, the “bigger thing” worth fighting for and sacrificing my petty insecurities for. But strangely enough, I feel that I can sacrifice my insecurities for the "bigger picture" in this world that theatre really is.

So why theatre? Because it’s everybody’s story! And something I truly feel and see the reason to push myself towards.