Film and cinema have been increasing in popularity ever since the invention of filmography. Today, movie theaters can be found in every major city in the U.S. while televisions can be found in nearly every home in the county. Online streaming services have also increased in popularity since they make it easy to enjoy the latest films when on-the-move. However, live theater, while it may seem like a dying art form, still exists and deserves just as much attention as these other entertainment options.
Theater Inspires Films
You may have seen a number of films in movie theaters and on streaming services that are actually based on plays and other works of live entertainment. For example, the hit movie Dear Evan Hansen was based on a critically-acclaimed Broadway musical. Therefore, visiting a live theater to see the play that inspired these films can show you where the story being told all started, which is on the stage. You may also choose to watch a play before or after seeing a film adaptation of that play to compare each version for yourself, which is similar to reading a book before or after watching the book's film adaptation.
Theater Is an Intimate Experience
While it can be easy to just stream the latest movies right from home, attending a live performance is an unparalleled experience. When you attend a show at a live theater, you will be immersed in the viewing experience, and you will share this experience with other members of the audience. This helps us find a human connection with others in person, and this cannot be accomplished by watching a film at home.
Some theaters also host after-parties or meet and greets that audience members can attend once the show is over. These allow you to meet cast members of the performance you have just seen and get to know how the performance was created.
Theater Is Always Changing
What sets live plays apart from filmed shows is the fact that every performance of a play will always be different. If you watch the same episode of a show on TV more than once, you know that the viewing experience will be the same every time. However, you can attend multiple performances of the same play and you will notice something different every time. This is because plays may change cast members or certain aspects of sets for each performance, not to mention that the audience will be different each time also.
Theater Helps the Local Community
Whenever you pay to see a film at a movie theater, the majority of your money will go straight to big filmmakers. However, when you give money to see a live performance, your payment stays right in the local community that works to put on the play, like the actors, stagehands, directors, and others who all likely live in the community where the play is produced.
Attending school plays is particularly a good way to help grow interest in the arts in small communities. This not only helps give back to schools monetarily but encourages students to continue performing creatively. Oftentimes, schools that struggle financially will cut art-based programs first, like theater productions, so attending these programs is especially important to ensure students get access to trying out the performing arts.
Theater Reflects Our Culture
Perhaps the most important thing we can do when we attend a live performance is examine the underlying message the play wants to tell us. For example, a lot of plays may promote social justice, and we can understand this message in an entertaining way by attending the play. While not every play may have a special message it wants to tell its viewers, most plays do still reflect the culture around us. For example, comedic plays aim to make us laugh at the things our culture deems funny. This gives us a fresh perspective when we may least expect it.
Summary
While it seems that movie theaters and streaming options are our only ways to receive entertainment, live theater is still an option today. When we attend live performances, we not only get an intimate experience, a new perspective on our culture, and a chance to see the inspiration behind hit movies, we get to give back to small communities as well.