Relate Theater to your Life

When I first signed up for this course I wasn’t that interested in theater and I definitely didn’t think that it would relate to any of my interests. Now that it is coming towards the end of the semester and I have a wealth of theatrical knowledge under my belt, I have realized that there are more comparisons to my everyday life and passions than I thought were possible. I have been able to find connections with movies, sports, people watching, and everyday interaction with people. All of the knowledge that I have acquired in conjunction with the noticed connections to everyday life provide useful skills whether or not I decide to be involved with theater.

Movies were the immediate connection that I made to my life. I am extremely passionate about film and can appreciate movies of all varieties. When watching a movie for the first time I noticed that I analyze it much the same way that I do with plays or musicals, and many works of theater are either later made into movies or were created based on a previously existing movie which made for an easy transition for me. In movies the set design, lighting, costumes, and acting are all key factors in whether or not it is enjoyable, along with the writing of course.

Being an athlete and avid sports fan I slowly was able to find connections that were relevant to theater. The biggest connection that I have noticed is the crowd or audience and overall environment. In both cases, either going to see a play or going to a sporting event, these two things are a big factor in whether or not it is an enjoyable time. At a play, the crowd is interactive with the performers on stage which, depending on the level of interaction can make or break the show. The same goes with attending a sporting event. The behavior of the crowd is obviously different but they add to the environment in both cases. If you went to a sporting event or theatrical performance and you were the only one there it wouldn’t have nearly the same effect. Overall environment is also a factor. At a theater people look for the quality of the theater, friendly staff, well organized and thousands of little things that can add to the overall performance. As in sports, environment is a big issue also. One is weather if you are attending a sporting event outside. For example, if you attend a baseball game in the summer, you hope for a beautiful sunny day so you can eat your hot dog, drink a beer, and thoroughly enjoy the game. Whereas if you attend a football game, people accept the fact that the weather isn’t nearly as nice during football season, so tailgating and sitting in the freezing cold is just showing dedication to your team and can even add to the overall experience.

I have noticed theater and improvisation all around me on campus and everywhere I go on a day to day basis. I think that if most people paid attention to people that they would find connections also. If you sit on bench in the oak grove you can see elements of theater in everyone that walks past. By the way that they walk to the clothes or “costumes” that they are wearing, people are trying to make an impression and trying to reflect their personality to everyone around them. Just like in theater where your costume and stage presence give the audience an immediate first impression of the character in the play. Even talking to strangers is a form of improv. Being able to think on your feet and simply hold a conversation with someone a prime example of a skill that is useful in theater and in real life that we take for granted.

There are endless possibilities to relating theater to your life and you don’t have to be a theater major to make the connections. If you pay attention and look around many aspects of life are comparable to theater. I think that the skills and ideas that I have been learning will prove to be useful later on in all aspects of life.