Just a Thought on Theater

Anne Fulwiler, artistic director of the theatre project told me her perspective of theater; it takes two people. One as observer and the other as performer.

Now that I reflect on this statement, I find it very profound, almost as profound as Shakespeare. One of his most quoted lines is something like. All the world’s a stage…and men and women merely players.

This to me is very true. A lot of theater is based on perspective; what is “good” theater, what is “bad” theater, what is “experimental” and “daring” all depends on your point of view. So maybe theater is actually an extremely simple concept, complicated by what other people make it.

I think about all the roles I play as one person; daughter, sister, aunt, niece, step-daughter, step-sister, student, mentor, baby sitter, nanny, cousin, niece, granddaughter…the list goes on. But in each of these roles, if you will, I play a different character. I do not act the same way towards my mother as I do my father, and certainly wouldn’t express to my grandparents what I express to my father. Oh have mercy!

But I thought how Shakespeare and Ms. Fulwiler are correct. When you see that crazy man walking down the street actin’-a-fool, you laugh and say, “Now what the heck was that?” and that’s a theatric moment. When you split with your significant other and have that horrible meltdown--yeah we’ve all been there--you’re the player with the broken heart. Somebody is there for you and helps you, they are the audience. You are the crazy man’s audience. This is how I see how Shakespeare’s words hold true, and how Ms. Fulwiler has quite a valid point of view.

In the movie "Love Actually," Hugh Grant states in the intro that love actually is all around; referring to the arrivals and departure gates at London/Heathrow airport. I think this same concept can be applied to theater. Any moment can be a theatric moment if you’re looking.