Significance and Miracle of Theater in Many Cultures

Nowadays, theatre plays a significant role in the representation of values of various cultures. Although the notion of theater may presuppose different meanings, the universal thing is that every culture recognizes the importance of this type of arts. It is a phenomenon that displays unique experiences, provides unforgettable impressions and marks out unique values and purposes for each person and culture because it allows both the actors and the viewers to express themselves with the help of different methods.

Different people have made attempts to define the value of the theater. The interviews, conducted by Wilkinson, show that there are very diverse opinions about this kind of arts. One person may appreciate theater for being a genuinely live event that can create communication and purification in a physical environment (Wilkinson). To others, it is a compound of being alive and connected to others, and it makes theater both uniquely special and sensitive to its audience (Wilkinson). For somebody, the theater may offer a possibility to escape from everyday concerns, which makes it very important for the community (Wilkinson). Overall, the variety of opinions demonstrates that theater has indeed become an essential part of society nowadays, which provides various benefits to different people.

For specific cultures, theater has always been carrying different values as well as for separate individuals. Ancient Greeks’ theater plays were among the first ones. Therefore, its heritage to the world is in the structure and rules which with time have become classics.. The rules of Greek tragedy were comprehensive and strict, which was aimed to make the artistic expression more impressive for the viewer. Moreover, the presence of the structure in drama, which begins with prolog and ends with an exodus point to the teaching narrative where the introduction presents initial circumstances, and the conclusion points to the outcomes of the actions (Bruce T.). Therefore, the central values Greek theater has encouraged are the creation of the initial conception of the theater, an impression through expression, and the educational aim of narration.

In Japan, there have endured two forms of theater with their distinctive features and values. The primary one is Noh, which is usually recognized to be aristocratic (Bruce T.). For this reason, people from the upper classes appreciated it as the expression of a good life. The following is Kabuki theater, which has much more modest roots. Firstly, Kabuki was conducted in the “red-light district” and translated connected themes (Bruce T.). Therefore, Japanese Kabuki actors were less professional. However, this theater is still appreciated as a form of entertainment and human expression, which people of less significant social positions can afford. Overall, theaters in Japan have historically brought value as carriers of traditions and the possibilities for expression for any person.

The theater has had a long history of development and meaning in other countries as well. For instance, in China, it was a common practice of relaxation, where different tricks were also performed (Bruce T.). In the west, theater thrived in nations such as France and England throughout the Middle Ages. Some of the French authors were especially valuable because they were able to create works that caused some outcry and were considered controversial at the time. For instance, one of them violated the social norms of “verisimilitude and the unities,” while another author wrote a play about a hypocrite (Bruce T.). In England, the most famous writer is considered to be William Shakespeare, who has become a symbol of theater legacy for his still relevant comedies and tragedies (Bruce T.). It is seen that artistic expression in theaters of China brought relaxation; in France, it helped to expose the issues of the time, and in England, it formed the cultural basis for the future of drama.

Nowadays, by visiting theater, a person can receive an excellent possibility to examine the individual’s and group’s circumstances together. Moreover, it is a unique opportunity for self-reflection because it can reveal the best and the worst facets of human character (Understand the Importance of Theatre in Society). Through visiting performances, people can express themselves freely and get new experiences. Moreover, theater is one of the most significant forms of art for such reasons as possibilities for “self-discovery,” “history and education,” performing arts, and creativity (Understand the Importance of Theatre in Society). Theater is crucial for people because it is an action where actors might utilize their bodies, voices, or motionless things to convey artistic interpretation (Understand the Importance of Theatre in Society). Therefore, making art is an essential part of life, which creates new ideas, receives useful criticism, and even resolves problems. All in all, theater as a form of art is significant for people because performing allows adults and children to express their hidden emotions, sensations, ideas, and views, which they encounter in everyday life.

As a result, it was proved that theater is a prominent kind of art that carries individual values and expectations for each person and each cultural group because it provides the place for reflection of inner emotions and flow of creativity by allowing artists to use motion, sound, and other available methods to carry out the human and artistic expression throughout the play. The cultures and values, which were reviewed as examples, are Greek antique theater, Japanese kinds of performance, Chinese, French, and English schools of drama. The paper also determined the importance of theater for humanity as a valuable source of new knowledge and the possibility to entertain or rest.