Indians have always had a love-hate relationship with theatre. Although it is viewed as a rich narrative form of entertainment, theatre is one of the art forms that serves dual purpose of amusing and educating. As a result, different forms of theatre have evolved and have become a somewhat integral part of India’s social movement. The thought provoking plays that are performed end up helping in reaching out to the masses and empowering them.
Let’s take a look at some reasons why India should encourage the theatre industry.
1) Addresses important issues: Performing arts are a great way of addressing a plethora of social issues like the importance of education, gender discrimination, basic hygiene and many other things.
2) Power to start a conversation: Theatre provides a platform for people to start debates and discussions about the things that matter and affect the masses. Powerful performances ensure that the audience talks about it even after the play stops running.
3) Empathy: People who participate in any form of performing arts need to have a deep understanding of the characters, different situations, cultures and subtext of the play. Hence, it is often observed that theatre actors have a higher level of empathy, tolerance and compassion towards others.
4) Cooperation: From the actors to the set designers, everyone has to work in harmony to ensure that all creative ideas are implemented and that the play is a hit and has a long lasting impact. As a result, all participants are far more patient and open to discussion about ideas.
5) Communication Skills: It has been proven that theatre and drama help to build an individual’s communication skills, whether spoken or otherwise. Being a part of a play, gives the participants an opportunity to improve their voice modulation, facial expressions and tone of speech.