theater, faith, and truth

For the past several months I have been developing a renewed interest in theater, and scheming of ways to attend more theater productions. I have always enjoyed theater, especially musicals. Growing up I was in a few plays, including some homegrown productions of American Girl plays, musical theater camps, and a high school musical. I have also always enjoyed acting; maybe it has something to do with my ability to create impersonations or dramatic interpretations of everyday events to my friends and family. In college this was one interest that I really didn't have time to dedicate time to, although I attended a few theater performance.

Perhaps having friends, and now co-workers, who truly enjoy the color and inspiration that the theater brings over the past year have encouraged me to rekindle my interest in this art form. And then there was going to Broadway. In December a few friends and I took a trip to New York City, and it was my first time there. What was I most excited about? Seeing a show on Broadway, of course! It was so exciting to see the iconic Broadway theaters throughout New York - with all the lights, glitz, and famous musical bills posted on buildings. My friends and I saw the musical "Finian's Rainbow", which was just delightful. The acting was excellent, the scenery was exquisite, and the music was rousing and heartwarming. It was definitely one of those very uplifting performances where you left with a smile on your face, humming the tunes in your head for days. Musicals, although most times are unrealistic and sometimes borderline cheesy, have a way of doing that: bringing you out of your troubles, current life challenges, and daily struggles, and through song, dance, and acting, bringing you a sense of optimism and hope that truly touches you. Because I so interested in the Broadway legacy after seeing a Broadway show, I started watching a documentary series on PBS about the history of Broadway, called Broadway: The American Musical.

Although I have only watched two of the six volumes, I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far, as it weaves a narrative of how American culture intersects with the arts throughout the late 19th and 20th century.

As I have been gaining interest in theater over the past couple months, I have been thinking that it would be a lot of fun to be in a theater performance again. I am not sure where I would find this opportunity again -- perhaps in a community theater, but since I don't have a car yet, that's not really an option for me for a few months. It's a fun opportunity for me to think about, and I think I would enjoy acting and performing again.

Through my recent theater attendance and research, I have been convinced that there is something unique in theater that compels the human heart, speaks to it, and inspires it. I think that this can be experienced by both the actor or actress in the show, and the audience watching the show. However, even when thinking about it, I couldn't quite put my finger on how this art form uniquely communicates beauty and Truth to man. While surfing the internet, I was excited to come across this website, The Blackfriars Repertoire Theatre, which apparently a theatre in New York City which was started by Dominican Friars, and continues to "produce plays that reflect the spiritual nature of man and his destiny" as well as "produce high quality theater of all kinds that edifies, uplifts, entertains, and inspires."

On this site, I found a fascinating article by Father Peter John Cameron, O.P., that explains the reasons why theatre is such a poignant art form, and it's ability to uniquely challenge and inspire men and women. This article is entitled "The Role of Theater in the Evangelization of Culture," and brings together the thoughts of Hans Urs Von Balthasar, John Paul II, Monsignor Guissani, and a few pivotal theater figures and their commentary on the value of theater for evangelization and human inspiration. I would highly recommend reading this article if you too enjoy theater and the arts. It will encourage you to watch and participate in theater in a new way.

In closing, I will share one of my favorite quotes in the piece

"Von Balthasar notes that 'theatre owes its very existence substantially to man's need to recognize himself as playing a role.' Christ, who reveals man to himself, as actor reveals the contours of the role of the human 'I' in the human drama."