The Dying Spectacle

Popularized by the Greeks, theatres became a mode of entertainment as well as a platform for spreading important messages in the society. Aristotle went on to write Poetics, a book containing rules to write a drama, more specifically a tragedy. Later on, William Shakespeare popularized a type of drama called tragicomedy and many considers him to be the greatest dramatist to walk the planet. Theatres continued to entertain people till the middle of the Twentieth century, after which Cinemas took its onus. Big screens, speakers, big budgets, camera recording and multiple screening started to take the shine out of the theatres.

A film was made and shown to people of different countries and cultures through different screening halls and thus it attracted a huge number of audiences, something theatres have never experienced. Will such views, films became more profitable as budgets increased from time to time. Actors could now comfortably take two, three or more shots to record a segment which increased the margin of errors. Theatres require spontaneous acting and gives no margin or errors to the actors and hence makes it difficult for them and thus they choose to move towards the more lucrative cinemas both in terms of money and fame.

Theatres started to suffer more so as twenty-first century’s digitalization took center stage. With access to internet, a lot more of the world now opened up to the viewers. The OTT platforms provided an unique experience as the audience can now watch their favorite movies in their own time all the while in the comfort of their home. Theatres are something which is incomplete without its spectacle. It gives the audience a sui generis experience which can only be felt when one is present on his seat inside an auditorium hall. Sadly, such experiences are limited as theatres continue to suffer because of budget constraints and lack of interest to act in theatres. Theatres are therefore very sporadic in nature and the lack of viewers is killing it.

People pay the same amount for a two-hour long cinema but neglect a two-hour long theatre. We forget to notice that the people acting in cinemas today were theatre actors when they began their career and still are involved as theatre actors. It is an art form where all the nine rashas (emotions) come together to portray life as closely as it can be portrayed. It is an ancient form of art that needs us, viewers to survive. If we can spend our hard-earned money on movies, we can spend a little on theatres too. Watch one, because many of us haven’t done so. Rest, it depends on your liking.

#Theatres_need_us #Save_the_theatres

----- Chandradeep Roy