THEATRE

"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."
-George Bernard Shaw

The Fine Arts

"...even a quick study of the arts reveals them as central to life--indeed, as something that attempts to illuminate life & helps make it worth living."
-Archer, Gendrich & Hood

MUSIC

• Tonal language
• Stirs emotions, reactions with or without words
• Instruments 30,000+ years old

PAINTING

• 2D-Visual language
• Cave paintings 10s of 1000s years old
• Records experience, creates experience

SCULPTURE

• 3D-Visual language
• Native art, religion

ARCHITECTURE

• 3D-Visual, Functional language
• Religion, art & function

DANCE

• Kinesthetic language
• Primitive, religious, ritual, story-telling, art

LITERATURE

• Symbolic language
• Last fine art to fully develop
• Documentation, academic

THEATRE

• Acting as language
• Religious & artistic origin
• Action of events
• Incorporates all other fine arts

3 FUNCTIONS of ART

"[Art] serves basic needs of humanity and has thus exerted a constant influence on centuries of human existence."
Archer, Gendrich & Hood

ENTERTAINMENT

• diversion from everyday life
• unique to each person
• expertise enhances enjoyent

ENLIGHTENMENT

• one learns something new
• emotions + knowledge = understanding

EXALTATION

• a celebration of the human spirit;
• overcoming adversity

CRITIQUING ART

"Admittedly or not...the poetic state, a transcendent experience of life, is what the public is...seeking through love, crime, drugs, war, or insurrection..."
-Antonin Artaud

art gives PLEASURE

• audience feels joy, happiness
• COMEDIES

art creates REACTION

• audience's EMOTIONS are honestly touched
• TRAGEDY, MELODRAMA

art prompts THINKING

• audience grapples with deep, rich ideas
• some MUSICALS

art creates REFLECTION

• audience sees itself in the story
• day-to-day struggles
• DRAMA

SUSPENDING

In order for any illusion to work, an audience must open its mind and accept the world onstage