What Theatre means to me

There are many forms of theatres across the universe. Yet, they all have a single purpose of portraying a message or expressing a certain quality.  With the little theatre experience I had from working backstage on certain middle school plays, I certainly did not know what this class had in store for me.  Theatre to me, consisted of rehearsed lines, set design, and rehearsed emotions.  I did not want to pursue anything theatre-related after participating in some back-stage productions during middle school.

I am so glad a friend recommended this course to me.  The course has taught me true Asian theatre in depths that no other teacher managed to delve into.  As I learned about the oral tradition through the teaching of the Ramayana, to when we learned about Chinese opera through the screening of “Farewell my Concubine,” each and every course had something new and exciting to provide for me to learn about.  There was a culture shock but it was a good one in that it literally opened up my eyes to the wide variety and traditions of Asian theatre.  

Dissapearance provided a new play to me that was different than any other play I had attended and fallen asleep at.   It helped me take my mindset out of the ordinary school plays that I had worked on and opened up a whole new world in which theatre resonated. 

I would have never known the different qualities of Asian theatre had I not decided to take this course.  Nor would I have learned the importance of banjar and the affects of banjar.   Theatre to me will be the opportunity and chance to participate in banjar as we learn to open our minds on the rewards that all types of theatre has to offer.