Questions

In the midst of a dress rehearsal, a student says to me; "Mr. Dunlap, this show is really great. I think it will be a big hit. This is good theatre." He then turned to me and asked; "What makes good theatre. I always hear it, and never really understood."

I had to take a moment and think. Good theatre? It is such a complex term really. To know what makes good theatre, you have to look at what is to be accomplished with it. Are we putting on a show just for entertainment? Are we trying to change hearts and minds on important issues? Or are we just taking part in something because it brings a light to our life that wasn't there before?

The answer is simple. If you see a show and it does all of these things, it is good theatre. A playwright named Dustin Lance Black recently wrote a play entitled "8" about the federal case against Proposition 8 in California. The show had a brief run on Broadway and recieved amazing reviews.

Just last week a special one night performance was done in California. The amazing thing about this performance was that it was not the Broadway cast performing. The cast was made up of many big name acotrs such as George Clooney, Jamie Lee Cutis, and Brad Pitt.

Acting started with a stage. It was amazing to see these actors return to their roots, not because they were getting paid, but because it was a cause important to them.

I remember when I was in the 8th grade. My best friends parents took me to my first show. We saw "The Wizard of Oz." At this point I had seen the movie a million times. But when those house lights dimed, and the curtain went up, I was transported to Oz. I didn't just watch Dorothy try to get home, I experienced all of her trials right along with her.

From that point on I knew I wanted to be on a stage.

So, what makes good theatre? Good theatre simply, makes you feel.