Theater caters to all audiences, students should take advantage of free opportunity

Oct. 26, 2015

Eleanor Sturt
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I watch monologues on YouTube, memorize them for fun and read Shakespeare plays because they’re entertaining and insightful.

Theater is exciting, well at least to me it is.

I don’t expect every college student to find theater exciting, I don’t even expect theater majors to. But not enough students attend theater productions.

UCCS has connections with Theatreworks, located in University Hall. For students, all Theatreworks shows are free. There are also shows by the UCCS Theatre Company. These are put on by students in a variety of locations, including their main stage on the second floor of UHall.

All students are encouraged to get involved with the UCCS Theater Company, whether that be auditioning, helping backstage or attending shows.

So why are more students not taking advantage of this free opportunity?

There are many reasons to see live theater as no two shows are the same. Occasionally there is free food and, while learning is nearly suffocating us, there is still an educational aspect to theater.

When I come out of a play I always have questions. It often drives me to see shows more than once.

There is a predisposition that theater isn’t cool. I have heard people say, “Theater isn’t for me,” when they have never seen a show outside of high school drama. That doesn’t count.

There is also a strange, fabled concept that theater is boring.

Come see a show.

People die, duplicate and transform into monsters right in front of the audience. The possibilities of live theater are endless.

Theater is not old fashioned, and it is often far from boring. It is not like seeing a movie. In live theater, there is an energy that you don’t get in a movie theater.

There is a relationship between the audience and the actors that you don’t get from a screen. Actors in live theater play to an audience.

The energy of the audience affects the actors and vice versa, changing tiny aspects of the show.

Theater can be and is for anyone. Students should be leaping at the opportunity to attend free shows.

I urge students to go see two shows, whether now or different shows coming in the following season. Just like with movies, there are shows you may not like, but do not abandon theater because of one show.

Theatreworks is putting on a show by Henrik (Ed 10/29) Ibsen called “Ghosts,” a “harrowing Scandinavian thriller that shocked and scandalized Victorian society.” The UCCS Theatre Company is rehearsing “Tartuffe,” a French play from the 17th century which will be opening Nov. 13.