Theater is a form of art that allows both the performers and the audience to be involved in production.

 

Production

 

The behind-the-scenes of theater includes the process of being a part of a hardworking team to bring the production to the stage.

 

“It’s a huge investment of time and energy,” Benjamin Mattson, the theater teacher at Durango High School, said.

 

Every person involved puts in their share of time and energy to produce a performance to the audience.

 

“Even though it’s hard work and you need focus and you need discipline, the heart of it is always playful,” Mattson said.

 

The rewarding part of theater is when all of the hard work is finally revealed to the audience, Mattson said. Making the production come to life from a vision is another part of theater that is rewarding, he said.

 

“There’s always something spontaneous and playful,” Mattson said.

 

Creativity in Theater

 

Theater brings the chance to be creative and explore different things.

 

The opportunity to be in a performance and express thoughts can be fun.

 

Theater should give us opportunities to use our creativity and our imagination to play with each other Theresa A. Carson, the artistic director and theater manager at the Durango Arts Center, said.

 

“Anyone can do theater,” Carson said.

 

A cast should be playing with each other and creating something fulfilling, she said. It gives anyone the chance to experiment and interact with art and each other.

 

Theater should bring something that is both educational, entertaining and hopefully life-changing in some way she said.

 

The Theater Experience

 

Theater, in its entirety, is an experience like no other, Carson said. Live theater offers a whole new perspective on performance art, she said.

 

“I think people are always surprised how much they enjoy it,” Carson said.

 

“It’s an interaction between the audience and the actors on stage,” she said.

 

The audience can see the hard work the performers put into each performance,  said Carson.

 

Live theater brings out the best in each person and their ability to play with one another to perform an unforgettable act, she said.

“You can look at it and reflect on it and see the audience’s appreciation of it, and that’s a pretty awesome feeling,” Mattson said.