The Pure Energy of Theatre
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Theatre Calgary
By Stafford Arima, Artistic Director
Great storytelling has always reflected the voices of the people. Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Shaw derived their poetry from the masses and their experiences, and used those experiences to create potent theatre. The experience of sitting in a darkened room experiencing story is pure ritual. That experience is alive and, generally, not frightened of its voice and its potential to make a difference in the lives of an audience.
We were put on this earth to heal through our art
That is what I love most about theatre. It is pure energy that I cannot live without, and it is that energy that drives me and my work. I think that as citizens of this planet, many of us turn to the theatre for answers or even enlightenment. It’s essential that theatre reflects the world we live in today to inspire, engage, and most importantly connect. I believe that taking considered risks in programming – which includes the development and the production of new works – this will lead to theatre that reveals to heal. As theatre practitioners we were put on this earth to heal through our art and bring connection back to the masses. This is where illuminating theatre comes into play – questioning, challenging, thinking, and feeling. That is what we must do. That is what we must share.
