What do the artists of theatre do for us?

Theatre Artists do us a tremendous favor.  

They bare their souls in telling a story inspiring us to speak or be safe in silence.  

They create a world on stage where they often titter on the brink of destruction or utter happiness. We can experience being on the edge through them, but we don't have to actually do it to understand it and learn from it. 

They state the unthinkable.  They do the unforgivable.  They act in weakness.  They are trapped in fear and do nothing.

They state what must be said.  They act heroically.  They take risks. 

They make us laugh. They make us cry.  Sometimes they make us do both at the same time.

They teach us about our neighbors, people of distants lands, people from the past, and people from the future.

They make us lean forward in our seats, holding our breathe, waiting for the next word, moment or action.  They make us feel alive.  

And all we have to do is show up.