Community Problem Report

Jonathan Hope
UTEP

In this time of economic hardship, its easy to overlook the little things in
the community. When the city government is concerned about education, hospitals,
and tourism it is easy to forget about putting some culture into the city. In my
report I will relay not only how more theatres is not only as important as other city
concerns but also how it can be a boon for the city.
To begin with, it seems fair to first define what theatre is. According to the
Oxford English Dictionary (2012) theatre is a play or other activity or
presentation considered in terms of its dramatic quality. Its a pretty dry
definition for such an important cultural art so to elaborate I will explain the
definition with a quote by Stanislavsky (Brockett, 2007) All that is necessary for
theatre to be engaged is an empty space for a man to walk across while someone
watches him. Now that hopefully you understand what theatre is we can get to the
important part, talking about how its important and worth promoting around the
city more often.
As early as the 1920, theatre has been a major contributor to a citys
economy. That was during the Great Depression when money was tight and yet it
was during this time that theatre saw a major boom. That says to me that during a
time when money was tight, people still thought it was worth it to save up a few
cents to take in a play. The reason for this is that theatre gave people an escape

from the everyday hardships of life. In this day and age people have a need for
such an escape just as much as they did in the 20s.
In the 1930s plays start to focus on political and social concerns. (NOVA) In
todays age the city could use the theatre to make political and social issues more
widespread to the masses. Lets face it, not many people read the local paper
beyond the sports section and the comic strips. If the people of the city were
more informed through theatre they could make better informed choices come
voting day.
Theatre also has a more widespread effect. In an article from the
Huffington Post, Lauran Gunderson (2012) claims that bringing our youths to the
theatre more often can reverse the growing apathy in society. In a society where
no one is more than a foot away from a video game, computer, or other electronic
devices, todays young people have become detached. They dont know how to
interact with people because they usually communicate in text for or with emotes.
Bill English, actor and director at the San Francisco Playhouse, says that theatre is
like a gym for empathy where you can go to build up muscles for compassion and
practice listening. (Gunderson, 2012)
I saved my favorite reason for last because I want it to be the first thing
you remember when you think back on this report. The art and feel of theatre is

something that should be shared with as many people as possible. During the
Renaissance, kings and nobles strived for the best theatre and the best actors.
Some even raised troupes of their own. (Brockett, 2007) Few things compare with
the theatre experience. In a blog by Carey Upton, (2012) she describes the
theatre experience the best. The house lights dim. The stage lights come on. The
stage set is the interior of a modest home. The actors enter. The clothes they
wear fit the house. The language they speak is familiar, like how youd speak around
your home. They dont acknowledge you because of the imaginary fourth wall of
the house that you are peering through to witness the actions of the play. This
helps you suspend your disbelief. This helps put you in the space and time of the
play. You are there to see the play. You are an observer of the play.
In conclusion, theatre has many benefits and should be promoted more
throughout the city. It can be used as a political vehicle. It can be a draw for out
of town visitors to come see the local talent of El Pasos actors and actresses. It
can improve our young people. But most of all, you can experience times and places
few do without ever leaving town. It is my belief that El Paso could do better with
more theatre promotion and I hope you now do as well.

Abstract
This report was to express the need and importance of theatre in El Paso.
All though history theatre has been used for many things. Kings of several
countries saw its importance. In addition to its social and economic usefulness,
theatre can also teach important life lessons to our technology addicted youth.
With a little more promotion I believe theatre can be as significant as the baseball
park or Western Playland is now.

Bibliography
1. Brockett, O (2007) History of Theatre 10th Edition. Allyn & Bacon Inc.
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-gunderson/world-theater-for-childrenand-young-people-day_b_1343408.html.
Huffington Post, Lauren Gunderson, 3/19/2012. Site last updated 10/30/15
3. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/theatre
Oxford English Dictionary, last updated 3/15/2012
4. http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/modern-theatre.htm
An excerpt from the Introduction to Theatre online course from Northern
Virginia
5. http://creatingthe21stcentury.blogspot.com/2012/09/youwalk-intotheatre.html
Upton, C. How Theatre Has Changed. Posted 9/23/2012.
6. https://youtu.be/wCyvfScSuBE
National Theatre Discover. Uploaded 9/16/2011