Student Blog: All the World’s a Stage
In writing about theatre, I found theatre in everything.
As a marketing student, I believe the best marketing isn’t tied to a specific vertical. I love to find inspiration everywhere, and I’ve learned that the “best marketing” isn’t inherently synonymous with the “best storytelling.” Theatrical marketing is no different, nor is theatre itself. As students, we often hear that “art imitates life imitates art.” It may be an old cliché, but perhaps there is some merit to the notion of simultaneous inspiration.
When I first approached writing about theatre, I held a preconceived notion that I’d be limited to discussing the business side of the industry or artistic trends. When I thought of theatre writing, I thought of reviews, production analyses and business forecasts. As a student writer, my anticipated scope included arts-adjacent coursework or assignments. However, my experience stretched far beyond these initial boundaries.
I found myself drawn to discussing how my experience as a young artist informed my experience as a young professional, and more importantly, as a young adult. Whether it was a listicle about student involvement as a way to stay connected to the arts or a deep dive into how arts audiences’ digital connections can serve as an extension of the live experience, I found that what happens on stage is the starting point, not the sole, strict focus.
This discovery quickly stretched, giving new meaning to Shakespeare’s famous line, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Theatre is far more than an industry or even a cultural impact. When considering the transferable skills from an arts education, it’s clear that the skills for successful leaders in any industry are found in dance and theatre courses. Beyond the professional sphere, there’s arguably no greater shared experience that helps people connect, reflect and grow as both individuals and a broader community.
The way we analyze character motive is not dissimilar to the way we analyze human behavior. Knowing characters were written gives us permission to examine their choices without the ambiguity that real people carry. Yet, there’s still so much to infer about the characters we observe, especially in assuming their stories beyond what’s shown on stage. Theatre writing, then, becomes an exercise in the same critical thinking and empathy that underlie any good storytelling, not just what’s presented on stage.
I imagined I’d become a stronger critic of trends in design and distinct acting choices, and while that is true, I’d argue that it is because I see the world more theatrically and have become both a stronger storyteller and thinker through the process of writing. I’ve long known that strong writing is the foundation for strength in many areas, and perhaps I now better understand why editorial work spoke to me so clearly when I chose to step away from my path as a dancer. My typing speed may have substituted my petite allegro, but the work stretches the same brain muscles.
Theatre is a broad umbrella for a vast industry. Regardless of whether you find yourself onstage, backstage or simply watching the stage, you'll find that what you take with you past the proscenium travels further than you'd expect.
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