It can be easy to take actors and acting for granted. We often think of the acting profession as a privileged opportunity rather than an occupation that requires talent, training and practice to master and is valuable to society.
The truth is that acting is a skill that needs to be constantly honed, developed and practiced. While natural talent undoubtedly plays an important role in becoming a successful actor, training and practice are lifelong commitments for anyone hoping to build a successful career as a theater actor.
Acting is a serious profession that has significant value to society. Let’s take some time to explore some of the important ways in which acting and actors benefit our personal lives and improve the society in which we live.
Acting Allows Us to Move Backward and Forward in Time
Acting acts like a time machine that allows us to travel back in time. Actors portray fictional and non-fictional characters who have played a significant role in shaping our history and our modern society. By recreating these historical influencers, they bring important historical events to life for us in a way that history books and history professors cannot.
The time machine created by the acting profession travels in both directions, allowing us to be transported into images of possible future worlds and societies based on events of the past and present.
Acting Opens a Window on Our Present Society
Acting allows us to take a deep, unflinching and challenging look at current events or the current state of our society. It can be easy to overlook or ignore some of the challenges, injustices, inequalities, or other problems in our contemporary society, especially when they do not affect our daily lives. Acting provides a window into aspects of our current society that we may not notice during our routine. It allows us to get a clearer picture of how our society functions. With this deeper understanding, we can better see where society is thriving and where there is a need for improvement or reform.
Acting Opens a Window on Our Humanity
Acting can be a much-needed mirror that reflects the truth of our humanity. Through the actor’s presentation of the nuanced traits and motivations of characters, both villainous and virtuous, we can recognize parts of the personality of the character being portrayed that may resonate with core aspects of our humanity. While this can be uncomfortable, it can provide an important opportunity for deep self-reflection and self-improvement.
Acting Opens the Door for Important Discussions
The social aspect of watching a movie, television program or theater production gives us the opportunity to discuss the meaning of the work we have just seen. It opens the door to discussing the interactions between the characters portrayed by the actors and the social context in which the story takes place.
Acting provides a means for open discussions that we would not otherwise have with those closest to us. Acting also opens up the possibility of a broader discussion in society about the issues presented in a popular movie, television program or theater production.
Acting helps us to understand the point of view of others
Acting helps us to walk in the shoes of others. When an actor fully immerses himself in the role of the character he is playing, he becomes that character, and if he is really good at his craft, he can immerse us in the character’s mind. A talented actor, playing the role of another character, can draw each viewer into the imagination of the character he or she is playing. For a short time, while we are enjoying the performance, we can look at the world through the eyes of another person who may be completely different from us in every way.
Acting Allows You to Escape from Life’s Difficulties
Perhaps more importantly than any other purpose, acting offers us an escape from the pressures, difficulties and stress of our daily lives. This may seem like a relatively small contribution compared to the other ways that acting adds value to our personal lives and society. However, when we are feeling overwhelmed and stressed by the many pressures in our own lives, it is difficult for us to reap any rewards that come from seeing other points of view and other cultures. Furthermore, when we feel overly burdened by our cares and concerns, we tend to find it much harder to show concern for broader issues affecting society.