Stepping outside of your problems

I posted this as a comment on Mr. Me’s blog about why we do theater. It was a moment of brilliance for me, so I wanted to make sure I kept a record of it here as well.

It is that reaction from the audience. It makes a huge difference. It’s why I do some of the things I do. With acting, you also get to step outside of yourself for a time, step away from your problems and into someone else’s, someone’s problems that will be resolved within two hours. I think that is also part of why I enjoy attending theater, I get to see and, if the actors are good, feel someone else’s problems instead of being consumed by my own. And by the end of the night, at least someone’s problems got resolved.

I think I have the same experiences with tv shows, movies, and especially books. They all allow me to escape. And in the end, either their problems are solved, or you know they have what they need to solve them eventually.