What is it that makes a man truly a man – unique, significant, one of a kind?
Not physical strength, as the smallest ant, if measured in proportion to body size, is a hundred times stronger. Not by knowledge, as miniature electronic devices contain a greater quantity of “knowledge” than a man can collect over his entire life. Not by resilience and adaptability, as even the smallest bacterium is more adaptable and resistant. One could continue endlessly.
So what it is then that makes man such a significant, special and dominant creature? And is he, really?
Yes. And not only humans as a species, but also every individual in this large human family, each one of us, is special and terribly significant.
By his humanity, that I would define as the sum of his compassion and intelligence. This grows like an indescribably lovely fruit tree, giving magical fruits, while this tree is fed by a mass of roots among which the most important are, perhaps, imagination and a spectrum of emotions.
Just as a ray of the sun on a drop of rain spills out the spectrum of the colours of the rainbow, such is the spectrum of feelings that a man can develop within, only much, much richer. This allows him to feel for others, to understand nature, to respect and love himself and the world around him.
And imagination and the emotional spectrum are the diamonds that man receives at birth, but they must be developed, nurtured, fed and polished. Particularly in childhood, when their development is of special importance in order to make us better, nobler and happier people. All forms of art, especially theatre, help us in that development, as theatre combines all the arts by blending together the actors and all other theatres works, masters of the game, with the audience, into a single body that creates the theatrical miracle. For that reason, the theatre audience is not just a mere observer of the performance, each individual in the audience – with his experience, giggling, every reaction – is co-creator of the overall game that is the theatrical event. This game is not a game to overpower, outwit or win, as in sport, for in the theatre, all the players are winners. This is not a game for the lifeless console and cold screen – this is a game with our peers in which we have the same or similar excitements and fears led by the masters of the game – living actors experiencing their own and other’s lives.
This is the best way to nurture these diamonds, imagination and the emotional spectrum that make our lives richer and more beautiful.
Therefore, esteemed young players in theatre life – love and respect yourselves and nurture the traits you received at birth, and allow us to help you become better, nobler and happier people, as that makes us better, nobler and happier people. It is this delving into mutual enrichment that is the fundamental premise and beauty of the theatre.
Zlatko Krilić
writer
