For many, theater is more than entertainment; it is a vital way to build psychological skills-especially empathy, or our ability to share, understand and care about others' emotions.
Research found that after watching theater, audience expressed more empathy for the characters onstage. The plays also changed behavior. Researchers gave audience members the option to donate some of their payment to charity. After seeing the plays, audience members donated more money to charity-whether or not the charity was related to the topics in the plays.
Why does live theater have these effects? Sitting in the dark watching a play can make us forget our own worries and transport us into the life and mind of a different person. We found that the more people reported feeling "immersed" or "lost" in the play, the more their beliefs and behaviors were changed by it.
A classic finding in social psychology is that repeated, positive encounters with people unlike ourselves can build empathy. Many of us have too few experiences-or too little interest-in creating such encounters. Theaters provide the chance to see the experiences of people who differ from us in environments unlike our own.
The arts are essential to human flourishing(繁荣). As we move beyond the pandemic, we will need to focus on healing collectively and connecting better. Providing greater access to the arts-and using them to share stories across cultural and social difference-will be an important part of this path to recovery.