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Theatre allows the audience to experience situations that they may not otherwise encounter. Additionally, secular and religious theatre provides an opportunity for the audience to empathize with the characters on stage. The audience is able to adapt behaviors as part of their individual identities by watching the actors portray a story. Secular theatre allows audiences the opportunity to interpret human existence and further reinforce community values. Loomis, from //Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,// is looking for his wife after being forced onto Joe Tuner’s chain gang. Upon reuniting, Martha (his wife) says to him, “So I killed you in my heart…And then I picked up what was left and went on to make life without you.” Examples such as this allow the audience to vicariously live outside their own limited sphere and learn to understand other human existence and suffering. On stage drama is story telling seeking emotional reactions from the community audiences.

Secular and religious theatres differ in several ways. Often in religious theatre there is the belief that the actor is elevated above the rest of the community in terms of mortality. Religious theatre grew out of ritualistic acts that had religious intent. These intentions often centered on pleasing the god(s) so that the community would receive blessings such as food and protection. For this reason, religious and ritualistic dramas perform the dual responsibility of pleasing the god(s) and requesting necessities for the community members. In some cultures it is believed that community members’ desires will be withheld by the god(s) if the god(s) intend on providing something better at another time. In the case of //Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,// Mattie’s husband leaves her because he believes someone cursed Mattie to “not have any babies.” Though this is viewed as a curse, Bynum believes, “There’s somebody searching for [Mattie’s] doorstep right now. Ain’t no need [Mattie] fretting over [her husband],” implying that God has someone better for Mattie. The religious theatre actively sought to sustain the community by appealing to the divine audience while also exploited the divine’s role in the community members’ daily lives. In later religious dramas, the purpose expanded to provide entertainment and education of religious stories and values to the audience.

Secular theatre is a monetary industry generating revenue through ticket sales, royalties from scripts, and even concessions while promoting the interaction of the audience as a social gathering. Today, secular theatre serves the general population with many art supporters and patrons depending on the size of the company. Secular theatre can be utilized to change tensions regarding social and political issues. For example, in //Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,// Jeremy states that “Ain’t nothing worse than a desperate woman…Desperate women ain’t nothing but trouble for a man.” In this instance, the gender role of women is being defined and reinforcing the notion that women should not be desperate. Consequently, this reinforces women in the community from staying away from demonstrating desperate behavior towards men in their communities. In some instances, secular theatre has been manipulated for political gain while in others it has been used to express opinions and create upheavals in society.

Secular and religious theatre and drama influence the social organization the communities they serve. They mirror society and the changes that occur both inside of the church and throughout the ordinary streets. The internal struggles of the characters allow the audience to empathize while also transforming society by sociological means. Secular and religious theatre also helps audience members to resolve their own personal dilemmas. Many people struggle with finding their identity and place in the world. Mattie, from //Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,// explicitly tells the audience of her struggles when she says, “I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. Seems like all I do is start over.” Theatrical performances reinforce communal morals and values, have characters that the audience can learn to identify with, and most importantly bring people together for entertainment regardless of whether it is secular or religious.

Arnold, Stephanie. //The Creative Spirit: An Introduction to Theatre.// 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.