It would seem that theater and cinema belong to the same genre: art. And yet they are completely different lines that exist separately from each other, which somewhere diverge, somewhere intersect. But regardless of whether the action takes place on stage or on the other side of the screen, in both cases the viewer is the protagonist who attentively follows the plot and evaluates the actors’ performance.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the difference between theater and cinema, and understand why theatrical art for so many years has not yielded its position to cinema. As the saying goes, theater begins with a hanger, and cinema… with popcorn.
- ACTION IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
When you sit in a theater and watch the actors play, you can see every movement, hear every rustle on the stage. You can feel the emotions the actors are trying to convey to their audience, experience the goosebumps that run down your skin when the characters cry or laugh, catch the slightest change in their mood and voice. Movies are another matter! You’re just an outside observer of what’s happening on the screen. It lacks the most important thing that is in the theater, which is a living game. - DECORATIONS
Modern cinema is a mixture of acting and special effects. You want a disaster movie – with the help of computer graphics you can paint yourself any natural disasters. In the theater the entire entourage is created with special decorations, which immerse you in the atmosphere and create an attendant effect. This is great! - SOLEMN ATMOSPHERE
Before going to the theater, we are in anticipation of some kind of celebration. It really is something special when at intermission between acts in the foyer stroll ladies in beautiful dresses on the arm with the gentlemen in fancy suits. Magnificent indeed! - IMPROVISATION
Each theatrical production is unique and unrepeatable. The same dialogues in the same scenes may be said by actors in completely different ways – with a different intonation, with a different emotional mood. And this conveys a completely new feeling about the performance. Whereas you can watch the same movie dozens of times and find nothing new in it. - ACTORS’ PLAY.
If you compare the game of the same actor in the movie and in the play, you can see a huge difference, as if on stage – one person, and on the screen is completely different. Not without reason in theater and aesthetic education acting courses play an important role in the creative development and revelation of the actor’s potential. That is why the theatrical productions are always more emotions, more expression! And only one take. - SENSE OF COMMUNITY
In theater, all the emotions of the characters on stage are transmitted to the audience, and the audience, like a receiving antenna, tunes in to that wave. Where one laughs, the whole audience laughs; where there is a sad moment, the whole audience wipes away the tears. - DIVERSITY
Of course cinematography can also be different. But the repertoire in the theater is something incredible! Puppet theater, opera, installations without words or music, and a huge assortment of genres! Everyone will find something to their liking!