World Theatre Day is celebrated every year on 27th March. This day raises the importance of theatre arts, how they played an important role in the field of entertainment, and the changes that theatre brings in life.
The theatre is a combination of various forms of fine arts that uses live performers, actors, or actresses to present before a live audience about the real experience in a specific place or maybe on a stage.
International Theatre Institute (ITI) initiated in 1961 to celebrate World Theatre Day across the world to value and importance of theatre. On this day, ITI host a yearly message, spoken by a chosen famous theatre performer, to share their views about the art of theatre and its future. In 1962, the first message was spoken by Jean Cocteau in 1962.
ITI has more than 85 centers throughout the world; it also encourages colleges, schools, theatre professionals to celebrate this day.
This day is a celebration for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “theatre”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians, and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realised its potential for economic growth.
Messages from renowned Theatre artists are given to reflect the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace every year on this day. This year’s message author is Helen Mirren who is a stage, screen, and TV actress.
Helen Mirren is one of the best known and most respected actresses with an international career that spans stage, screen, and television and has won many awards for her powerful and versatile performances, including the Academy Award in 2007 for her performance in The Queen.
“This has been such a very difficult time for live performance and many artists, technicians, and craftsmen and women have struggled in a profession that is already fraught with insecurity.
Maybe that always present insecurity has made them more able to survive this pandemic with wit and courage.
Their imagination has already translated itself, in these new circumstances, into inventive, entertaining, and moving ways to communicate, thanks of course in large part to the internet.
Human beings have told each other stories for as long as they have been on the planet. The beautiful culture of theatre will live for as long as we stay here.
The creative urge of writers, designers, dancers, singers, actors, musicians, directors, will never be suffocated and in the very near future will flourish again with a new energy and a new understanding of the world we all share.
I can’t wait!”