Is acting a form of lying? Is theater something God intended?
Towards a Theology of Theater
By theater we mean to perform, as on a stage, for an audience by means of acting out characters in the context of a story.
Is theater merely a human construct or it is of God?
Many ancient cultures have had theater plays of some kind, whether Asian, Greek/Roman or Egyptian. Western postmodern culture has begun to reject the concept of story in theater, but I suggest that story is part of theater’s definition. Our television culture has been greatly affected by this. Do you remember watching Johnny Carson and Carol Burnett? They had curtains, acts, audience and it was like watching a theater show on television. Sitcoms continued this paradigm by having a live audience, or at least having laugh tracks to help the audience laugh along with the funny parts. Now reality television has changed that. There is no definite story and all semblance of theater is lost as people who are disconnected from each other basically watch each other doing life in order to stay connected somehow.
Some theater shows are now short and seemingly unrelated vignettes. Here we must part with the postmodern definition of theater. I would suggest that the lack of story in theatrical pieces is nothing less than the result of satanic influence.
Why? For at least three reasons:
1- It is destructive of something; in this case story and therefore the enrichment of society. It is always satan’s goal to destroy rather than to give life to good things. “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 The Bible English Standard Version)
2- The basic philosophy of satan is to achieve divinity apart from God’s design and succor. “…you will be like God…” (Genesis 3:5 The Bible ESV). Thus the concept of design is rejected in favor of anything that is anti-design. Design implies aforethought of a starting point, substance and completion. And these are the basic elements of story.
3- God’s design of creation, fall and redemption is a kind of performance with the powers of the universe as its audience. Therefore reality is a kind of story with an author and an audience. Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage.” God inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “…so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7 ESV) “…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10 ESV)
The means of acting out characters in theater differs from God’s design in one important respect: In creation God’s people are not characters who are acting in order to suspend an audience’s perception of reality. God’s people are real. They have no stage, except time. When they use life as a stage, their Redeemer rebukes them, calling them hypocrites. The Greek word, “hypocritus” simply means actor. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees according to Matthew 23 calling them hypocrites six times in that chapter alone for acting righteous even though they weren’t.
Theater, therefore, is a reflection of God’s design and story. Its purpose is to reflect that design and story in such a way as to help its audience see reality anew: to live differently, to change thinking, to inspire, to amuse, to entertain, and so much more.
Men and women are capable of acting. Thus God must have intended acting to have a positive use; a place in his creation of human society. Because Jesus uses the word “actor” to rebuke should not lead us to conclude that all acting is false or evil. It is only false or evil when it is used as a means of performing for others in real life situations in order to look righteous, instead of being righteous. But it is good when used in the context of story-telling.
Christ used the art of story-telling in his use of parables… (More next week and eventually I will share one of my own plays, “A Table for Three” as a one act comedy.)