The 
origins of theater are thought to trace back to tribal religions, where shamans and priests acted out mythic stories. Theater continues to include elements that are present in religious services, as the performance brings people together and central figures tell a tale, with lights and sounds shaping moods and the audience responding as a group.
One theater professional said:
“I’ve always believed that religion and theatre have an almost interchangeable effect on the soul. When a play or production works, and I mean really works, one’s spirit is uplifted and all that is confused seems clearer. Call it a cliché, but the experience of great theatre is religious. Characters speak to you – to the deepest part of your soul – and somehow the words make it easier to face the troubles of life and appreciate the happy moments more deeply.”
In attending the theater, like entering a temple, we leave the day-to-day world behind, and may be taken for a time to a place where we may find insights or a sense of meaning or connection.
Links
Theater is Religion, by Norman A. Bert.
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