Art or theatre?

Question:ok so at the beginning of this school year my schedule had Theatre I.but it was 4th block 2nd semester.all my friends had it 1st semester.i didn't know anyone who did except people from the other schools.[our highschool is a county school so all the middle schools are combined for highschool].well i changed it to Art.i'm so confused!i love them both!I just can't decide on one!which should I take?I love em both equally.which one seems better?based on pros and cons?or just in your opinion..

thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: ok so at the beginning of this school year my schedule had Theatre I.but it was 4th block 2nd semester.all my friends had it 1st semester.i didn't know anyone who did except people from the other schools.[our highschool is a county school so all the middle schools are combined for highschool].well i changed it to Art.i'm so confused!i love them both!I just can't decide on one!which should I take?I love em both equally.which one seems better?based on pros and cons?or just in your opinion..

thanks!

That is a really difficult question. I'm an actor, but I grew up in a family of fine artists so I've been around both all of my life.

There are things I'm sure you've already figured out that you like (and perhaps don't like from both). So I won't try to pick out small things.

There is a very big difference between art and theatre that I have spent a lot of time thinking about... it's TIME. What is so wonderful about art is that once you finish a piece of artwork... it will always be that piece of art. It is tangible and it is something you can show to others and it will always be the same. It is something you can even pass down from generation to generation. Once you have perfected your piece, it doesn't matter if you are having a bad day, a sore throat, a sprained ankle, it will always be a perfect piece of art.

Theatre, however, only exists in time. Once a performance is over, it is gone. You will never get that exact performance back again. Even if someone video tapes it, it is not the same as the live performance, because theatre is its own art and is not meant to be viewed on a screen. What is so wonderful about theatre, is that you are so very much in the moment. It is emotional, exciting, and magical and there is nothing quite like it. It is a work of cooperation - playwright, actors, designers, etc. all working together to take the audience on a journey. Every performance is different and there are always new things to discover.

I dare not say which one is better - they are such different things, it is too difficult to compare in that way. However, you can decide which is better for you. Would you like an art form where you can always have the piece of art you created? Or does the excitement and magic of a live performance thrill you more?

I, myself, sometimes wish that a performance could be tangible and I could always keep it with me, but alas it is what it is and only exists in time... and I would not give it up for the world.

But remember, there is no need to choose one and deny yourself the other. They are so very connected. Unfortunately, school is like that sometimes where only one class will fit in your schedule. You can do either or both outside of school as well. So, in deciding which class at school - think about which teacher will take you the furthest (if you haven't already decided whether you like one class over the other.)

Honestly, I think you need to make your own pros and cons list. None of us know your own personal reasons for loving art and theatre. Also, why limit yourself to taking them in school? There are opportunities outside of school for participating in both activities. Seek them out and see where you can fill in the gaps. Look for art studios and theatres close to where you live.

good luck,
Marianne

NO need to choose, do both. I did both. Majored in theatre and minored in Art. Very good choice it was,too,as the art really supported the theatre.

I'm the type of person who never likes to give anything up so I always try compromising. here's what I would do. Since acting is an art form that requires other people actually having the class is the only way to get anything out of it. While art is a, relatively speaking, solitary exercise. You can do it in your free time. Just become friends with the art teacher, follow their curriculum, then take in your work for feedback.
that way you don't have to give up either. It'll be more work. But it will allow you to do both. I will however warn you that compromising means you share your time between two activities. time you could be spending on just one activity. So that means that both suffer. So you have to make the choice: would you rather excell in one area completely forgetting the other, or do ok in both. Either way you choose you're going to have to sacrafice one or a little of both.