The theme of a dramatic work is a statement about the human condition and an exploration of it. I believe the shared experience theatre creates and the collective experience literature provides, helps us understand ourselves better both collectively and individually.
Literary arts are vital to a healthy society.
If we consider the source of art in society, whether we look at indigenous works in their full cultural context, butoh, or the theatre of the Greek amphitheaters, we find the creation of experiences that reconnect individuals to themselves, to each other, and to our common origin. Some people believe art is mere decoration or entertainment. Artists and their patrons know that art serves a vital community function. It presents us with visions of how things were, are, and may be. It holds a mirror up that allows us to see ourselves individually and collectively in new ways.