Name: How theater weathers wars, outlasts empires and survives pandemics
Uploaded: 2021-02-17T16:06:44Z
Duration: 14 min 39 s
Description: When catastrophe strikes, art prevails -- and has done so for centuries. In this fascinating talk, writer and director Cara Greene Epstein places the closing of theaters during the coronavirus pandemic in a historical context, exploring how we can use this intermission to imagine a more just, representative and beautiful world, onstage and off.

Cara Greene Epstein: How theater weathers wars, outlasts empires and survives pandemics

How theater weathers wars, outlasts empires and survives pandemics

When catastrophe strikes, art prevails -- and has done so for centuries. In this fascinating talk, writer and director Cara Greene Epstein places the closing of theaters during the coronavirus pandemic in a historical context, exploring how we can use this intermission to imagine a more just, representative and beautiful world, onstage and off.

Theater has endured centuries of crisis, from plagues that shuttered London's Globe for 78 months to the global closures seen during COVID-19. Even when stages are empty and artists out of work, theater’s power to connect, heal, and reflect society persists. This pause is not just a setback, but an invitation to reimagine how art can help communities confront injustice and build a more just world. The essence of theater—creativity, empathy, and collective feeling—remains vital, inside and outside traditional venues.