The Berlin Experience So Far

I love Berlin--I really do. There is no need to rush anything; there is this sense of quietness that is almost suburban, but it is still a city; and...I don't know...there is this "coziness" that envelops the city that you just don't get in New Brunswick or in New York City. Despite everything that Berlin is, I am a bit homesick.

But hey, compared to where I was the second day here, it's getting better. I'm finally able to say that I am confident in navigating my way through Berlin without Google Maps. Or find some pretty good places to eat without having Yelp readily available.

And I finally had spaghetti eis. Big win on the foodie side.

_________

I am so jealous of how the arts are so much more respected in Europe than in the U.S. in every way possible. What probably stuck out to me the most though was how present the audience was during the performance. Whether they enjoyed a show or not is a different story, but at least they where physically, mentally, and emotionally present.

Of the three shows we've seen, I've only seen one person take out their cellphone in the middle of the show (not for the sake of checking the time).

Do you know how many people I see take out their phones in the middle of a show back home? Or how many times people have complained about things like the duration of a show and then just completely block themselves from at least taking in what is being given to us? I don't remember a time in which I did not see or hear these things happening in the middle of a performance and not want to punch another audience member in the face. 

And in terms of age, the audiences here are a lot more diverse than back home. It's not just the elderly coming in and seeing these performances. There are people (around) my age who are willingly coming to see these productions that aren't for the sake of seeing a certain famous actor, or because a friend was in the production, some other reason like that. They are coming to sincerely experience something. Whereas back home, it is such a struggle to try and get my friends to come with me to see anything. It's gotten to a point in which I just do it for formality's sake--I already know they are just going to say no.

I'm actually afraid about the future of theater in the United States. There is this growing sense of apathy towards theater. I see it in my friends. I see it in high school and middle school students...or just in our education system in general. I really saw it during Theater Appreciation.

It's going to take a lot of things to change the public's attitude towards theater. One side of me thinks it is possible. Another side thinks we're just fighting something we might never win just because of the history theater has within the U.S.