# Why theater is essential to democracy

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED2018
- Speaker: Oskar Eustis
- Year: 2018
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Society and politics, History, Art, architecture and design
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/oskar_eustis_why_theater_is_essential_to_democracy)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Truth comes from the collision of different ideas, and theater plays an essential role in showing us that truth, says legendary artistic director Oskar Eustis. In this powerful talk, Eustis outlines his plan to reach (and listen to) people in places across the US where the theater, like many other institutions, has turned its back -- like the deindustrialized Rust Belt. "Our job is to try to hold up a vision to America that shows not only who all of us are individually, but that welds us back into the commonality that we need to be," Eustis says. "That's what the theater is supposed to do."

## Lectures

1. [Why theater is essential to democracy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/oskar_eustis_why_theater_is_essential_to_democracy/b60c8868fbcd), 13 min (TED's player)