Theatre

Today in class we discussed an idea put forth by Plato and the great philosophers of the ancient world. The idea being that the artist portrayal of the human form in theatre is greater than philosophy. Considering this may be a difficult feat, considering the fact that philosophy is at the root and foundation of all thought and ideas. However, approaching this idea from the actors and thus the audiences perspective may shed more light on the subject. Theatre, as an art form is possibly one of the most difficult and fascinating. This may be an incredibly biased statement, however there is much truth within it. Actors do more than just get in front of an audience and recite memorized dialouge and lyrics. They portray a character and every emotion and idea that runs through the mind of that character. They in a way take on the form of another through there acting style and representation. Considering this point from this perspective illuminates the deeper thought behind the grandeur sense of worth compared to that of philosophy. Acting and doing any form of a theatrical performance takes a philosophical look at both the actor and the character played by the actor.
Therefore a question arises, with respect to Plato's idea of art as an imitation of an imitation, is theatre an imitation of an imitation of an imitation?