live theater productions create meaningful connections with audience

By: Vanessa Buechler

There are so many different forms of media that we consume regularly. We read books, listen to the radio, and surf the internet as a way to connect with the world around us. But one of the most important forms of media that a person can come into contact with is live theater. It allows people to connect with those around them in a completely different way than they can with any other form of media. Live theater is raw, passionate, and everything about it – from the audience members surrounding you to the actors on stage – is all about connection.

Out of the 21 Broadway level productions I’ve witnessed since the start of my freshman year in 2022, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” – a production by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany – was by far one of the most impactful.

(Spoiler warning ahead for the Broadway production, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” that may impact reader enjoyment).

​The show takes place 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts in the seventh Harry Potter novel. It follows two young students, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, the sons of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Throughout the production, the two best friends travel through time trying to bring Cedric Diggory back from the dead, causing all sorts of magical mayhem in the process. 

For anyone who grew up reading and watching the Harry Potter series, seeing the magic happen live in front of you is an experience that you’ll never forget. There are so many technical elements in the show, and they really make a difference on the production you get to watch. 

Imagine you’re sitting in a theater, experiencing Hogwarts live in front of you, with floating brooms, fire coming out of wands, and moving staircases. It’s truly incredible to see, especially if you’ve been a long-time fan of the original series. 

It’s so magical to see the dementors drop down onto the stage and above the audience at the end of the first act of the show. Those big, looming, dark figures are in front of you flying around, and you feel the room chill as you peer up at them. 

During a dueling scene between Harry and Draco during the first act of the show, there are many fascinating technical elements that allow the actors to be suspended sideways, avoid chairs that fly through the air, and to produce spells that seem to leave their wands with ease. Through the lighting, sound, and stage crew of the production, the audience is left in awe at how cleanly everything comes together, producing a seamless performance that patrons will undoubtedly think about for years to come. 

The “magic” in this production creates an out of body experience that leaves you feeling like you’re one with the wizarding world. When a show can leave you feeling like you were a part of it, you know it’s well-done. 

Aside from the movie magic being recreated in front of the audience, the real magic transpires because of the talented actors on stage.

At the very end of the production, the characters have time-traveled to Godric’s Hollow on October 31 of 1981 – the night that Voldemort killed Harry’s parents and created the image of the “Boy Who Lived.” This scene specifically stuck out to me because of actor John Skelley, who portrayed Harry Potter this past month at the Lyric Theater in New York. In the scene, Harry – along with his friends and family – watch as Voldemort approaches the Potter house to kill the whole family. 

Skelley’s portrayal of Harry during this segment of the show was absolutely heartbreaking. Every part of Skelley had become his character, from the emotion displayed on his face to the way his body language spoke when he wasn’t speaking. The screams of utter despair and grief exhibited so much raw emotion that led many in the audience, including myself, to tears.

For an actor to be able to put so much intense passion into their characters which leads an audience to internalizing that emotion deep within them highlights an exceptional impact upon not only the audience, but the actors themselves. 

After the production ended, hundreds of audience members and non-ticketed individuals waited outside the stage door to meet the actors behind the performance. 
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When actor Aidan Close (Scorpius Malfoy) emerged from the theater after curtain call, he seemed genuinely surprised by the sheer amount of people waiting to meet him and his cast-mates. While everyone cheered for him, he stood at the door with his jaw ajar, taking everything in before acknowledging everyone.
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After meeting and having a conversation with him (right), I quickly realized how humble and grateful the actor was, along with just how much this show meant to him. Close was so proud to speak of his production and the amazing actors behind it, and it made me consider how the theater doesn’t just have an impact on the audience; it has just as much of an influence upon the actors. 

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is just an example of how much of an influence these shows can have on someone. Live theater generates a raw and emotional impact upon all who have the chance to experience it, regardless if they are watching it performed or acted upon the stage, and it is my firm belief that everyone should get to encounter this influential piece of media at least once in their life.

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