Julie Taymor is the director/designer of The Lion King, the musical. In this talk from TED, she speaks of "being aware of knowing that you've created a sacred space" - a phenomenon that makes theatre as necessary as religion. Theatre is, unlike some artistic forms, ephemeral and fleeting. There are a few chances to see certain performances, live and in the present moment. Yet the experience of a specific work is difficult to recreate, or even relate to a third party. Trying to converse about a specific theatrical moment usually ends with "you just had to be there." That difficulty however is what makes it so appealing, so eternal.
