Theater and Drama refer to acting and performing live on stage in front of an audience whereas Movies are performances recorded that is played in front of an audience..
Now let me tell you a little bit more about these two with respect to what I know and have seen...
If you are ready to spend two to three hours staring at a screen filled wiht colors, song and dance sequences, fights, squabbles, lavish outfits , I suggest you head straight to the nearest theater but if you are Looking for some good fun, simple dialogues, no songs(unless its a musical), an hour to two maximum, then you better rush and book your Theater tickets right away...
The main difference between the two is that one is for REAL and the other is simple REEL.. Most of the theater groups in India are very underrated and are actually pretty Good.. I have been to quite a number of Plays That were performed in Chennai, now that we seem to have a festival every month that has audiences who range from a student to a businessman to foreigners who are in the city on vacation to celebrities(who are small screen actors or local theater artists), . It is slowly catching the eye of the mass and making them realise that Drama and plays are as much fun if not more when compared to movies.. PLus movies have the advantage that if you miss it in a theater, you can wait it out and Rent the vcd or dvd and watch it in leisure, whereas Plays you need to enjoy then and there, or else they are GONE ..
Most of the plays happen in well known Auditoriums or hotels which sometimes have what is called as Suppertheater, where you pay a slightly big amount, which includes a play/performance and a meal .. These are held at renowned restaurants and so safety is not an issue and timings are pretty sensible...
Tickets for Plays are available well in advance and you can always pick it up on the day of the show, but for movies, it is quite difficult , all the more so if its a new release..One major plus point for Plays is that it can never get CROWDED unlike theaters, filled with people who’ve come to watch a movie, or buy tickets for another show or our ever present Black ticket sales people crawling about charging double the price....
So, next time you see a Play/theater fest happening in your city, dont be quick to turn the page, just give it a shot.. you never know, you might enjoy it as much as that SRK movie you’ve been dying to watch...
:) enjoy...