Relating Theater to Criminolgy and Law Enforcement

When It comes to relating to my major which is Criminology, my mind went blank at first. However once I started thinking about it I came up with a couple links. Criminology and theater are seemingly two totally different things. However if you really think about it there is some “theatrics” in criminology.

I want to eventually want to be a law enforcement officer and that is reason I chose the major of criminology. When it comes to policing there is one specific thing that comes to mind when relating things to theater and that thing is Undercover police work. Undercover officers are basically just actors playing the role of anything but a cop. Getting involved with criminals on their level and making them believe you are a criminal to is the epitome of undercover work and basically the same thing as being an actor. An actor strives to make the audience believe that they are the character and takes on most if not all of the same attributes of the character. An Undercover officer takes on the role of a criminal and is trying to make the suspects they are trying to catch believe they are a criminal. A lot of times they have to act like they are buying or selling drugs or weapons or offering or seeking prostitution services. The biggest difference is that if an actor does bad on stage they will probably have some kind of chance to do better. An officer that messes up risks his life and the life of other officers and is basically putting his neck on the line if something goes wrong.

Another link I make between criminology and theater is the link of observance. In this class we learned how to observe and review a play critically and make our own assumptions that way. In criminology we are taught some of the same things when it comes to observing people and their actions. In theater the best thing to do is be objective and open to a lot of different things. In criminology when it comes to observing people you have to be open to anything and everything. There are many theories and research projects that say someone will act a certain way in a situation but no two situations are the same. So just like observing theater you have to be objective and open to anything and everything, because no two things are ever the same. Just like no two plays or performances are ever the same.

Another connection I make between criminology and theater is the media circus that usually happens around police and court happenings. One thing that needs to be done is that you need to act very carefully, stick to the script when talking or giving a report, and stay consistent. Otherwise the media will be all over you, throwing around your words and information, and pointing out your inconsistencies. To me an actor in a play has to do the same things. The need to act very carefully and do what is supposed to be done, they need to stick to the script usually, and they need to stay consistent. Now if a play calls for improvisation all of these things may not matter, but if your performing a play that is carefully choreographed, scripted, and supposed to be consistent you need to stick to those keys or things are bound to go wrong.

Theater can relate to many different things in this world, and now I have a better idea of how it can relate to the career path I have chosen. I am sure I will use all of these skills when I get out into the real world and hopefully I do them well.