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Erika Cospin
BUS 342
Extra Credit Write Up

Based on the play, I believe that author Robert Louis Stevenson aimed to make social
commentary about the power of money, how money can bring out the worst in people, and the
way that greed affects relationships. In the play, the story is centered around the crews quest for
Flint’s treasure. On one hand, part of the crew are honest and hardworking people whose
intentions for joining the journey to find the treasure do not involve causing harm to others. For
example, one of the crewmembers expresses that wanting to find butterflies was more important
to them than finding the treasure. On the other hand, we find out the other half of the crew is
made up of ruthless pirates who are part of Long John Silver’s crew. They plan on having a
mutiny as the journey comes closer to an end. Their want for the treasure is so big that they
express that violence means nothing to them if it means they will get the money for themselves.
The crew members play a big part in Stevenson’s efforts to demonstrate the influence money
can have on a person. A big part of the story line features the relationship between Long John
Silver and Jim Hawkins. Over the course of the journey, the pair grow close, with Jim seeing
Silver as the father figure he never had. The audience soon realizes that Silver’s greed is much
stronger than his care for Jim. He is willing to betray Jim and destroy the trust they had built in
order to get to the treasure. Many people are aware of the idea that love conquers all, but in this
case Stevenson does a great job in demonstrating the way that greed can ruin everything.
After reviewing the articles, one way I see the connection between theatre and business
is the valuable lesson that individuals can learn from the theatre world that will allow them to
thrive in the business world. As a performer myself, after spending much of my life participating
in various performances like musicals, plays, and choir, I know that I have grown as a person
and as a leader to be more confident, intuitive and the importance of teamwork.
Theatre teaches participants what it means to be part of a team. No matter how big your
part is, from being the main character to working backstage, every person involves plays a big
part in the success of a show. For example, someone may have a role in the ensemble with one
line for an entire 2 hour show, but the line could have importance with telling the story, or it
could be the cue for another actor to say their line that signals the start of a song. Thus, theatre
teaches individuals that sense of responsibility and accountability. I think this translates to the
business world, because as an employee of a company, you play a part in keeping the company
successful. In business, there are sometimes tasks that may seem like menial and unimportant
things, but the reality is that they need to get done. Another way I see the connection between
business and theatre is the way that it teaches participants to think critically. As an actor, it’s
important to do a deep study into the character you are going to be portraying. It is important
that an actor develops a keen understanding of things like personality traits, physical actions,
and mentalites of a character because this is what will then translate to what is presented on
stage. This strong knowledge of a character enables an actor the ability to think on their feet,
which is useful because a director can trust that if something goes wrong on stage, an actor will
be able to power through it while remaining true to the characters story arch. I think this
translates to the business world because it is the same mentality that an employee needs to
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have to succeed in their career. There needs to be a keep knowledge for the industry that an
employee is involved with and their knowledge of the subject will allow them to tackle anything
and improve as time goes on. Critical thinking skills are very useful in the business world, as
employees may find themselves in situations where there are problems or obstacles that need
to be solved in order for the company to progress. Lastly, I see a connection in the way that
theatre teaches individuals confidence. Personally for me, doing theatre has made me a better
public speaker, and has allowed me to have more self-confidence and self-efficacy that has
made me thrive in the professional setting. Through auditions, I’ve learned how to market my
strengths and show my worth as a worker. In the same way that I put myself out there to
directors in order to be in a show, I’ve taken that experience and used my knowledge in
interviews. My successes in the theatre world have given me the confidence I needed to find
success not only in my theatre career but in my life overall. I think theatre is a great way for any
individual to grow in many different aspects, and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to
be involved in any aspect.