I was watching Julie Taymor on TED.com, the video site, talking on "Theater and the imagination". Really interesting story on her time in Indonesia when she was in her 20s and the "original form" of theater she saw there. Theater wasn't only entertainment, but educational, social, and performed other important functions for the society.
Check it out. Although I just noticed this talk was recorded 10 years ago, before I ever heard of Julie Taymor.