For many people, theater is more than a Friday night at Fox or an eighth-grade pastime; for many, it lifts morale, enlightens the mind and enriches lives. The 21st century is that of technology, innovation and politically incorrect comedy, but it continues to maintain the patronage of a very human production, like that given to the theater. The originality and referential humor of our times are exemplified in Mel Brooks' The Producers. To understand why 21st century theater is the way it is, we need to look at its origins. Themes dating back to the 1920s are still present in theater today. These include the use and proliferation of previously unorthodox dances, styles, artistic skills, and socialization. An example of these would be swing dancing, as it had a huge impact on the growth of future dances and styles. Some lasting impressions he left can be seen in productions such as Grease. World War II had another profound influence on both the style and true meaning of theater (Bordman 503). It gave people hope and allowed them to forget the horrors happening across the world, especially during the Great Depression. (Bordman 503) People began to become socially self-aware, meaning they parodied everyday interactions with each other, and "Artists devised new ways to use theater to expose corrupt governments, educate young people and improve literacy efforts” (Eyring). many inventions and innovations in the 20th century that allowed theater and the arts to reach those outside of large modern urban centers. Some of these include the Internet and other similar means of communication; as Teresa Eyring says, in a 21st century summary, "Like copy machines, cell phones, f...... middle of paper......326). In fact, it was the hottest ticket on Broadway for two years (Bordman 512). Many nods to theater of the past can be seen in The Producers. It is a comedy in the “old-fashioned tradition,” with energetic movements and fantastic songs (Bordman 512). The human element mentioned earlier is also present; The producers of the play are only human and want to extract money from people for free, which can be seen as envy, a natural human emotion (Green 325). While part of the audience wants the producers to get away with it, the other part wants everything to be fair, especially for the actors. This creates a very authentic and exciting experience for theatergoers. And that’s what theater is all about. It's both an escape from everyday life, but also a look at what it means to be human and desire real connections with people..