HotHouse Theatre artistic director Karla Conway said while theatre had long sparked important conversations between people, studies have found it was even more powerful than that.

Conway said a University College London study showed theatre caused audience members to synchronise their heart beats.

"It showed the synchronised heart beats continued into the interval, meaning they remained engaged," she said.

"With how polarised the world is at the moment, we need these shared experiences with the people we're sitting next to.

"We need to find ways to have conversations about the big things.

"It's going to help us get one step closer to being a nicer, kinder society."

Conway said compelling and relatable theatre was more important than ever.

Launched in Wodonga on Wednesday night, the six-show HotHouse Theatre 2020 season was curated around the theme Powerful Theatre, Great Conversations.

The 2020 season features: Breaking The Castle (The Street - Canberra); Mission Songs Project (Jessie Lloyd); Lamb (Red Stitch Actors Theatre - Melbourne); I've Been Meaning To Ask You (The Good Room - Queensland): Prima Facie (Griffin Theatre Company); and Dr AudiYO's Giant Adventure.

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Conway said Mission Songs Project was an initiative to revive contemporary Australian Indigenous songs, focusing on the Christian missions, state-run settlements and native camps where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were relocated.

"It is an exercise in cultural maintenance," Conway said.

"One of the highlights is that four community members have revived two songs with Jesse (Lloyd)."

Conway said Queensland company The Good Room would work with Border youth aged 9 to 13 to deliver a homegrown version of I've Been Meaning To Ask You.

"Adults take a back seat to the next generation," she said.

"We're seeing a resurgence of young people stepping into their power."

Conway said Prima Facie was one of the most electrifying new works in the country.

"It's a cut throat indictment on our legal system," Conway said.

"It's borne out of the #metoo movement; it shows a fundamental disparity in our legal system weighted against women."

hothousetheatre.com.au.