Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
HowlRound: The bodies float above the sway of blue cloths, shadows imprinting themselves onto the audience that waits below. A dialogue is heard, echoing out from speakers, and the bodies drop, bursting through the blue barrier, swirling, in a way that’s both haunting and mesmerizing.
10 comments:
Lucy Scherrer
said...
The main point of this article was that theater has the power to shake people out of their complacency and emerge them in another world, in which characters suffer from different problems than the audience members themselves. This spurs the audience to truly want to make change in the world, which the author argues can't happen unless the ideas are presented in a memorable and shocking way. This was interesting to me because it ties in directly with what we're currently talking about in Foundations of Drama with Brecht and Artaud's styles of theater, and relating how these styles contribute to the exposition of humanity in theater. What I think the author is saying is that there are many issues in today's world that theater is currently addressing, but the crisis in the Middle East and the resulting immigration wasn't one of them before "Borders"-- one of the reasons this play is so important. I was intrigued by the descriptions of the techniques used to truly immerse the audience, like making them sit on the floor.
"What can we do to help?" I find this article so interesting because it is about how theatre is more than entertainment and it is more than the presentation of ideas; it is showing an audience what they can do to help. Whether it is being willing to sacrifice their comfort for the sake of those who are suffering for even the briefest of moments because they are swept away by a story or being able to help on a broader scale, an audience member should leave the theatre with a grander perspective of what is going on in the world and how they can make it better. I think that the article is describing “Borders” as a good depiction of this type of art due to its representational nature of the state of the Middle East is good because it draws the public to the victims that are truly suffering from this international crisis.
So I don’t believe that theatre can solve these crises. There are people much more financially, politically and academically equipped for implementing a solution for these tragedies. What theatre can do is bring attention to those people, or enlighten the rest of society until collectively we force those higher ups. As theatre we have a great opportunity to enlighten because people invest in these fictional characters more than they do statistics, even heart breaking statistics. If we can disrupt the mainstream ignorance that so many people like to hide within then we can spark the motivation for a solution. Like this author, I believe we have todo this. Acting under the assumption that art is a reflection of the world we live in, our world can seem so incredibly disconnected, and these horrors can seem so distant from reality when they are someone’s entire reality. It is up to art to reflect the truth, all of it.
A beautiful point this article makes is that the making of theatre for select audiences is contradictory because it causes those audiences to seek out productions which apply only to them, thus destroying theatre's objective of changing perspectives and moving people toward action. Theatre should not be tailor made to the people producers believe will be coming to watch the type of show they are making - this accomplishes none of the change which any good director would seek to stir in the hearts of audience members. Instead, making theatre which causes any given audience member to see why those other than themselves are affected urges more people to make more change. Lasting images such as those described in the article are essential to this task, and it takes more than a good director to make them happen. Productions which leave a truly extended impact require talent on all fronts from designers, performers, managers, and producers alike. The more all contributing members of a production work to make theatre which minimizes the distance of tragedy and suffering, the more effective their images and the greater their impact.
The things that the author discuss in this article is exactly why I chose to do theatre. Theatre, as a form of entertainment, can force the audience to confront issues that they normally wouldn't. Theatre should absolutely push and provoke the audience, widen their horizons, and wield an influence. This can't be accomplished by the playwright alone. Just reading the description of Border's beginning alone gives me goosebumps and shows the power of acting and stage design. Another reason why I think theatre is so powerful because it can address the issues of current times. For instance, more and more contemporary plays are surrounding/involving the use of technology and social media. This instant connection and realization of how close we are to the world of the play can have a great effect and impact on the audience. Our world shapes theatre, and hopefully theatre can help shape the world too.
I love the idea that instead of simply repeating back to the audience their own perspectives on certain issues, theater should try to broaden horizons and present new issues to the audience. To, at least metaphorically, haul the audience out of their seats and force them to see things from a new point of view. In the words of the author, "...I think theatre should promote the idea that we can, and are required to, wield an influence." We are required to, we have a duty to, wield an influence. In this world where there is so much wrong to discuss and stand up against, I think everyone has a duty to keep the conversation going and to take action. This starts with little things, reading the news regularly to keep yourself informed, donating to charities, but for us theater people, out medium is prefect for sparking discussion and motivation and we should use that. It is pretty easy to stop reading a news article or watching a documentary if it makes you uncomfortable, but in my opinion, good theater is such an immersive and captivating experience it is much harder to walk out on a play that is presenting difficult topics. As theatrical artists it is our jobs to inspire, why not make it about something that could truly change the world?
there are two things I take away from this article: the first one that struck me was the idea of a documentary type play. now obviously a concept that cannot be really actualized fully, but I'd like to see an attempt. I think a fully, un stylized in acting, perhaps performed, maybe in the future by refugees themselves would be extremely helpful. The other thing that struck me was that- I agree. yes we need to help people understand the Syrian and Mediterranean refugees plight and situation. so many of them are displaced. so many children died in their attempt to swim across the sea. Europe is struggling to accommodate these refugees and it is becoming more of a political problem as opposed to a problem concerning human beings. and a play or show about them would highlight their real human plight and need for safety and refuge.
First, a bit of backstory to this article: As a someone moderately well versed in the intricacies of Swedish politics, I see immediately why theater like this is, in fact, necessary. Sweden, a nation with relatively fluid immigration laws, has seen two things in the last 10 years. One, a huge influx of displaced persons, and two, a rise in far-far-far-right anti-immigration sentiment. In the last election, the Sweden Democrats, a party whose symbol until the 1980s was a swastika, became the third-largest party in the 8-party Swedish parliament. The rise of the Sweden Democrats has been attributed to many things, from the economic collapse of 2007-8 and leadership issues in Sweden's largest parties, but the truth of the matter is something much more regrettable. Simple ignorance is at fault here, ignorance bourne out of a lack of knowledge and exposure. Theater like the piece detailed in the article is more than relevant or challenging, it's necessary, like the author says. Where the Swedish media and government has failed, theater can succeed, and potentially slow the runaway train that is Swedish racial relations.
I think that theatrical pieces that tells stories from the non-Western world need to be more prevalent in the United States, considering what a "melting pot" of cultures the US claims to be. Especially now, when tensions are heightened and show like this one may actually have a chance at promoting change in the way we think of Mediterranean immigrants. However, attracting audiences to a show that would make them think hard and willingly feel uncomfortable could prove to be difficult. I wonder what the audience reaction would be to a European audience versus an American audience, since Europeans are much closer in distance to the actual devastation and more readily available to help the people inflicted by the destruction happening now. The author is correct in saying that "it is not enough to make the audience feel sorry for the characters", because that's just one of the first steps toward having a show actually promote and begin change.
Theatre that inspires change is such an urban idea. Road houses are not meant to be "Brechtian" in nature. However, I love that idea. Theatre especially like the type of production explained in this article is important. Telling the stories of people who experience life in different ways from us should inspire us. We have to listen. The idea of theatre making you "be" is interesting. How do we do that? Are we supposed to yell and scream and throw things at the audience? Make it immersive? Or is the actor supposed to truly feel and make us feel in turn. I think that theatre that makes us think is theatre that will make us be. In turn we will change. The experience we have in a theatre is a privileged one. We pay money to sit (most likely) in a space that is air conditioned with fancy equipment and scenery. Taking that experience and applying it to our life is what will allow us to make a difference in people's lives who did not get the opportunity to share that theatrical experience with us.
10 comments:
The main point of this article was that theater has the power to shake people out of their complacency and emerge them in another world, in which characters suffer from different problems than the audience members themselves. This spurs the audience to truly want to make change in the world, which the author argues can't happen unless the ideas are presented in a memorable and shocking way. This was interesting to me because it ties in directly with what we're currently talking about in Foundations of Drama with Brecht and Artaud's styles of theater, and relating how these styles contribute to the exposition of humanity in theater. What I think the author is saying is that there are many issues in today's world that theater is currently addressing, but the crisis in the Middle East and the resulting immigration wasn't one of them before "Borders"-- one of the reasons this play is so important. I was intrigued by the descriptions of the techniques used to truly immerse the audience, like making them sit on the floor.
"What can we do to help?" I find this article so interesting because it is about how theatre is more than entertainment and it is more than the presentation of ideas; it is showing an audience what they can do to help. Whether it is being willing to sacrifice their comfort for the sake of those who are suffering for even the briefest of moments because they are swept away by a story or being able to help on a broader scale, an audience member should leave the theatre with a grander perspective of what is going on in the world and how they can make it better. I think that the article is describing “Borders” as a good depiction of this type of art due to its representational nature of the state of the Middle East is good because it draws the public to the victims that are truly suffering from this international crisis.
So I don’t believe that theatre can solve these crises. There are people much more financially, politically and academically equipped for implementing a solution for these tragedies. What theatre can do is bring attention to those people, or enlighten the rest of society until collectively we force those higher ups. As theatre we have a great opportunity to enlighten because people invest in these fictional characters more than they do statistics, even heart breaking statistics. If we can disrupt the mainstream ignorance that so many people like to hide within then we can spark the motivation for a solution. Like this author, I believe we have todo this. Acting under the assumption that art is a reflection of the world we live in, our world can seem so incredibly disconnected, and these horrors can seem so distant from reality when they are someone’s entire reality. It is up to art to reflect the truth, all of it.
A beautiful point this article makes is that the making of theatre for select audiences is contradictory because it causes those audiences to seek out productions which apply only to them, thus destroying theatre's objective of changing perspectives and moving people toward action. Theatre should not be tailor made to the people producers believe will be coming to watch the type of show they are making - this accomplishes none of the change which any good director would seek to stir in the hearts of audience members. Instead, making theatre which causes any given audience member to see why those other than themselves are affected urges more people to make more change. Lasting images such as those described in the article are essential to this task, and it takes more than a good director to make them happen. Productions which leave a truly extended impact require talent on all fronts from designers, performers, managers, and producers alike. The more all contributing members of a production work to make theatre which minimizes the distance of tragedy and suffering, the more effective their images and the greater their impact.
The things that the author discuss in this article is exactly why I chose to do theatre. Theatre, as a form of entertainment, can force the audience to confront issues that they normally wouldn't. Theatre should absolutely push and provoke the audience, widen their horizons, and wield an influence. This can't be accomplished by the playwright alone. Just reading the description of Border's beginning alone gives me goosebumps and shows the power of acting and stage design. Another reason why I think theatre is so powerful because it can address the issues of current times. For instance, more and more contemporary plays are surrounding/involving the use of technology and social media. This instant connection and realization of how close we are to the world of the play can have a great effect and impact on the audience. Our world shapes theatre, and hopefully theatre can help shape the world too.
I love the idea that instead of simply repeating back to the audience their own perspectives on certain issues, theater should try to broaden horizons and present new issues to the audience. To, at least metaphorically, haul the audience out of their seats and force them to see things from a new point of view. In the words of the author, "...I think theatre should promote the idea that we can, and are required to, wield an influence."
We are required to, we have a duty to, wield an influence. In this world where there is so much wrong to discuss and stand up against, I think everyone has a duty to keep the conversation going and to take action. This starts with little things, reading the news regularly to keep yourself informed, donating to charities, but for us theater people, out medium is prefect for sparking discussion and motivation and we should use that. It is pretty easy to stop reading a news article or watching a documentary if it makes you uncomfortable, but in my opinion, good theater is such an immersive and captivating experience it is much harder to walk out on a play that is presenting difficult topics. As theatrical artists it is our jobs to inspire, why not make it about something that could truly change the world?
there are two things I take away from this article:
the first one that struck me was the idea of a documentary type play. now obviously a concept that cannot be really actualized fully, but I'd like to see an attempt. I think a fully, un stylized in acting, perhaps performed, maybe in the future by refugees themselves would be extremely helpful.
The other thing that struck me was that- I agree. yes we need to help people understand the Syrian and Mediterranean refugees plight and situation. so many of them are displaced. so many children died in their attempt to swim across the sea. Europe is struggling to accommodate these refugees and it is becoming more of a political problem as opposed to a problem concerning human beings. and a play or show about them would highlight their real human plight and need for safety and refuge.
First, a bit of backstory to this article: As a someone moderately well versed in the intricacies of Swedish politics, I see immediately why theater like this is, in fact, necessary. Sweden, a nation with relatively fluid immigration laws, has seen two things in the last 10 years. One, a huge influx of displaced persons, and two, a rise in far-far-far-right anti-immigration sentiment. In the last election, the Sweden Democrats, a party whose symbol until the 1980s was a swastika, became the third-largest party in the 8-party Swedish parliament.
The rise of the Sweden Democrats has been attributed to many things, from the economic collapse of 2007-8 and leadership issues in Sweden's largest parties, but the truth of the matter is something much more regrettable. Simple ignorance is at fault here, ignorance bourne out of a lack of knowledge and exposure.
Theater like the piece detailed in the article is more than relevant or challenging, it's necessary, like the author says. Where the Swedish media and government has failed, theater can succeed, and potentially slow the runaway train that is Swedish racial relations.
I think that theatrical pieces that tells stories from the non-Western world need to be more prevalent in the United States, considering what a "melting pot" of cultures the US claims to be. Especially now, when tensions are heightened and show like this one may actually have a chance at promoting change in the way we think of Mediterranean immigrants. However, attracting audiences to a show that would make them think hard and willingly feel uncomfortable could prove to be difficult. I wonder what the audience reaction would be to a European audience versus an American audience, since Europeans are much closer in distance to the actual devastation and more readily available to help the people inflicted by the destruction happening now. The author is correct in saying that "it is not enough to make the audience feel sorry for the characters", because that's just one of the first steps toward having a show actually promote and begin change.
Theatre that inspires change is such an urban idea. Road houses are not meant to be "Brechtian" in nature. However, I love that idea. Theatre especially like the type of production explained in this article is important. Telling the stories of people who experience life in different ways from us should inspire us. We have to listen. The idea of theatre making you "be" is interesting. How do we do that? Are we supposed to yell and scream and throw things at the audience? Make it immersive? Or is the actor supposed to truly feel and make us feel in turn. I think that theatre that makes us think is theatre that will make us be. In turn we will change. The experience we have in a theatre is a privileged one. We pay money to sit (most likely) in a space that is air conditioned with fancy equipment and scenery. Taking that experience and applying it to our life is what will allow us to make a difference in people's lives who did not get the opportunity to share that theatrical experience with us.
Post a Comment