DC Theatre Scene: So we know the what of history — Truman over Dewey, say, or U.S. and England over Germany, Italy and Japan in World War II — but do we know what history smells like? Knowing the past by facts is like knowing the Eroica Variations by musical notation. And so we struggle for more: to know what our ancestors loved, what they feared, how they ate, what they sought to achieve. What the sunrise looked like to them; how they felt when they came home; what filled their hearts with surprised joy. What made them laugh.
1 comment:
Honestly this show sounds incredibly cool and memorable. One of my favorite feelings or realizations I get from a show is the micro level of the relatable and wonder with people of the past (or present), or as the article describes it "what does history smell like". The small discoveries about people of the past can make the audience member feel connected to the rest of the world and serves to "un-alienate" the past. So, in short, the beginning of this article was really intriguing. However, I don't think the show was explained very well at all. It's hard for me to see what would constitute a good description of this show (never seen it), but jumping between storylines without saying if or if not they are connected was confusing and unhelpful. It wasn't until the end of the article that I got a clear statement about this play's purpose, the "compelling need to know our past".
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