Amid a national reckoning with sexual harassment and misconduct, Broadway is mounting a cluster of musicals this season and next that, some theatergoers already contend, romanticize problematic relationships between women and men.
Thursday, March 01, 2018
The Problem With Broadway Revivals: They Revive Gender Stereotypes, Too
Amid a national reckoning with sexual harassment and misconduct, Broadway is mounting a cluster of musicals this season and next that, some theatergoers already contend, romanticize problematic relationships between women and men.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
This is a very interesting issue, which is why I clicked on the article in the first place. There is the idea that history has to be taught so that we don’t forget it, and I agree with that theory, but I still think that a lot of history repeats itself. A lot of wars started because ideas evolved, and so you can’t say that the ideas that started them are the exact same, but I fear a similar thing will happen with the theater as well. Just because the shows of the 1940s and 1950s were wildly popular then, and are still wildly popular today among 60+ year olds, doesn’t mean the content is good. Actually, it’s more likely that the content is sexist, which is exactly what this article is about. There are plays that are currently on Broadway that are trash. They may be beautifully designed, they may be about an issue we need to address, but when it comes to domestic violence and the pity of those who cause it, I cannot get behind that, and I think a lot of the industry needs to address it as not being okay.
This article rasied a lot of interesting points. When reviving a show what should we claim as too out of touch. It was extremely interesting to see the different perspective of the people involved I the shows to the people who were not for the show. I have not seen any of the revival of musicals this season but I want to see what they do with them. One important thing they have changed is the casting. Carousal has extremely diversified principle cast. I wonder what revivals will no longer get revived because of how out dated they are. I also wonder what current shows will quickly get outdated base of the content. I also think that if a lot of the muscials got reworked like the sweet charity revival if it will help the material. In the future I hope to see such divers cast and have quality content.
I have had this discussion with many people recently, which is why I chose this article in the first place. In Intro to Costume Design, we are doing A Streetcar Named Desire, which has a lot of problematic views on race and gender, but gender especially. when presenting this show now, something we talked about at length at the beginning of the process, we discussed how as designers part of our job was to present this how either as it was written or with a contemporary flair that made it clear that this sort of behavior should not be tolerated in our world today, I think with Broadway, and it's visibility, this needs to be especially considered because often people draw parallels between what they see onstage and what is happening now. I think designers will play a large role in whether these types of revivals come off dated or as a reminder or example of what society should be moving away from.
I can see why this issue is so controversial. The article does a good job of balancing those different points of view. I have not seen any of those musicals, but more and more we have seen complex and strong women. I want that trend to continue. To answer Mr. Rodin on his statement, “If people choose to look at it through that lens, that’s great, and if they don’t want to, that’s their right.” I disagree with this statement entirely, I think if someone is able to turn a blind eye to an issue, that means that they are privileged enough to ignore it. I would like to see a change in that attitude and not just see women who want more equal representation. There is a difference between misconistic theater and theater that deals with misogyny. I also think that certain plays die for a reason, for example even though it is a classic play with some great dialogue, I don’t like the Taming of the Shrew because the play was very much a product of its time.
This article brings forth very important issues surrounding revivals. In the article the New York Times gives examples from both old musical revivals as well as musical adaptations of older movies, like Pretty Woman. Having older shows reenter the stage in our new era, we have to reevaluate their meanings and messages. Some meanings and messages surpass boundaries of time and culture, but can still bring harmful stereotypes back into our modern-day culture. I do not think this means we should not revive old musicals, but I would hope there was a way to provide the messages, joys, and glamour of these Broadway shows while also adapting them for our new outlooks and cultural dynamics. I don't know if that would even be possible with altering the entire plot and integrity of the show, but at that point, do we really want shows to keep reviving that place women in the typical damsel in distress ingenue role?
Post a Comment