CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, November 16, 2022

How Do You Write Plays for a Divided Country? Listen Carefully.

The New York Times: Growing up, the playwright Will Arbery sat at the family dinner table, listening carefully to the many distinct voices that surrounded him. There were eight children — seven sisters and him, the only boy. Joan, the oldest sibling, debated their professor parents about the Bible, Heidegger or Machiavelli. Lucia told stories of the ghosts she’d seen. Monica, the youngest, talked and sang in strange voices, making everyone laugh. Julia could quiet everyone, demanding they pay attention as she toasted one of them or an absent friend.

3 comments:

Ellie Yonchak said...

This was a really interesting read. I really love the idea of a sort of cultural passport, but I had no idea it was a thing in so many European countries. I think that it's a great move to help support local businesses, help the youth see that sort of culture that they might otherwise not have the money for, and to support the Arts, all of which are things I love to see happen. I wish that the United States would launch a similar program. I think that programs like these always help youth find a place that does art for them. It encourages companies to look at that group of people, who aren't always where art is focused, and create art that is really meant for, and resonating with, them. However, I think that we have a lot of steps that we need to take to give our citizens more basic rights and support before we'll get to a place where something like this would be possible. But I hope that one day this exists here too.

Ellie Yonchak said...

Whoops- wrong article. Here's my comment on this one.

I think it's interesting that this whole article is about this guy who writes plays that "unites" both left and right in support of his content. A lot of the times in actuality, this means that he has both indulged in conservatism, and indulge in liberal centrism. Something I've noticed that happens sometimes when people praising author a lot for being able to cross the political gap that currently exists, is that a lot of times that author still does have biases in that work, just not any sort of biases or writing that offends the reviewers. I have not read any of his plays, so I can't confirm whether or not this is true for him. But it does make me interested to find out. Something with plays like these is I always wonder: where do you draw the line? Do you start portraying the insurrectionists that stormed the capital with Confederate flags in a positive light? How do you separate, in this very polarized political climate, how do you separate those conservatives from the more rational ones that you show in your plays?

Monica Tran said...

What's the point of the newspage if I cannot read the articles within them? But the title did intrigue me, mostly because it's such a relevant social topic given our political climate. It's true though, people are desperately trying to find something to connect others on the other side of the political spectrum to each other so we can unify our country again. Picking up the pieces from the deep divide that Donald Trump left us in is gong to take years to repair. But it's not just about politics anymore. People are becoming either more radicalized or more apathetic towards any kind of federal institution. So what better way to bring people together, than in a dark room, watching someone have an entire human experience with an intermission in the middle. It could help. Life beats you down and crushes your soul and theatre reminds us that we still have one.