Though theatre is a reflection of society’s values, the time eras fashion, cultures and the way it displays human behavior of the time, I don't think labeling women as unworthy to participate in theatre should be a valued tradition. Throughout history women have been excluded from the world of theatre, during the so called “golden age” of Greek theatre women couldn't take part in what scholars debated as something that shouldn't include women. During, Shakespearean time men played both the females and male roles. Even going back to centuries old theatre lie the Japanese noh and the Indian Kathakali women weren't allowed to participate in theatre. Women’s voices being unheard of until the modern era wasn't in my opinion beneficial to theatre, …show more content…
For example, in David Henry Hwang’s opera we see a breakdown of common stereotypes within the Asian culture and a new appreciation from an Asian American perspective concerning the nuts and bolts of what the standard Asian man was made out to be. Though this may seem like a minuscule play with little impact on the rest of the theatrical world. But in all actuality this was only the beginning of an immense number of plays that expressed a new outlook emerging in the Western World. Every group should have the right to take the stage and express their talents within the realm of acting, writing, production, music or any other component of theatrical art. Through the medium of theatre many groups can express their opinions on racism, sexism, violence within relationships and challenge the ideal for what society makes them out to be. In addition, women can convey feminine roles much more convincingly than men and add much more diversity to the theatrical
characters created to display a woman’s search for a way out of the bonds of her society.
I think this play is a lot about what does race mean, and to what extent do we perform race either onstage or in life:
Varma, Rahul. “State of Denial: Cultural Diversity as a Resource for Alternative Globalization.” Canadian Theatre Review, Vol. 157. January 2014. Web.
The duration and cost of the production have been compared to other media which provide entertainment, such as television and film. A theatre performance is more expensive to attend than cinema. The play only lasted for 85 minutes, a film can go on for two hours or even more. This can have a big influence on why people would choose one medium over the other. Accessibility has also to be taken into account when investigating the relevance of theatre in the 21st century. Television is a medium which can be accessed from home, and usually doesn’t cost a lot of money, whereas theatre costs money and is harder to access. Although the production was Australian, the actors talked with an American accent. Bearing in mind that the play was written in America, which could make it harder for an Australian audience to familiarise with the dilemmas going on, on stage, while the themes discussed seem to be more relevant there than in Australia. Overall this play doesn’t contribute to the relevance of Australian theatre in the 21st century, due to the many other sources people can access for entertainment, and because the play seems to be more relevant for an American audience rather than an
My group’s umbrella topic focuses on race. My group will be discussing race and diversity in the media and in populated areas. I decided to question what effect the lack of diversity has had on theatre. With the world’s eyes on the actors on stage, the theatre has a large influence on its audience. The media and populated areas, such as cities, also have that power of influence. Growing up my childhood consisted of the theatre. I have a connection to the stage and off the stage. In my time working with my school’s theatre, I have seen a lack of diversity. I have experience and an interest in theatre. In my time of exploring the theatre culture, I did not come across much diversity. Two years ago I listened to the musical Hamilton:
It is human nature to tell stories and to appreciate and participate in theatre traditions in every society. Every culture expresses theatre and may have their own traditions that have helped pave the way for how they are today. The involvement of African-Americans has increased tremendously in theatre since the nineteenth century and continues to increase as time goes on. African-Americans have overcome many obstacles with getting their rights and the participation and involvement of Theatre was something also worth fighting for. American history has played an important role with the participation of African-Americans in theatre. Slavery occurrence in America made it difficult for blacks in America to be taken seriously and to take on the characters of more serious roles. With many obstacles in the way African-Americans fought for their rights and also for the freedom that they deserved in America. As the participation of African-Americans involvement within the theatre increase so do the movements in which help make this possible. It is the determination of these leaders, groups, and Theaters that helped increase the participation and created the success that African-Americans received throughout history in American Theatre.
Riley, Jo. Chinese Theatre and the Actor in Performance. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 1997. Print.
...pressing of emotions, identifying with other systems of thought. Theatrical arts have managed to transcend ethical issues, racial differences, and many other facets of discourse in society. If theatre is indeed an engine for social change it should not be held from the people who need it the most. Those who are incarcerated. Programs across the nation have already started to see success in the prisons they operate in, so to think about the effect that theatre in prison would have on a nationwide scale is indeed a beautiful thought. If theatre programs in prison would be funded by the states or nationally, potentially the idea of professional prison playhouses could become a reality, and the world would be introduced into a new era of art that is truly a beautiful thing to behold. Shakespeare writes in Hamlet, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
This is to be expected in a society that did not even permit women to perform in theaters, so men played the women’s roles. Women were not allowed to perform on stage until 1660 when Charles II took the throne and the Restoration occurred (Nestvold). Hence, women are often restricted by husbands or fathers, like Juliet who was controlled by her father in Romeo and Juliet, or women are victimized by men and not in control of their own fate, like Desdemona who dies at the hands of Othello in Othello.
Feminist theory was derived from the social movement of feminism where political women fight for the right of females in general and argue in depth about the unequality we face today. In the aspect of cinema, feminists notice the fictitious representations of females and also, machismo. In 1974, a book written by Molly Haskell "From Reverence to Rape: The treatment of Women in Movies" argues about how women almost always play only passive roles while men are always awarded with active, heroic roles. Moreover, how women are portrayed in movies are very important as it plays a big role to the audience on how to look at a woman and how to treat her in real life due to the illusionism that cinema offers. These images of women created in the cinema shapes what an ideal woman is. This can be further explained through an article 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' written by a feminist named Laura Mulvey in 1975. She uses psychoanalysis theories by Sigmund Freud to analyze 'Scopophilia' which is the desire to see. This explains how the audience is hooked to the screen when a sexy woman is present. In a bigger picture, where Scopophilia derives from, 'Voyeurism' is also known as feeling visual pleasure when looking at another. Narcissism on the other hand means identifying one's self with the role played. It is not hard to notice that in classical cinema, men often play the active role while the women are always the object of desire for the male leads, displayed as a sexual object and frequently the damsels in distress. Therefore, the obvious imbalance of power in classical cinema shows how men are accountable to moving the narratives along. Subconsciously, narcissism occurs in the audience as they ...
Instead of having audience members provide their feedback at the conclusion of a play, Boal encouraged them to make changes during the play. By doing so, he invited the audience to blend the line between spectator and performer. This formed a key concept of Theatre of the Oppressed -- the pivotal role the “spect-actor” (Plastow, 2009). Boal encouraged people to take a participatory role within the plays he produced, and also invited them to address the conflicts within their own lives and within society as a
“The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation,” says Stella Adler. Theater is unique and intriguing because it blends literary and visual arts to tell a story. Before Theater 10, I viewed theater on the surface level: cheesy plot lines with dramatic scenarios for entertainment purposes. Throughout the course, I have learned what it means to appreciate theater, such as understanding Brechtian and Chinese theatre; however, I believe understanding theater’s ability to convey crucial historical and social messages, such as in the production of RENT, is more relevant and important for theater appreciation.
William Shakespeare’s early play, Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a classic romantic comedy placed in a Christian-Pagan environment. By comparing and contrasting Twelfth Night with the movie She’s the Man, I am arguing that discrimination of the female gender in Twelfth Night is still relevant today.
“Theatre makes us think about power and the way our society works and it does this with a clear purpose, to make a change.”
For as long as humankind exists, theatre will always take on an important function within its cultures. Through theatre, a culture expresses itself, reflects its society, and displays its individuality. It invites people to experience other cultures.