This essay is aimed at examining six plays that I attended during this semester. Overall, the chosen works represent a variety of genres, styles, and cultural traditions. Nevertheless, each of them can throw light on various problems that continue to affect the lives of modern society and separate individuals. In turn, the key purpose of this paper is to show how these performances can be related to the coarse goals that had to be attained. To a great extent, one can say that these productions can significantly enrich the outlook of a person, and his/her understanding of such issues as race, politics, culture, economics, or politics and how these questions are represented in artworks. Moreover, the study of these productions can show how performance can be used as an instrument promoting social justice. In many cases, these theatrical performances can support those groups of people who can be discriminated against or marginalized due to some pretexts. Furthermore, the analysis of these plays can help a student elaborate his/her critical thinking skills which are necessary for expanding the boundaries of art. Moreover, by studying these productions, one can gain a good grasp of the terms that are necessary for the discussion of performances. These are some of the details that can be distinguished.
At first, by analyzing these plays, I was able to develop a critical process that can help a person understand the history of performance as a tool for promoting social justice and addressing various problems that can impair the quality of people’s lives. This process includes several steps. In particular, one should pay close attention to how performance could be used to raise public awareness about certain social problems. Furthermore, it is important to focus on the directors’ choices who can modify the plot of a play or change the design of the setting to show how specific issues can affect modern communities or individuals. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about such a play as Ubu Roi which was first performed in 1896. I have been able to observe the performance of this play produced by The Cutting Ball Theatre. Unlike the original production, this performance is set in contemporary society. In this way, the director attempts to demonstrate that such problems as the lust for power and wealth lead to disastrous for the modern communities. In my view, this decision was very effective.
Furthermore, to study the history of performance as a tool for social justice, one should look at how a particular play could be interpreted. For instance, the musical Little Shop of Horrors could often be regarded primarily as a black comedy. Nevertheless, nowadays, this performance eloquently demonstrates the dangerous effects of greed and irresponsibility. This trend becomes particularly noticeable when people learn more about corrupt practices of various organizations that can be both private and public. So, this element of the critical process is also significant.
Additionally, viewers need to focus on the negative character traits that the directors and playwrights attempt to illustrate because, in this way, they can uncover some of the most fundamental social flaws. This issue is particularly noticeable in the play The Pain and the Itch produced by Custom Made Theatre. In particular, this work throws light on the complacency of many affluent people and their unwillingness to understand the problems of people who can be stricken by poverty or discrimination. Such underprivileged individuals can be treated as outcasts. This is one of the themes that have been explored in various productions of play since 2005 when it was first produced.
Additionally, one should focus on how performance could be used to empower groups that could discriminate against or marginalized by society. This argument is particularly relevant to the play Yellow written by Del Shores who depicts the life of a nuclear family. It was produced by New Conservatory Theatre Center. This work raises people’s awareness about the victimization of homosexual people who can be treated as outcasts even by their relatives. Admittedly, not all of the performances that I attended can be viewed as tools of social justice. For instance, this argument can be applied to such plays as The Seagull and Hundred Days because this performance is not directly related to social issues. They are not aimed at promoting a certain social agenda that the audience should consider. Nevertheless, I can say that it is important to look at how a specific theatrical work could be applied to change public opinion or highlight a certain issue. This information can help a person to evaluate performance and understand its themes which often reflect the need for social justice. These are the main points that can be made.
Apart from that, this course prompted students to think about the relationship of the performance to such issues as sexuality, gender, culture, economics, or race. In turn, many of these plays incorporate themes that are closely linked to these specific themes. For example, Del Shores’ play Yellow urges the readers to think about the problems of homosexuality and the marginalization of an individual. In particular, this author demonstrates how a homosexual person can be victimized, especially in the culture, which postulates rigid gender norms that everyone should comply with. To some degree, this performance prompted the audience to think more about the obstacles encountered by such individuals almost daily.
In contrast, the play Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris examine various economic factors that affect the life of the community. This play can throw light on the experiences of a middle-class family. This performance can help the audience understand the struggle of people who strive to achieve economic prosperity. For instance, one can speak about the immigrant named Hadid who continuously speaks about such questions as property taxes or the price of footwear. It seems that these issues are of the greatest priority to him. To some degree, the economic concerns are also explored in the play Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman. This author demonstrates how the quest for economic prosperity can prompt a person to violate various ethical principles and even sacrifice other people. In many cases, such a person can become callous or even cruel. In addition to that, these plays encourage the audience to think about the role of politics in modern society. In this case, one can refer to the play named Ubu Roi written by Alfred Jarry. It is possible to say that, this work illustrates the dangers of political tyranny and autocracy. This issue is particularly relevant if one speaks about the main character symbolizing lust for power.
In turn, the play Seagull throws light on various aspects of modern culture, even though this play was written more than a century ago. To some extent, the performance urged me to think about people’s responses to new cultural or artistic forms. Very often, they are treated with apprehension and criticism. Overall, these plays have prompted me to think about the variety of problems that affect modern society. Additionally, the analysis of these plays shows that these works are not isolated from real-life as some people can assume. These are the main details that can be singled out.
Apart from that, these performances have enabled me to expand the boundaries of art activities through experiential, intellectual, and community concerns. These perspectives enable a person to take a new look at various works of art, including theatrical performances. In particular, one should speak about such activities as the perception, analysis, and evaluation of art. In many cases, these activities require the ability to re-evaluate the assumptions that a person may often take for granted. It should be noted that these performances have demonstrated to me that art underlines the limitations of human knowledge and understanding. For example, I can speak about the performance of The Pain and the Itch. This play shows that in many cases, people can act in a self-righteous manner, but their convictions can prove completely wrong almost at any moment. Similarly, Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull urges the audience to remember that they can easily misinterpret the behavior of other people, their motives, and emotions. This is why many of their convictions can be false in the long term.
Additionally, the performance Hundred Days made me think about the core priorities of an individual and how these priorities can be re-assessed. Therefore, a person should be open to new ways of thinking or discussing a certain issue. In turn, an individual, who perceives art, should reflect on various messages that the playwright and the director tried to convey. Therefore, critical thinking is critical for the evaluation and analysis of a theatrical performance or any other artwork. Additionally, much attention should be paid to empathy since it is critical for gaining insights into the behavior and motives of another person whose inner world may not be known to the spectators.
Moreover, these plays demonstrate that art can reflect a variety of community concerns. For instance, it is possible to mention such a play as Yellow. Therefore, a person should try to link various artworks to the social issues that can be explored by the playwright because this approach can give a person insights into the themes of the play. To a great extent, these performances have shown to me that art is an extremely complex phenomenon that can shape a person’s values, attitudes, and worldviews. By approaching art activities from the perspective of experimental, intellectual, and community concerns, one can better appreciate art that will become much more thought-provoking and engaging.
In addition to that, the study of these plays has enabled me to develop a working vocabulary of performance. I have had an opportunity to apply the concepts that are necessary for the critique and analysis of performances. This vocabulary can be related to some technical aspects of theatrical productions such as plot, acting evaluation, setting or sound design, lighting, and so forth. The use of these concepts is important for the study and analysis of theatrical performances that may differ in terms of genre, style, or plot. This is one of the benefits that can be singled out.
Additionally, these plays are useful for understanding the concepts related to social justice. For example, one can speak about such terms as discrimination, poverty, empowerment, marginalization, and so forth. These notions are also critical for the analysis of literary works or theatrical performances. I can say that each of the six plays was beneficial for the achievement of this course goal since each of these productions was thought-provoking and open to different interpretations. These theatrical performances have increased my understanding of art that can be represented by various genres, styles, and cultural traditions. These are the main aspects that be identified.
Moreover, these plays have been useful for providing a personal response to course materials through the use of critical thinking, speaking, and writing skills. It should be noted that I needed to write responses to each of these plays. These assignments incorporate the analysis and evaluation of the production. To cope with these tasks, I needed to use critical thinking and analytical skills. To some degree, these exercises have demonstrated to me how important it is to support one’s argument with appropriate evidence. In this way, one can better understand the message that an author or a director tried to convey.
Additionally, while doing these assignments, I had to work on the structure of essays, word choices, paragraphs, and punctuation. Therefore, these assignments gave me a better idea about the writing mechanics and structure of the paper. More importantly, while analyzing these performances, I did not have to rely on the opinions of other people who can be viewed as authority figures. Moreover, it became quite clear to me that artworks can give rise to a variety of interpretations that can sometimes contradict one another. Thus, it became clear to me that one should not be afraid of expressing one’s own opinions, even if they contradict the views of the majority. This is one of the main points that should not be disregarded by people who analyze different works of art, including theatrical plays.
To a great extent, this discussion suggests that the analysis of theatrical performance can be useful for increasing a person’s awareness about different social and political issues that can influence the life of every individual. Moreover, the study of these plays enabled me to understand the boundaries of art. In particular, intellectual, experiential, and community concerns are useful for making a comprehensive interpretation of theatrical works. To some degree, these performances are relevant to each of the course goals. On the whole, the chosen works differ profoundly in terms of genre, plot structure, or themes explored by the authors. Nonetheless, each of these plays can pose many thought-provoking questions to the viewers who are encouraged to think about the motives that underlie the behavior of an individual under various circumstances. These are the arguments that can be put forward.