Contemporary theatre and modern performance practices

Theatre Today & Theatre for Me

Theatre, as a genre of creative expression, is still very much valid in the 21st century. It originated thousands of years ago, and still draws crowds in the 21st century around the world. Many of the classic plays of many cultures are still performed, as well as adaptations of other forms (such as films, songs, etc.) are transformed into plays that interest and captivate audiences. Of the plays we read in the course this term, I was able to find value in all of them, but I did not personally enjoy all of the plays.

Theatre today is sometimes based on historical events and figures, as well as new takes on old ideas in modern forms. Many plays are period pieces, and in many cities, such as New York City and London, there is a proliferation of one-person plays (one man show, or a one woman show). Theatre today connects audiences across cultures and time, and this is one aspect of theatre that appeals to me. I appreciate theatre that is stylized and inventive. Though I am interested in classic plays, many young people and young adults do not have the same tastes or even have the attention span or interest to sit through a play by Chekov or Shaw, for example. Therefore, theatre for me, the theatre that interests me the most, is theatre that is both modern and classic, that draws older crowds and draws younger crowds.

A friend from another college was in a production of "Arcadia," so I was already familiar with this play. Tom Stoppard has a distinctive and famous style when it comes to his writing, but overall this play did not speak to me personally. Of course, I was interested in the play by Albee because he is a notable playwright, so I was able to maintain interest based on my previous knowledge of his works.

"Doubt" and "Wit" were the most interesting plays in the class for me. These plays truly represented what theatre is today and what theatre is for me. There was a synergy of elements in these plays that truly interested me. The characters were very interesting and relatable. I additionally enjoyed the subject matter. "Wit" was an amazing take on the experience of a woman with cancer -- there are many women living with and dying from cancer. Unless we experience cancer ourselves, or have a person in our lives who has/had it, it is not an experience that we can directly relate to. This play was written fairly recently and takes place in the present day.

"Doubt," is a play that was also written recently, but takes place more than fifty years ago. I liked this play for a few reasons, one of which is that I like the television show "Mad Men" which made now, but also takes place in the 1960s. There is something very appealing about how decades later, we are able to recreate the conditions of a former era with such detail that it truly transports the audience to another time through the recreation.

I also liked "Doubt" in like of recent events, such as the Supreme Court of the United States repealing the Voting Rights Act, a piece of legislation that was passed during the time that "Doubt" takes place. I read recently how some of the Supreme Court Justices argued that racism no longer exists in the United States, which, when asking many Americans do not agree with. A play like "Doubt" is still relevant in the present because it makes people reevaluate and reassess these issues. Plays, theatre, and other forms of art have the ability to help people consider their attitudes and behaviors. Plays can help us trace the trajectory of social issues to really see and feel how far we have come as a culture and society, or not.

Theatre today should continue to build upon the strong tradition of storytelling upon which it is founded. Theatre today for me has quite a challenge and reputation to live up to. There has got to be simplicity -- the elements of good drama must be present and clear. There must be compelling characters, a simple story told in and interesting way, and a structure to the play that is easy enough to follow, but yet again, is intriguing. Theatre for me achieves these balances and blending of elements very well. I do not like theatre with lots of extended monologues. Even in Shakespeare, which a playwright known for monologues and soliloquies, there is a balance between quick banter, short scenes, and longer speeches. I do not like plays with tons of scene changes. Numerous scene changes work in film, which is an entirely different medium. Therefore, I like plays that understand the restrictions of the form, but at the same time, takes risks in how they push the boundaries of what can be done on a play, on stage, as part of the theatrical tradition.

I found the selection of plays for the course to be strong, though I did not personally enjoy them all. I learned more about how it is unnecessary to personally enjoy something in order to find value in it or to learn about playwriting, storytelling, and history. Besides telling stories, plays are a way to share history in a more interactive way. People enjoy many of the aspects of production in seeing a play, and those who read plays engage their imaginations as well as the writing on a more personal level.