BLOG PROMPT 10

Theatre can be powerful when it is used to address major issues in our society and in the world. So much truth can be found in a theatrical event that it is harder to throw away everything you learn and absorb from a performance. After attending a performance, especially one with revelations regarding social change, there can be something powerful that digs deep into our core and plants seeds for challenging our own perceptions on the world and on the cultures around us. Even if it takes time for us to realize what those hidden messages are, they can still prove to change our everyday behavior. I personally, from the time I was young, have been heavily influenced by certain movie characters that I hold in very high regards. It is hard to watch a movie like Star Wars, and not want to imitate Han Solo, the original space cowboy, as he rescues Luke from Darth Vador and the evil Galactic Empire. It is characters like this that have a great impact on the people we hope to become, and it is in that powerful aspect that we can create a universal sense of decency and understanding. We as an audience can see a character like Han Solo or Marty McFly and find plenty of faults in their humanity, but when it comes down to it both of these characters do the right thing. And that is the most important message that theatre can bring to our time and place. I do not believe that theatre can be the only thing that will stop major issues such as genocide and war. However, I do believe there is always room for theatre, or some other form of performance as entertainment during even the roughest times. It is the most useful way to support strong morals and it is a way to present these morals in an easily digested performance. Theatre will never be the answer to ending our reliance on misery and hate, but it certainly has an important place in keeping these feelings at bay. If theatre can successfully infiltrate one mind and force it in the righteous direction, it can do so for all minds everywhere. All it takes is the proper support, the proper love that any craft should be infused with, and the right formulas to reach mass audiences around the globe.

Prompt 9

I am currently experiencing a social issue within my fraternity here at LSU. Recently, my chapter has been accused and chastised for hazing our prospective candidates. Hazing is an issue that I personally do not condone or agree with. However, I have recently discovered that many of my fraternity brothers do not feel the same way. I believe this is an important issue for several reasons. For one, it gives our fraternity and each individual member (myself included) a reputation that should not be deemed "cool" or desired by anyone. Secondly, it endangers all those who have pledged our fraternity as well as the active members who are allowing the behavior to continue. In this particular instance I believe it would be severally difficult to convince many people that this behavior is not an acceptable way to treat another human being. The masses in this instance tend to be blinded by their status among peers and how their appearance might change if they disagree with this outdated practice of initiation. I believe that because of this mob mentality throughout the fraternity, the best way to get across the message that hazing is detrimental to everyone involved is through the use of practices found in invisible theatre. I would set up a scenario where one pledge was being tormented by two active members. In this scenario, a third active member would step forward. and attempted to put an end to this behavior. In an attempt to adhere to the real, I would suggest to my actors that no matter how logical the righteous man's explanation is, the two bullies, for lack of a better term, should completely dismiss these arguments with the utmost apathy and ignorance. Only when the righteous man puts himself in the place of the pledge and allows his brothers to torment him should a change occur. I believe the best way to accomplish this goal is to stage the event at the fraternity house where all active members could effect the outcome of the situation, and I would use my own fraternity brothers as the active members. I do not believe that having the media present would be helpful. In my mind word of this getting out to everyone would be serious harmful to all that might have been accomplished. I believe this mostly because it is not ideal for the entire Greek body to hear about the event, make judgments of their own, and put themselves in a position where they could revert the minds of those who have changed back to the old habits where hazing was acceptable. The protest will end when those who truly understand why the issue must not persist step forward and prevent others from the same torment.

Prompt 8

Time and pace are directly related to the reality effect because it is something that is structured and obeyed regularly in our everyday lives. When a simulation follows the pattern of the real, it becomes more real to us as a participatory audience. A great example of this would be The Matrix. In The Matrix, Agent Smith explains that there was a previous version of The Matrix where the world was created as a utopia. The rendering was green fields and blue skies. There was no human suffering, war, poverty, etc.  However in this version of The Matrix, the enslaved human race began to rebel. Even on a subconscious level the human race was unable to believe that what was happening before them was real. As a result of this The Matrix underwent a “system update” and was changed to reflect human conditions as we know them today. The simulation introduced certain human influences such as hard labor, disease, inequality; the parts of our suffering that make humanism real. This idea relates well to ideas regarding time and pace as it relates to the reality effect. The closer action on stage adheres to real time, the more real it becomes for the audience. If a character decides he must leave to go and take a shower, walks off stage left, and enters again in 60 seconds, no one in the audience is going to believe that man left to go take a shower. However, if a character decides to take a shower, walks off stage left, and enters in the next 10 minutes with wet hair and a change of clothes, this action becomes infinitely more believable to the audience. There is a much more powerful effect when we see a performance happening in real time. When we are fully engaged in a show and are seeing everything happen before our eyes, we know that we are not missing out on anything occurring on stage. Our experience becomes a shared experience with the character we are following. We get to see everything the exact way that character sees it, without leaving any of the action behind. In terms of pace, it is easy for an audience to question the authenticity of a performance when we see that natural speech patterns and movements are not implemented in a performance. When a question is asked most times we expect a character to stop and think of a response. If the character answers right away, we know that the even happening before us is merely an illusion. While this can sometimes be effective, it is only truly effective when the world of the play is not one that is similar to the real world. There is a film that was made recently called Boyhood. Boyhood is the story of a boy as he ages from 5 to 18 years old. What is so interesting about the production of this film is that it was filmed over the course of 12 years in order to captures the boy’s growth into adulthood. The entire cast of characters signed on to be filmed in what is essentially real time so that they could see this one boy become a man in real time. What I find most interesting about this experience is that while this tactic was intending to be used to capture the boy’s growth, I strongly believe that it served another purpose as well. I am certain that in filming the picture for 12 years, the relationships between each of the characters became more real as well. If two cast members, a father and a son are expected to have a relationship, that relationship is much more synthetic when the characters are only filmed for a few months. However, when the two cast members are engaged in a working relationship for an extended period of time, it is undoubted that their relationship becomes much more real for them as actors, and therefore, it becomes real for the audience as well. 

Prompt 7

If I were to take a theatrical performance, and convert to a show worthy of environmental theatre, I would choose Eurydice as this show. I would choose this because it is the text with which I am most familiar at this point and also because there are so many strong design choices, especially in terms of set, that would lend itself to something site-specific. In terms of the dialogue, I believe that not much would need to change. Although environmental theatre does not rely heavily on text, in this scenario I would actually add various dialogues for the different parts of the show. In Eurydice, there are many events that occur at about the same time. However due to the nature of a theatrical production, these events are seen in sequence. In adapting the show, I would allow for these events to occur at the same time. For example, Orpheus would be in a room upstairs writing or playing music, writing letters, succumbing to his depression, etc. Meanwhile in the basement, Eurydice’s father would be teaching Eurydice the various lessons that are mentioned in the script. You would get to see a lot more of Orpheus’s decline and much more of Eurydice and the Father’s relationship becoming stronger. In terms of set, I would stage the performance in a house. The audience would start in on the first floor and would see the first scene where Orpheus and Eurydice get engaged. After this, the audience would be invited into the next room where the wedding would be taking place. There would be party guests being greeted by Eurydice while Orpheus is nowhere to be found. Also the audience at this point would be invited into the basement and the second floor. In the basement would be the underworld with several pipes dripping water, a river running through a section, and several stones, three of which would be endowed with speaking parts. Here would also be the “business section of the Underworld where the dad would go to work. On the second floor is Orpheus’ room where he writes music and letters. There would be a piano there. Also on the second floor is the Lord of the Underworld’s high-rise apartment. Between Orpheus’ room and the Underworld would be a pneumatic tube with which letters would be passed between the underworld and the world above. When the third act occurs, all the patrons of the show would unite in the basement and watch the great ascension. They would see the failure and the conclusion of the play down in the Underworld. I believe that this show would have a very powerful affect on the audience, especially with interactions between the stones, the wedding scene, the incessant musical interludes from Orpheus’ room, and with the terrifying intrusions of the Lord of the Underworld.

I do believe with Kantor’s view on theatre. I believe that an audience who goes to a stage production knows exactly what they are going to get. This is much like going to a blockbuster hit at the movie theater. When the process becomes interactive with the audience a performance then does not break the fourth wall but transcends it, evolving from a two dimensional performance to a three dimensional performance. In the same way, when you go on a “ride” at Universal Studios that brings the action directly to you, a film then transcends the same type of boundary.

Blog Prompt 6

In my personal opinion, there is no way that the use of new technology will dilute theatre into an entirely obsolete form of performance. There is a clear desire for our culture move towards these newer mediums, but theatre is held together but something that makes it entirely unique. New technology can never take presence away from theatre. There is an important bond between a performer and an audience that only occurs when the two are sharing the same space. There is no other medium in the world that can match a face to face experience. While there is a demand for instant gratification, there is also a strong demand for honesty and believability in our art forms. The idea that we are witnessing something raw and untarnished first hand is very powerful, and it is because of this that people will always be drawn to stage performance. This does not mean, however, that these new mediums should not be introduced and blended with the events happening before our eyes. I believe the best way to use this tactic is in the form of an illusion. Any film based artistic work grew out the spectacle of film being real, and also not real. I imagine that if we reintroduce the novelty of other mediums into film, it could have a very powerful effect. Imagine a girl on stage stands in front of a mirror, and the girl in the mirror is identical to the former. Then imagine the girl who is present in the space begins to play with her hair, but the mirrored image does not reproduce her actions. She instead points, and laughs. This is an idea that can only be brought to life by a new medium, and using ideas like this we can improve theatre in a way that makes it more impactful for the audience. The use of new mediums in theatre can enhance a performance by providing more information that puts the audience in the mind of the character. The second part of this prompt brings to mind those "save a starving child" add you often see during commercials. I personally have no experience with starving children, or with a world where it seems impossible to receive the care and nourishment necessary for survival. However, I still am filled with enormous guilt and sympathy when that commercial comes on. Rather, this is how I feel at first. After seeing the same commercial over and over again, the impact becomes less and less. I think if I were to see the poor starving child in person, that experience once could do more to move me than one hundred ads of the same scenario. 

Prompt 5

Having an object represented in theatre as opposed to being shown in its entirety can have a very powerful effect on the audience. It creates a sense of mystery by not allowing you the satisfaction of knowing what it is while it simultaneously forces one to use his or her imagination to see the object for themselves. I think a perfect example of this use of representation is the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. The entire film revolves around the existence of a briefcase and the contents which remain unknown throughout the duration of the film. All we know is that it is extremely valuable to the interested parties. The most information we get as to the contents is that when the briefcase is opened, a golden light glows from within. Even the light being emitted is not necessarily a naturalist convention. The light itself could easily be considered just another representational tool to express the value of what is actually contained inside when considering the narrative. As an audience member, we must rely heavily on the other factors to discover what is so special about this mysterious object. For one, we must pay extra attention to the circumstances surrounding the briefcase. This would be the fact that everyone and their mother is trying to acquire it for themselves. A group of young thugs steal the case from their employer, disregarding their own lives by forfeiting their own loyalty. When the briefcase is involved in a robbery in a diner, it is the only valuable item that is not stolen (apart from Jules wallet proclaiming "bad motherfucker" which is stolen then returned out of fear). Also, we must rely on the reaction from the actors upon seeing what's inside. Each actor who opens the case, releasing the all-powerful light from within are stunned by what the find inside. It is clearly breathtaking to behold and can only be the most desirable object to have ever been presented to man kind. This reaction never changes no matter who encounters the briefcase, and so we know that it is an object that everyone wants, needs, etc.

Personally I think an abstract representation of the holocaust could be very effective. While a naturalistic view of the holocaust tends to be jarring, graphic, and emotionally disturbing, I think it can sometimes keep the audience from an emotional response. It is difficult to see those events which occurred in concentration camps and know exactly what that feels like to undergo. Instead I think there are better ways to evoke an emotion by relating the pain, fear and suffering in a way that the general population can understand. I think that this puts alot of pressure on spectacle to make this happen. In a modern day theatre, a production team would need to make the theatre feel smaller than it is, darker and full of sounds that would be common to hear. The lack of light, creating fear, faceless Nazi soldiers each as ruthless as the next. We must find ways to feel a fraction of the fear and chaos that was at one point a reality, and only through this simulation can we succeed in representing the holocaust abstractly. As a related topic, I once read a graphic novel called Mous. Mous is the story of a holocaust survivor, and what's interesting about it is that each nationality is represented by a different animal. The Jewish are mice, the Nazis are cats, the Polish are pigs, the Americans are dogs, etc. I thought this was a very interesting way to portray the events which had occurred and served in successfully representing the holocaust in a different way. It would be interesting to see how symbolism and association can play into a staged representation of the holocaust and how an audience would react to that.

Prompt 4

I watched a documentary once called Superheroes. It is an interesting tale of several people who dress as vigilantes at night and patrol the major cities in an effort to bring justice to the unjust. These remarkable people have costumes, secret identities, super-alliances, the whole nine yards. It's a little bit ridiculous in my opinion. These people are entirely dedicated to their vocation, and they truly believe they are serving out their purpose on this earth. To me this act has numerous theatrical aspects and even acts as a form of destructive theatre. It disrupts the daily lives of those lucky enough to live in the vicinity of such beings, and also contains a certain amount of spectacle used to turn heads towards the good cause. The various costumes and character persona's each display a certain aspect about the people and what their goal as a superhero is. It is disruptive to daily lives in small ways. Sometimes these vigilantes are able to bring criminal activity to the front steps of the courthouse by notifying the correct authorities. While the "superheroes" state that their goal is to bring hope and awareness to the masses, and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. I'm not convinced that it is entirely effective. Most people who encounter the hero's see them as having a serious mental instability, and therefore the validity of the task force is questioned. Also, the documentary shows times when the vigilantes themselves are behaving criminally in order to entrap more criminals. This is also a contradictory act in the eyes of the audience, those who notice these men and women patrolling the streets. 

I think the most effective way to bring theatre into the 21st century is a new vision for the spectacle of theatre productions. Theatre, while often thought as the least important aspect, is often the easiest part of theatre for an audience to digest. This puts more pressure on technical designers and operators to design theatre that can pull an audience into an entirely different world. It should serve as a way to transport the masses into an entirely new reality by overloading the senses with new sights, sounds, waves of emotion, etc. Another way to accomplish this notion is to blur the lines between audience and performers. In The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, members of the audience are brought onstage and become part of the performance by acting as participants in the competition. While I have never been one of these lucky participants, I can imagine that their experience becomes far more real when they become equal to the actors. If we can find a way to fully involve every audience member in a similar way, theatre will have changed in meaning and purpose by creating an entire virtual experience for everyone involved. 

Prompt 3

Two productions I’ve seen recently that stand out in my mind are A Free Man of Color and Elephant Graveyard. I found both production to be moving and powerful and I felt a strong emotional response from both. However, I found it hard to relate the former to any form of truthfulness. While I was strongly invested in the character’s and found myself enjoying the show, A Free Man of Color was very clearly entirely fictional. From the production style to the sense of humor presented with the show, I could not easy take the events occurring down from the stage and out into the real world. In my opinion, having a strained relationship with truthfulness does not necessarily hinder a production. As someone said in class recently, we rarely go to the theatre expecting the truth. Most of us go expecting a good story told in an entertaining way. Often times this experience is easier to pull off if proximity to truthfulness is a bit distant. That being said, if an audience member can find truth in what they are watching, the experience is made a thousand times more enjoyable. In Elephant’s graveyard I found myself very invested in not only the character’s but in the various parts of the story they were telling. Because I could feel the truth behind the words being spoken, I found that I was much more entertained by the narrative. It wasn’t until later that I discovered the events were based around a true event, and suddenly my response became clear. Before even knowing the play was based on true events, I could sense that the story was being told as if it were a collection of interviews about a real occurrence. Because I could feel the truth behind what was occurring on stage, my experience with the show was made much more memorable.  I find that often times productions revolving around real events such as documentary theatre can give too much focus the event and less on the character’s who were affected. To me this gives the audience a weaker connection with the show even though the events are real. However, when a show is able to portray real events in way that connects and audience with the character’s experience a very strong emotional response can occur.

Prompt 2: Performitivity

I've had trouble thinking of an example for this one, but I think I have something that works. In the final sequence of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Jim Gordon performs an act that Harvey Dent intends to be infelicitous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F2M6sgjXTE. It is a fairly common thing for a father or a mother to tell their child, "everything's going to be alright". It is almost as common for a parent to do so when they don't know the true outcome of a troublesome event. Also this scene hints at the fact that Two-Face had to tell the love of his life that that everything would be alright just before she is tragically blown away by The Joker. What I like about this scene is that although Dent intends for Gordon's statement to be one of deception and malice, the Caped Crusader turns this performative act into one not of malice but of truth. For Gordon's child everything is going to be alright (in relative terms). If Batman had not intervened Gordon's kid could easily be dead, bring victory to Dent in his lustful vengeance. It is also interesting to me to see how much Dent is affected not by Rachel's death in general, but in how he handled the situation. It is devastating to him that he was the one who was saved instead of her, and what's worse is that He told her it was going to be okay. Because Dent was unable to follow through on his performative act by saving Rachel, he is forced to strongly question his character, motives and his very existence in Gotham City. Consequently, Dent's identity is changed forever. He becomes Two-Face, the obsessive super criminal who no longer considers himself citizen of Gotham, but rather an instrument manipulated by The Joker to bring about chaos to the unsuspecting people of Gotham. Because Harvey is unable to follow through with making everything "all right" for Rachel, he loses his sense of self. This forces him to project his anger on to Gordon, who's version of the same performative act is made valid by the intervention of Batman. This of course sets an entirely new story in motion. One where Batman must wear the mask of villainy in order to protect not only Harvey's reputation but the entire city of Gotham.

Blog Post 1 - Performance

The article just read provided me with plenty of insight regarding performance as a contested concept and how it compares to the conceptual norms of theatrical evens. A statement in the article that stands out to me claims that performance artists "do not base their work upon characters previously created by other artists, but upon...their own specific experiences in a culture...made performative by their consciousness of them and the process of displaying them for audiences." This idea I think goes back to the concept of restored behavior, the version of ourselves that is consciously aware of our own actions. Performance has so many vast mediums that qualify it, however performance can not exist unless the one performing is aware of his/her behavior.

While reading this chapter I keep thinking about a mocumentary film called I'm Still Here. It is a documentary chronicling Joaquin Phoenix as he "retires" from acting and begins his career as a hip-hop artist. This is now considered one of the greater hoax's in Hollywood, though at the time it was being filmed, Joaquin's change of heart along with his heavily increasing drug addiction was considered infallibly genuine. The reason this film is present in my mind is because Joaquin, in hindsight, was clearly giving a performance. Through restored behavior, Joaquin created a character version of himself that was put on display for the public eye for a specific purpose. The most interesting thing about this social experiment is that for several weeks, without knowing Joaquin had no real intention of being a rap star, the public followed his deteriorating star status with such viscosity and judgment that it really made no difference as to whether or not Joaquin was performing. The public viewed and treated it as a performance non the less. I feel there are several times in everyday life where we as the subject have no intention of performing for a person or a group of people. Yet those who are viewing you hold all the power with their judgments and perceptions. We do not get to chose whether or not we are giving a performance. Only the audience can do that for us.