Re-discovering and Re-imagining the Lost Art of Theatre

A note from the writer: I am starting a new “series” of blog posts I suppose called “Re-discovering and re-imaging the lost arts.”  Because of this, I may be writing 2 to 3 blogs a week.  I hope this is a consistent venture in my attempts to become a better a writer and communicator.  As such, I would appreciate any feedback (be it good or bad).

           

RE-DISCOVERING AND RE-IMAGINING THE LOST ART OF THEATRE

            What are lost arts in this world that we live in?  Letter writing.  Conversation.  Eye contact.  And, I believe, Theatre.

            When I went to the Sojourn Institute I had a conversation with a girl where I truthfully said, “I never saw Into the Wild.”  I really do not go to the movies that much.  If it’s a play though, my interest is peaked.  Her reaction was a first to me.  She also had never seen it.  I felt through the conversation that she gave me permission to think that seeing movies is not the height of cultural experience.

            Truth be told, how many of us have been passionate about something that is not a cultural norm and decided not to pursue it to its fullest because we thought we were ‘weird’?  Or how many of us have labeled ourselves weird because we like that thing?  (Or maybe we like it but we have not exactly figured out what our “niche” in it actually is and don’t want to pursue it further because we think we suck at it and we’re afraid to try.  Ok, just me? ;)

            As I pondered this phenomenon I was struck by my desire to help others to understand my passion for theatre better.  At Sojourn we played a game called “I am from…”  It helps me to categorize what I think theatre should be.

            “I am from…” theatre that involves the audience, Shakespeare, devised works, works created by both a theatre company and a non-arts community, going to see a show on a Friday night instead of a movie, movies made out of plays, shelling out money for a play is ok, shelling out money for a movie is like pulling teeth, in-the moment moments, musicals that don’t end upbeat, Jason Robert Brown, realism, the a-typical musical, acting that is pretending, crying when the lights are low.

            What I have encountered from my peers and popular culture on the subject of theatre: “I am from…” theatre is something I can appreciate but am generally dragged to, theatre is box-office musicals like Annie and Wicked, theatre only happens in the Theater, theatre is text driven therefore it is boring, I don’t understand Shakespeare, theatre is not marketable, theatre is Disney, theatre is pretending, anyone can act, theatre is crying on cue, dance monkey dance!

            Because theatre (at least my theatre) has been lost in popular culture, I have decided learn to translate what I mean by theatre to the world, trying to close the great chasm between these two “I am froms…” Knowing how different I conceive theatre from other people, how can I not only co-exist but thrive by teaching those who are interested in the lost art of theatre?

            To start with, we need to learn how to re-discover theatre in everyday life.  The reason I say “re-discover” is that like finding an ancient artifact, the classics and the basic framework of the theatre we know today has it’s place and needs to be recognized in the broader cultural sphere.  [For instance, don’t get me started on Shakespeare and how simple it was meant to be (kind of like reading your Bible).]  I can list a few successful examples of this: the TV show Glee (I believe), some pretty awesome High School teachers all across the country instilling love for theatre in the youth, and my Shakespeare professor in college.

            Another thing to continue with, especially as an artist, is re-imagining theatre.  It’s the basics of problem solving: when something doesn’t work one way anymore, try another way!  Even theatre itself needs to continue to re-exert her imagination to discover possibilities.  One of those possibilities is how she can be recognized in a wider cultural sphere.  Here’s a couple successful examples (some are not simply theatre but they are still good examples): Sojourn’s Built, Prison Performing Arts shows, Waste Land (documentary about Brazilian turned New Yorker going home and doing art with Brazilians).

            I think one major obstacle to overcome is pride.  If the artist is willing to let go of his ego for the betterment of others, he can go far.  It’s when he sits in his ivory tower of “theatre” and refuses to translate that these chasms of cultural divides deepen.  For instance, I recently watched a documentary called Waste Land about an artist leaving the states for 3 years and living in Brazil to work on an art project in the largest land fill in the world.  He is a Brazilian artist who grew up in Sao Paulo but made his fame and fortune at art in New York.  The movie is brilliant and I highly recommend it.  Yet I feel even in the movie that he put himself on display for the world to see and say, “Yes, this is a good man.”

            The point is that even when we try to “help” the world experience art, we sort of are putting ourselves on this pedestal as artists saying, “we know art.  You don’t.  Therefore we are going to help you.” 

            The solution to pride is humility.  Humility is coming under someone and saying, “I know this.  What do you know?  Oh, I didn’t know you know what I know.  Let’s move forward.”  You may discover that you have nothing to offer in the world’s terms of assets!  You may discover, after all, that the person admits you do have something he doesn’t that you need.  But don’t start but telling him what he needs and what you have.  Start by asking.  Start by listening.

            What do I personally get out of all of this?  Please allow some introspection for a moment.  I am somehow caught between two opposite poles: I’m neither the witty intellectual who knows he’s smart nor the person who doesn’t have a clue.  I’m not satisfied with mere “normal” conversation and stupid jokes don’t make me laugh.  Yet I can’t return wit most of the time.  I only recognize when it’s there.  Sarcasm is not my strong point.  I’m too genuine.  However, I long to be amongst people who think deeply.  Not philosophers for the heck of it.  Not hypothesizing new ways of existing or adding to the Scriptures.  But hypothesizing how we could view the truth in our everyday life. 

            Charles Williams, for instance, in his book Descent Into Hell, imagines a world where death is the catalyst of everything.  Though not too far off from our own world, it is much more of an introspective world.  There are those who know they are going to Heaven and there are those who don’t know they are going to Hell.  The way one character thinks is a metaphor for life itself!  Names are symbols.  Nothing is ordinary.

            I’m after a theatre world like that!  One with complexity but meaning, obscurity but truth—theatre of the absurd with a point to existence—new forms that allow old forms to not only exist but thrive—new understanding of our roles within theatre—new understanding of the culture of theatre that allows for a broader audience—a more generous theatre—a theatre that is defined by those who care about not just the $30 ticketholder but also the “groundling.”  In these things we can both learn from the past and press forward to brand new reality in the lost of art of theatre.