Saturday, January 5, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
4th Wave Feminism
Episode Six has arrived! Listen to Sara and Jason's podcast on descriptive representation (part of which was recorded live at New Suit Theatre's Informathon in May). Let us know what you thought by posting a comment here on the blog, on New Suit's Facebook page or in iTunes.
Listen to it here: What does a 4th wave feminist want to see when he or she opens the doors of the Senate in a 4th wave feminist world? or subscribe on iTunes.
Listen to it here: What does a 4th wave feminist want to see when he or she opens the doors of the Senate in a 4th wave feminist world? or subscribe on iTunes.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Political Theatre
If you are a lover of theatre and aren't yet familiar with howlround.com, I encourage you to check it out. There are brilliant discussions from theatre artists about many topics affecting theatre today--including the Mike Daisey controversy, women in theatre, and new plays vs. the classics, among many others. Be sure to check out this one, an article by Karen Malpede on political theatre.
There were some fascinating questions raised in the article and the comments. As a theatre company that tackles difficult--and quite often political--issues, we are interested in hearing what you think.
1) Is political theatre a dying art? As many have stated, theatre was often the most prominent and effective way to begin a discussion, especially in ancient times. Now, however, we have television, movies, radio, newspapers, and blogs--political commentary and discussion is everywhere. We can sit in our own homes and watch or read or listen or type on the computer and engage in the discussion. Is theatre still a relevant contributer to the discussion?
2) Is political theatre being censored? In many societies, political theatre was a subversive way to spread ideas that were being censored by governments. Is that necessary in America? Are we already hearing the message through media? Even if the message is being heard everywhere, is that reason enough for theatre to leave it alone? Do you find that theatre companies do political theatre, or do they stay away?
3) Are political plays not as good as regular plays? Do you agree that the characters, emotions, and story should be stronger than the message, or can a good play consist of a message stronger than the story?
4) Should political plays portray only one "true" view of the issue, or should there be a respectful discussion presenting both sides? I find that people who are willing to change their mind on an issue are becoming rarer and rarer these days--beliefs seem to coincide with our identities, and being willing to ponder and issue and change your beliefs is seen as weakness, or "waffling," or someone who has no convictions. Anyone who believes differently is often seen as wrong. I believe that there can be no discussion without understanding, and that minds don't change without understanding and a respectful discussion. Taking one point of view and asserting it as the correct one can lead to audiences full of patrons who agree with you, and those who don't agree either don't see the play, or don't engage in a meaningful discussion about it. What do you think?
5) Ms. Malpede asserts that there is a long list of political issues that will not be addressed on institutional or commercial stages. Do you agree? Luckily, there are many stages that are neither institutional or commercial, and New Suit has produced plays about climate change and the Iraq War while being a storefront, not-for-profit theatre. Does the lack of commercial and institutional stages producing this work mean the work is not valid? Do you see it is an example of censorship in the American theatre?
6) Are our views on this subject affected by the fact that we are a not-for-profit company producing work, and Ms. Malpede is a playwright creating the work? Does this lead to a difference in the way we see the issues presented? Does our not-for-profit statues lead us to view producability differently that a commercial producer? Than an audience? Than an artistic director needing a successful season?
New Suit's mission is to explore perplexing and complicated issues and make them accessible through compelling storytelling. We do not accept the premise that the important issues affecting our lives are ever too complicated to approach in an engaging manner. To that end, we will continue to produce exceptional plays with ideas worth hearing, and continue to promote discussion in our community.
What are your thoughts on the article?
There were some fascinating questions raised in the article and the comments. As a theatre company that tackles difficult--and quite often political--issues, we are interested in hearing what you think.
1) Is political theatre a dying art? As many have stated, theatre was often the most prominent and effective way to begin a discussion, especially in ancient times. Now, however, we have television, movies, radio, newspapers, and blogs--political commentary and discussion is everywhere. We can sit in our own homes and watch or read or listen or type on the computer and engage in the discussion. Is theatre still a relevant contributer to the discussion?
2) Is political theatre being censored? In many societies, political theatre was a subversive way to spread ideas that were being censored by governments. Is that necessary in America? Are we already hearing the message through media? Even if the message is being heard everywhere, is that reason enough for theatre to leave it alone? Do you find that theatre companies do political theatre, or do they stay away?
3) Are political plays not as good as regular plays? Do you agree that the characters, emotions, and story should be stronger than the message, or can a good play consist of a message stronger than the story?
4) Should political plays portray only one "true" view of the issue, or should there be a respectful discussion presenting both sides? I find that people who are willing to change their mind on an issue are becoming rarer and rarer these days--beliefs seem to coincide with our identities, and being willing to ponder and issue and change your beliefs is seen as weakness, or "waffling," or someone who has no convictions. Anyone who believes differently is often seen as wrong. I believe that there can be no discussion without understanding, and that minds don't change without understanding and a respectful discussion. Taking one point of view and asserting it as the correct one can lead to audiences full of patrons who agree with you, and those who don't agree either don't see the play, or don't engage in a meaningful discussion about it. What do you think?
5) Ms. Malpede asserts that there is a long list of political issues that will not be addressed on institutional or commercial stages. Do you agree? Luckily, there are many stages that are neither institutional or commercial, and New Suit has produced plays about climate change and the Iraq War while being a storefront, not-for-profit theatre. Does the lack of commercial and institutional stages producing this work mean the work is not valid? Do you see it is an example of censorship in the American theatre?
6) Are our views on this subject affected by the fact that we are a not-for-profit company producing work, and Ms. Malpede is a playwright creating the work? Does this lead to a difference in the way we see the issues presented? Does our not-for-profit statues lead us to view producability differently that a commercial producer? Than an audience? Than an artistic director needing a successful season?
New Suit's mission is to explore perplexing and complicated issues and make them accessible through compelling storytelling. We do not accept the premise that the important issues affecting our lives are ever too complicated to approach in an engaging manner. To that end, we will continue to produce exceptional plays with ideas worth hearing, and continue to promote discussion in our community.
What are your thoughts on the article?
Friday, May 18, 2012
Informathon
We had a fantastic turnout for the Informathon last night! Were you there? What did you think?
If you were intrigued by Sara and Jason's podcasting, don't forget to check out the previous episodes here. The episode on ethical porn is up!
Be sure to tell us what you think in the comments.
If you were intrigued by Sara and Jason's podcasting, don't forget to check out the previous episodes here. The episode on ethical porn is up!
Be sure to tell us what you think in the comments.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
More episodes of Sara and Jason's podcast 4th Wave Feminism are up!
Check them out and post your comments here on our blog.
Check them out and post your comments here on our blog.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fourth Wave
Well, Sizzle is now closed, and New Suit Theatre Company is deep into planning our fourth season. We'll be announcing the upcoming season soon, but until then, we'll try to whet your New Suit appetite with a brand new podcast from company members Sara and Jason, called Fourth Wave Feminism. Give the first episode a listen, and let us know what you think!
Fourth Wave Feminism Podcast
Fourth Wave Feminism Podcast
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
