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RE: RAT Politics and Theatre
Hello Mare:
Here are my two cents.
All things, not just theatre, are political if you want to argue
constructively. Everything we do as member of that "body politic" serves to
reinscibe culture. We are constantly committing acts of political activism
simply by going about our lives.
But, there must be a way to describe the difference between that kind of
political and what I do when I vote, write my congressman or march in a
protest rally. I believe that difference lies in the definition we choose
for political. We may, I think, call "political activism": conscious
attempts to change, continue, or shake the structure or value systems of the
current ruling hegemony. In this case "political activism" becomes much
more narrowly focused, and something we must actively pursue.
The philosophical "all things are political," may (and I believe must) when
we talk about empirical units of change (or desired change) be left as a
heady discussion for another hour in the coffeehouse. Certainly we can
focus our powers of change rather than have it simply be a by product of our
art. I think your "political activism" lies in focusing theatre to
specifically effect this change.
doug
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com [mailto:owner-rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com]
On Behalf Of Mare Trevathan Philpott
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 11:59 PM
To: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com
Subject: RAT Politics and Theatre
Okay wonderRATpowers activate!
I'm at Anne Bogart's SITI workshop in Saratoga Springs, NY. As part of her
"Composition" class, I'm directing and composing with 4 actors a piece on
the Group Theatre. The question we are looking at addressing is:
"Where do theatre and political activism intersect?"
There is some disagreement within OUR group about whether or not this is an
intriguing question as "all theatre is political."
What do you think? Is it redundant? A dead horse?
My position is that there is a distinction between politics and political
activism. But I'm having trouble honing in on the articulation of that
distinction.
Thanks!
mare
Mare Philpott
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