World events happen and pass quickly; In just a week, the world can go from calm to total chaos. The same goes for theater. Although the way theater is performed usually doesn’t change, its meaning can be reshaped from one day to the next. Thus, art and life can be intertwined. When one moves, the other does too. A current event can spark new ideas for theater and change its meaning forever.
An event so stunning was the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of a woman’s right to choose. This right was a guarantee to women for generations. A pairing theater production, a new performance of the musical “1776”, was staged by the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. This revival ironically features iconic men from history played by only women, non-binary, and transgender actors.
Theater is essentially a call for freedom. It challenges society and supports the oppressed. “1776” and other productions show that theater opens up new doors for how society should be shaped. These doors provide us with opportunities to do better.
Beyond defending liberties, theater can also show a nation as a whole. It affects the rate of evolution of our country, arguably more than news stations and other digital arts. As an example, take the new Broadway drama-comedy named “The Minutes,” by Tracy Letts. This production is centered around the city council of a small American town. The origins of the town’s founding are steadily revealed as a council member discovers details of atrocities against Native Americans.
More recently was a musical by Shaina Taub called “Suffs,” which showed the history of suffragists’ fight for the right to vote. The cast of this production was also consisting of only women and non-binary actors. The show content isn’t the main attraction but rather the symbolic meanings enshrouded around the production.
These shows are on a mission to change the social structure of society, and in fact, they are working. Theater has helped the recently trending LGBTQ community by supporting its core ideas. Looking back in history, women have gone from being inferior to men to having many of the same rights as them. In some aspects, productions promoting a social idea have replaced on-street protests. Shows and theater productions pack good laughs, but they are also symbolic and meaningful.
An event so stunning was the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of a woman’s right to choose. This right was a guarantee to women for generations. A pairing theater production, a new performance of the musical “1776”, was staged by the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. This revival ironically features iconic men from history played by only women, non-binary, and transgender actors.
Theater is essentially a call for freedom. It challenges society and supports the oppressed. “1776” and other productions show that theater opens up new doors for how society should be shaped. These doors provide us with opportunities to do better.
Beyond defending liberties, theater can also show a nation as a whole. It affects the rate of evolution of our country, arguably more than news stations and other digital arts. As an example, take the new Broadway drama-comedy named “The Minutes,” by Tracy Letts. This production is centered around the city council of a small American town. The origins of the town’s founding are steadily revealed as a council member discovers details of atrocities against Native Americans.
More recently was a musical by Shaina Taub called “Suffs,” which showed the history of suffragists’ fight for the right to vote. The cast of this production was also consisting of only women and non-binary actors. The show content isn’t the main attraction but rather the symbolic meanings enshrouded around the production.
These shows are on a mission to change the social structure of society, and in fact, they are working. Theater has helped the recently trending LGBTQ community by supporting its core ideas. Looking back in history, women have gone from being inferior to men to having many of the same rights as them. In some aspects, productions promoting a social idea have replaced on-street protests. Shows and theater productions pack good laughs, but they are also symbolic and meaningful.
