SOD + Tawfik el Hakim
Why did Ilwan not want to kill the man who killed his father?
He studied at Al Azhar and believed killing and this cycle of revenge was wrong
what is existentialism?
this idea that life has no meaning until we decide what our meaning is through our choices. nothing is predestined. it is up to us as individuals
What is the difference between modernism and postmodernism?
Modern: searching for meaning
- responds to fragmentation
postmodern: accepting that the meaning itself may not be valid or stable
- accepts fragmentation
What is "hybrid" theatre as opposed to Diversity theatre?
hybrid theatre is theatre that blends different identities, cultures, dramatic styles and theatrical conventions
diversity theatre is about giving voices to those who have been marginalized or "othered".
DECENTERING THE WHITE BASIC MAN
what are key aspects of Latin Am. Theatre present in Rampaccini's Daughter?
- myth
- poetry
- mafical realism
- visual symbolism
- indigenous traditions
What does the knife represent in SOD?
- revenge
- masculinity
- fate
- honor
- the execution of tradition
- hope for Asakir
What real world events inspired Shepard and Beckett?
- Beckett: the absurdism movement that came out of WWI and WWII
- Shepard: 9/11, US politics and Abu Gharib
An example of the modern condition could be BLANK, an example of the post modern condition could be BLANK
MODERN:
- waiting for Godot
- A Number
Post Modern:
- Hamletmachine
What does hybrid theatre emerge out of?
- postcolonial movements or multicultural contexts in which artists themselves struggle between multiple identities and realities
How does Latin. Am. Theatre treat nature?
a living symbolic force
RD: The garden is a prison/paradise
beautiful and deadly
What is interesting about the play being called "the song of death"
it treats death as though it is something to be celebrated
- it normalizes death in a ritualistic way
What does Beckett critique as opposed to Shepard?
Beckett - is god there
Shepard - US politics/surveillance/control
What makes the structure of A Number and Hamletmachine unique in order to reflect their respective movements?
A Number: short, fragmented, minimalist, very little scenery and exposition
Hamletmachine: no clear plot or chronology, no stable setting, no pscyhologically complete characters
broken sequences, dream scenes, shifts in voice
Arab women are typically depicted as passive, oppressed, voiceless, etc.
NPOD shows them as being resistant, sensual, angry
How are Beatrice and Hester both products of their environment?
- Beatrice has always been told she is a danger to others so she does not let people in, the cure kills her. She is an experiment to her father not a person.
- Hester was never given the resources to survive and is constantly judged and berated for her choices rather than helped.
- Both are victims of their environments in different ways
How would Asakir compare to Hedda Gabler?
- both doing what is "expected"
- Hedda feels victimized by the traditions of her society whereas Asakir enforces it and believes in it wholeheartedly
How do both plays employ absurdist techniques?
- circular action
- unstable reality
- helpless characters
How does A Number reflect the modern condition?
- the main character is constantly searching for what makes him unique and his identity amongst many clones.
- Humans are facing a crisis in terms of the moral dilemmas associated with technology
- the play questions how true humanity can survive in an age of advanced tech
How is M Butterfly an example of Hybrid theatre?
it blends east and western culture through its characters, opera styles (both western and chinese). There is a blend of cultures which is key when it comes to hybrid theatre.
- Dr. Rappacini treats his daughter as an experiment. He only cares about finding answers through her.
- The figures who are meant to help Hester use and abuse her.
*In both plays the authority figures that should hypothetically help do not.
How would Asakir compare to the women of NPOD?
- Asakir is more traditional yet she is strong and fights for what she wants, she is not passive.
- The women throughout NPOD are also creative, fully flushed out human beings.
Compare welch and Godot as characters
Godot: never seen, only discussed, presence is felt throughout play. God
Welch: invasive, terrifying, we see him and are terrorized by him in the sense that the US government terrorizes its people and demands that everyone be nationalist and conform
- the play itself is fragmented as is society and the "meaning" it has found
- the play is full of instability as is society (ex: the main character shifts identities constantly)
Compare the bridge in in the blood to the garden in rappacini's daughter
- both settings show how Beatrice and Hester are dehumanized.
- Beatrice is treated like a science experiment and Hester is treated like far less of a human
Bridge: public yet invisible marker of poverty
Garden: beautiful and poisonous. Beatrice is seen as dangerous because of the garden in which she resides.