DramaLit Blog 1.0: BU School of Theatre

Something that struck me in my research on my Greek adaptation Steelbound was the article I found from one of the cast members and then the company and playwright’s reaction to it.  The Sarah Brady argues about the radicality of the piece and criticizes the entire process throughout the article.  The others respond in fury and outrage.  When I wad first reading through Brady’s article, I thought she was being so heartless and crash about the work on the show.  However, when I read through the responses to her article and her response back, I realized that none of them were in the know.  I know that I become extremely vulnerable about any work that I’m involved with, so I understand why Cornerstone and Touchstone members responded the way they did.  They were outraged! Of course!  They put so much of themselves into the show and it were truly generous in doing so for the community.  But they way that they dealt with Brady made me feel uneasy.  Theatre is such a vast form.  Art is an overwhelming form.  NO ONE will ever be right because there is no right or wrong.  There is opinion and imagination and heart.  We all view art the way we will and no one else has control over that.  The playwright of the piece said that Brady should feel ashamed for what she wrote, Brady replied by explaining that she was proud her opinions caused such a response.  It was weird.  And it wasn’t weird that they disagreed, but it was strange the way they were treating each other.  At school, the main thing I’ve learned is that we HAVE to respect each other, even if we don’t agree with that person.  And yes, it can be a difficult task at times, but as a generation of new artists, I see people doing that every day in class, maybe not all the time, but the respect is there.  I can’t speak for them especially because I’m not in there position, but Brady had every right to feel the way that she did and aspire to provoke change in her fellow artists, rather than letting them coast.  Another thing that this brought up to me was the specificity of words that is so incredibly emphasized in our work here.  Reading the articles, I realized how many ideas were muddled because the better words weren’t chosen.  I’m even having trouble thinking, because I’m not on anyone’s side in this situation, they both have validity in their arguments.  But I’m realizing now how important all this is, and that how much of a blessing it is to be confronted with these ideas now.  To start using the words I actually mean to use, and to be able to have heated discussions with my peers and still be able to eat dinner with them after class.  How much of a blessing it would be for my generation to have that!  And grow with it to create a community of theatre artists who are more willing to listen to other’s criticisms and actually learn something from it.  This is so important, and I want to focus on this in my next processes.  It will be challenging, but so incredibly fruitful.