Theatre Today Term Paper

Theatre Today & Theatre for Me

Theatre, as a genre of creative expression, is still very much valid in the 21st century. It originated thousands of years ago, and still draws crowds in the 21st century around the world. Many of the classic plays of many cultures are still performed, as well as adaptations of other forms (such as films, songs, etc.) are transformed into plays that interest and captivate audiences. Of the plays we read in the course this term, I was able to find value in all of them, but I did not personally enjoy all of the plays.

Theatre today is sometimes based on historical events and figures, as well as new takes on old ideas in modern forms. Many plays are period pieces, and in many cities, such as New York City and London, there is a proliferation of one-person plays (one man show, or a one woman show). Theatre today connects audiences across cultures and time, and this is one aspect of theatre that appeals to me. I appreciate theatre that is stylized and inventive. Though I am interested in classic plays, many young people and young adults do not have the same tastes or even have the attention span or interest to sit through a play by Chekov or Shaw, for example. Therefore, theatre for me, the theatre that interests me the most, is theatre that is both modern and classic, that draws older crowds and draws younger crowds.

A friend from another college was in a production of "Arcadia," so I was already familiar with this play. Tom Stoppard has a distinctive and famous style when it comes to his writing, but overall this play did not speak to me personally.Of course, I was interested in the play by Albee because he is a notable playwright, so I was able to maintain interest based on my previous knowledge of his works.

"Doubt" and "Wit" were the most interesting plays in the class for me. These plays truly represented what theatre is today and what theatre is for me. There was a synergy of elements in these plays that truly interested me. The characters were very interesting and relatable. I additionally enjoyed the subject matter. "Wit" was an amazing take on the experience of a woman with cancer -- there are many women living with and dying from cancer. Unless we experience cancer ourselves, or have a person in our lives who has/had it, it is not an experience that we can directly relate to. This play was written fairly recently and takes place in the present day.

"Doubt," is a play that was also written recently, but takes place more than fifty years ago. I liked this play for a few reasons, one of which is that I like the television show "Mad Men" which made now, but also takes place in the 1960s. There is something very appealing about how decades later, we are able to recreate the conditions of a former era with such detail that it truly transports the audience to another time through the recreation.

I also liked "Doubt" in like of recent events,….....