I, as with most of the worlds populous, have experienced some or other form of discrimination at some point in my lifetime. This notion of discrimination is one that has been at the forefront of most of the key issues for as long as mankind's historical presence has been documented. One cultural/social group is often seen as taking leadership over a perceived "less evolved" cultural group in order to aid them in elevating their cultural awareness and intellectual status in order for them to gain a greater position on the perceived evolutionary scale.
One key defining area whereby this notion of discrimination can be seen as highly prevalent is in that of race politics. Frantz Fanon, a well-known writer within the field of post-colonial studies,
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When Fanon talks of universalism he is not talking of the alleged universalism of western dominance which is a product of European history, emerges from Western discourse. "Fanon’s idea of universalism is based on the notions of dignity, equality and equity: on a concrete and ever new understanding of man." (F, Fanon. 1952.18) What Fanon is proposing here is that man - man being referred to as a universal person - should be judged based upon their actions and not upon external factor that are so often used to classify an individual or society. "Our prime task as humans, he asserts, is to preserve in all our relationships the respect for the basic values that constitute a human world." (F, Fanon. 1952. …show more content…
It can be argued that through the elimination of the "ivory tower" that is conventional theatre space, a production can be seen as becoming more relatable to the audience. This can be attributed to the fact that the audience does not feel such an inherent degree of disconnection from that of the performers due the location they both find themselves
In this essay I will be exploring the nature of the challenges Site-Specific theatre presents. It is ever growing as a genre with practitioners such as Punchdrunk and Station House Opera leading the way in the UK, as performances not set in conventional theatre buildings are becoming increasingly popular. Conventional theatres provide a comfortable performance arena with unspoken rules an audience adheres to, as explored by Nicolas Bourriaud in Relational Aesthetics suggesting that ‘forms, patterns and functions’ of artistic activity ‘develop and evolve according to periods and social contexts’ (Bourriaud, 1998, p1 ). If an audience sit in a Victorian theatre, they will act as if Victorian manners still apply. Site Specific and Immersive performance have no such boundaries and I will be arguing that this genre of theatre produces its own specific challenges and to what extent must we as an audience adapt to these. I will also be analysing the works of established practitioners in this field and similarly my own practice.
“Meanings justify the differential treatment that groups receive as some groups are deemed more worthy of, and eligible to receive, society’s valued resources than others. It now serves as a way to treat people unfairly” (Smith, Racilization). Discrimination perpetuates race and leads to racial inequality. Discrimination can be categorical or statistical. Categorical discrimination is unfair treatment from the discriminator of people from a particular social group because he believes this discrimination is mandatory for acceptance into his social group. Statistical discrimination is unfair treatment of an individual because of the preconceived notions that are prevalent surrounding the social group they take part
The lights dim, as you cross your legs with anticipation of the show. You've had this ticket pre-ordered for two months! As the actors troop onstage to deliver the famed prologue to Henry V each passes your seat and you can see each miniscule detail. You notice the ruffle of cuff on the prince of France, you inhale the soft fragrance of the princess, you notice the gentle glint of reflected light bouncing of the false jewel embedded on Henry's crown. And when they stop in a loose semicircle, if you hadn't been taught better, you could have reached out and touched the hem of the actors cloak standing not four feet in front of you. As the show progresses the physical intimacy of the actors drags you deeper into the world of the play, so much so that when the curtain falls, you honestly feel that you were an integral piece of that world. What is so amazing is that almost anyone you meet can describe a moment like this. Whether it be a concert where they high fived the band member while being jostled by a hundred other crazy fans, or sitting in a dark, silent, planetarium and questioning your existence as virtual stars fly by at close proximity with amazing detail. When it comes to any performance, but even more specifically to Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, the power of proximity between audience and cast or set has a direct correlation on how audience members perceive and sympathize with a play.
Brecht argues that the ultimate purpose of play is to induce pleasure and to entertain, and that--because of this purpose--play needs no justification. Plays should not be simply copied from or seen through older performances, but need to develop on their own to better relate to a new audience. Through the use of alienation which aims to make the familiar unfamiliar, play and theatre can be seen under a new perspective, and the actor can feel more free to perform under a new guise.
In the United States, racial discrimination has a lengthy history, dating back to the biblical period. Racial discrimination is a term used to characterize disruptive or discriminatory behaviors afflicted on a person because of his or her ethnic background. In other words, every t...
Everyone at some point in time or another experiences discrimination; no one lives a sheltered enough life not to. As a society we need to admit that discrimination is present at all times and stop being so sensitive to how we are labeled or perceived. Pretending discrimination does not exists does not solve a problem, it makes it stronger. Until it is no big deal in the eyes of all involved it will still be an issue that no one is truly prepared to tackle due to the amount of hate that will then be heaped upon them. Dr. King’s example is also a tragic one, a man who preached love for all, equality for all, and a sense of the brotherhood of man, was gunned down by one man who didn’t agree with his views. So perhaps the individual approach will be the best for now as this shows us one man’s view changed a world and one man’s view ended a life.
The term “discrimination” is a form of the idea that starts from the time of socialization. Through the family that brought us into this world, the way they nurture us and tell us about the world. Discrimination is a learning process we are not born into this world and know that certain people should be treated differently due to their gender differences and sexuality. Our culture, norms and values plays mature role in creating a negative image towards other groups of people.
We probably know discrimination occurs in any situation, and it depends on individual reasons, or societal. Today, we know discrimination of race is unlawful, but it is still existent in some people, and it gets skillfully concealed under some form. For example, in the essay “Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public” by Brent Staples, the author is a black man, he explains some encounters that he has been a victim of the discrimination of skin color from people around him. Discrimination can appear in any situation and everywhere. I love America, because this country included many different races; it makes me think of the beautiful colorful flowers on the prairies. I thought discrimination was over; however, due to different racial have built the discrimination still inside of some people. Therefore, I had gained some experience of skin color discrimination from others put on me since when I stepped on this America land. I believe discrimination of skin color brings me the feelings of isolated, unequal, and humiliate. Discrimination is a terrible thing; if it happens to you, you will understand how it feels.
Discrimination has always been there between blacks and whites. Since the 1800s where racial issues and differences started flourishing till today, we can still find people of different colors treated unequally. “[R]acial differences are more in the mind than in the genes. Thus we conclude superiority and inferiority associated with racial differences are often socially constructed to satisfy the socio-political agenda of the dominant group”(Heewon Chang,Timothy Dodd;2001;1).
Vivienne Ming once said, “Discrimination is not done by villains. It’s done by us.” Many do not recognize or acknowledge discrimination. Most of the time, individuals allow discrimination to be classified as bullying. However, true discrimination is real. It comes in various forms and it is the population’s job to be familiar with it and use that knowledge to destroy it. Racial, appearance-based, sexual, and religious discrimination all hugely affect friendships/relationships, the workplace, and society as a whole.
... a way for audiences and performers to connect on a closer level. They are both experiencing the surreal, disassociating themselves from the performance taking place. They both become more introspective. The performance becomes a vehicle for self-understanding, metacognition.
Discrimination is known to exist in all workplaces, sometimes it is too subtle to notice, and other times it is exceedingly obvious. It is known that everyone subconsciously discriminates, dependant on their own beliefs and environments that surround them. However, discrimination can be either positive or negative in their results, and sometimes discrimination is a necessary part of life.
“Theatre makes us think about power and the way our society works and it does this with a clear purpose, to make a change.”
The shape of the theatre allows each spectator to see some of his fellow spectators as well... so they could see and respond to their collective reaction t...
Theatre will always survive in our changing society. It provides us with a mirror of the society within which we live, and where conflicts we experience are acted out on stage before us. It provides us with characters with which we identify with. The audience observes the emotions and actions as they happen and share the experience with the characters in real time.