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Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning
Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning
“Historical accounts are a mixture of evidence and interpretation, and consequently scholars often differ markedly in the conclusions they reach, even when they use the same pieces of evidence.” Oscar J. Brocket & Franklin J. Hildy, Theatre Historians
One of my directing mentors, the late Michael Jones, always told me that half of acting and directing is knowing what kind of play you are doing. I hold his remarks to be true, and yet I find that theatre artists have rarely done the kind of research necessary to deliver honest and compelling productions, particularly in regard to the classics. We often think we know history, but we neglect the sociological and geopolitical dynamics of a specific time and place when analyzing, appreciating, and reproducing the theatre inherent to it. To demonstrate my ability to understand and evaluate how the arts convey meaning, I offer a dramaturgy report written for Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex.
D Smith - Dramaturgy Report - Oedipus Rex.pdfDramaturgy Report: Oedipus Rex
Dramaturgy Report: Oedipus Rex
This example demonstrates my ability to perceive and analyze artistic work, interpret meaning in artistic work, and apply criteria to evaluate artistic work as articulated by Colletti & Yolen (2017) in sections Re 7, 8, & 9 of the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts.
In the fall of 2020, I took “Period Styles of Acting and Directing” with Dr. Nancy Smithner at NYU. One of the course assignments was to serve as a dramaturg on one of the scenes we were to perform in. I served as the dramaturg for the ancient Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex.
Producing, directing, and/or performing in a classical play requires the finesse of a tightrope walker. One must balance the historical style inherent to the play while also making the work accessible to modern audiences. I believe that, to do this well, one must have a firm understanding of not only the style of acting, but what came before it stylistically that is being pushed against, as well how the social, political, and economic circumstances of the period and geographical location inform the work. These elements combined create a better understanding of the play and the author’s intent, which can then be used to create a show that appeals to modern sensibilities.
This paper demonstrates my ability to analyze, critique, and interpret a production through a dramaturgical and culturally responsive lens, as well as my ability to be a reflexive practitioner who constantly evaluates their own work in the spirit of maintaining a growth mindset.
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