It's a wheel

First of all, I’m really sorry this blog post is late. But without further ado, onward to answering the questions! I think the theatre is in an interesting bind right now with this dilemma that you mention, because our current world is so technology hungry and driven and we crave instant gratification and spectacle. These things will, of course, have an impact on the current theatre we create and present. Perhaps it will, as you suggest, melt into other forms and became diluted. We have talked about art and theatre being dialectic; they are in a circular evolution where they change and develop out of a reaction to what has come before. Yet, this circular evolution is like a wheel, so instead of being stationary, it is also always moving forward and advancing in its evolution. Perhaps, at this time, theatre and performance art as well as other forms are converging and being overrun and bogged down by the rampant technology of our age, but whether change is just around the corner or years down the road, I do think theatre will again be reinvented as its own form. I think we are still trying to figure out how to coexist with technology in a lot of ways; it is still a fairly new concept. Yes, it is quickly and constantly getting more advanced and more prominent in our daily lives, but we will learn to adapt with it. The thing about theatre that I think will ensure its escape from extinction is the presence at its core, the truth. No matter how advanced or spectacular technology can be, it cannot be as powerful as simple human connection and presence. We just need to figure out where and how the theatre can thrive in this day and age.

            This may be a stretch for the “imagined memory”, but I thought of my first trip to California. Growing up, whenever we went on family vacations, they were usually out east. It wasn’t until after I graduated from undergrad that I actually went out west. Before this, my “imagined memory” of California was shaped mostly by what I had heard about LA. Since most media about California is centered on LA and Hollywood, I had formed this idea, no matter how ridiculous I knew it might be, considering that I had never been there, that all of California was hot, sunny, busy, superficial, and obsessed with beauty and perfection. However, when I finally made it there, I was in Northern California, and it was January. I found myself surrounded by red woods, mountains, and small towns. It was cold, especially at night, as no one we stayed with turned on their heat at night. I can’t remember another time I have been that cold at night.  I realized my whole vision, my whole “imagined memory”, of the huge state of California was shaped entirely by the media focused on LA, just one city in a vast state. The places I visited in California on that trip ended up being nothing like what my preconceived notion was.

            I think this idea of “imagined memory” can have a huge impact on theatre and art. I wonder though, if it is more of an obstacle to overcome, than it is any kind of asset. Theatre and art should break people’s preconceived notion. Theatre and art are not about creating judgments based solely on second hand knowledge that the media supplies. They are about breaking conventions, general conceptions, and unsubstantial judgments. However, in order to break those things, I suppose they have to exist in the first place . . .