On Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Michael C. Gibson)

I read the Sandra G. Shannon article that dealt with the role of Christianity in August Wilson’s plays. The article took an in-depth look at all of Wilson’s main characters; Levee, Loomis, Maxson, and Boy Willie and the similarities that the characters shared in relation to Christianity. Specifically I would like to talk about Herald Loomis in the context of this article and the play. Basically, the article essentially “reveals” August Wilson’s view of Christianity through his characters. Wilson essentially claims that Christianity is only a white man’s religion and that God doesn’t have time for, or listen to, black people. I thought the article was kind of strange in that it dealt with all these characters and events as factual black social views instead of one man’s fictional characters. There has obviously been much segregation and oppression of the African American culture, but to equate extended oppression with apathy on the part of Christianity and ultimately God is a bit unfounded in my opinion. Throughout time, humans, not just black humans, have continually been subjected to violent, abominable oppression. The Jewish, the Native American, even women in Salem, and let’s not forget the Roman oppression of the Christians themselves. To dismiss a religion or God because of intense, extended repression is a reflection of the individual, not of Christianity. A large part of Christianity is faith, which is its ultimate strength, yet conversely, its most often cited downfall. Yet it remains a staple all the same. If these characters, or Loomis in general, has lost this faith, this provides no grounds for dismissing Christianity as a white religion entirely. These characters all experience traumatic events that lead to their ultimate “realization” of a God who has abandoned them. However, in the Christian faith, such oppression, even extreme oppression, is means of testing, and as a result, strengthening one’s own faith and person. So what this article and August Wilson’s characters reveal is one author’s take on what he believes to be a flawed religion and God. Is it that he is right or is it that in his experience and perhaps weakness, he has become calloused to faith and ultimately wrong? Well I guess that’s for each of us to figure out.

Written by Michael C. Gibson - February 27, 2007

On Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Jon Greer)

In August Wilson’s lifetime he strived to be an advocate for Black Empowerment. His greatest accomplishment is ten plays based on social and religious progression that outlines ten different decades. I find it intriguing in Sandra Shannon’s article, “The Good Christian’s Come and Gone”, how she makes the astute observation that Wilson is trying to biblically justify black oppression. Through Wilson’s depiction of strong black agnostic men he is able to show us how a judgmental majority can have long term effects on the less influential minority. Shannon uses the story of Job to illustrate how some individuals are punished whether they have done something to deserve it or not. Job was punished by God to show the Devil how faithful Job was and how much undeserving punishment he could handle. The distinct difference between Job and African Americans that Shannon describes is Job was consistently faithful and through his lifetime did not resent God. I believe it is the creation of African Americans as a subculture which generations experienced that made it almost impossible to overcome social and political boundaries.

Written by Jon Greer - February 27, 2007

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

In the article "Yoruba Gods on the American Stage", Richards says in the opening sentence that there are two central elements to Joe Turner's Come and Gone, memory and desire. She says that the characters shared memories with each other while in the boarding house in Pittsburgh. One of the memories was a story about the shiny man which tells travelers to find their "song".
When I first read Joe Turner's Come and Gone, what I really enjoyed was the language of the play. I could actually visualize the characters talking because the slang they used seemed so realistic. But language aside, it was hard for me to recognize anything that was going on below the surface of the script itself. Having no background in African culture, I had never heard of the Yoruba gods. Wilson implanted a deep meaning while writing this play, and it seems the targeted audience, those of African cultural background, are the ones who will take the most from this play. Articles such as this one by Richards, are helpful to those of us, such as myself, who do not fully understand and need assistance in finding the real, deep meaning.

Important things to remember from the text:
The end of the play- he slashes himself, not stab (Loomis)
-"Blood make you clean? you clean with blood?"-loomis
-"I'm standing!"-loomis after he slashes himself across the chest- cuts himself to remind himself that he is alive
-"Alright, let's Juba down!" -Bynum when they start their call and response dance

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Subject: According to Sandra L. Richards in her article “Yoruba Gods on the American Stage” she interprets August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone as having “elements of memory and desire” to embrace the African heritage. She describes the African American diasporas of 1911 of the Great migration had fragmented the African community. Many Africans were looking to start over and for their placement in the world. She claims that the boarding house acts as a place where people are able to share “fragmented memories” and motivate their desires and passions to move forward in their new world.
To support her claim he mentions gods of indigenous African culture Ogun and Esu that are alluded to in the play. The gods existence is still very prevalent in African culture even though Christianity has such a strong influence on the African community. Richards argues that Africa’s history even though assumed by many scholars that its history is from the influence of other cultures is very inaccurate. Africa and Africans have their own history and culture and Western ideology and thought cannot translate what African culture is really like. Even though many Africans came to American under the slave trade and were influenced and adapted to western culture, their African roots still are innate to them all. This is seen in the play with the Juba dance, this ritualistic dance is native to African culture, but in the context of the play it has been syncretized with Christianity as means of offering to their God. In these rituals the “elements of memory and desire” are the motivating factors that have the characters in the play as well as Africans, as Bynum preaches, look for and find their “song”. The song that will reveal their self-understanding and existence and release them to liberation. I believe that Richards makes very legitimate claims because the West does have a tendency to interpret cultures in their own perspective as they more familiarly have done with Orientalism. Therefore, we should try to understand African culture in the context of this play from their perspective rather than our own western perspective.

"Joe Turner's Come and Gone"

I feel that the meaning and purpose of this play was lost on me. Sandra Richars article "Yourubo Gods on the American Stage" made me realize how much deeper the play is than it seems. When first reading the play I saw nothing more than the story of the day to day life in a simple boarding house in Pittsburgh. Part of this comes from my own personal experience watching plays. I tend to go to a theatrical performance for the sole purpose of hearing an entertaining soty and escaping from reality for a short time. I try not to get too bogged down in the underlying meaning of the play. However, with this play I would not have understood the underlying meaning if I had tried. I had no knowledge of Youruba gods before reading teh text. And I certainly could not have told someone that August Turner's goal was to go about " creating a body of plays that will help African (US) Americans more fully embrace the African side of their 'double consciousness' ". The meaning of this play is lost on anyone who is not properly informed when they walk into the theater or pick up the text. I think that it would have been helpful in understanding the complexitiies of the play to read these article ahead of time.

On Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Pamela Sieja)

I read “Tomorrow Never Comes”: Songs of Cultural Identity in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone in order to enhance my understanding of the play’s content. The article analyzed the Juba scene in considerable detail, providing me with a greater understanding of this dance and Herald Loomis’ feelings against it. There are several meanings of the word Juba discussed in the article. One definition describes Juba as “a species of dance that often included the enactment of a mental breakdown” “performed by plantation slaves in the deep South” (Bogumil, 466). Another way Juba was described was “a word referring to both a mixture of leftovers consumed by the plantation slaves and a song they created to prepare them psychologically to eat” (Bogumil, 465). After discussing the origins of Juba, the article reflects upon Loomis’ rejection of the dance. In the play, Loomis stormed in on the Juba, cursed the Holy Spirit, unzipped his pants, and had a morbid vision of bones with black flesh coming up from the ground. The reason for Loomis’ rejection of the Juba may be that he relates the dance to his unwanted past, working on a plantation, and he longs to break free from his terrible past experience as Joe Turner’s slave. He does not want to have sense of community by dancing and singing with others; he wants independence. The desire to disconnect from his past leaves Loomis disjointed and incomplete in forming his identity; he is displaced. Only at the end of the play, when Loomis cleanses himself with ‘the song of self sufficiency’ is he able to break away from Joe Turner. Also, I found it interesting that the “Joe Turner” presented in the play was actually based on a Tennessee plantation owner who would lure black people to games or events, then chain them up and force them to work for him. Overall, it was interesting to learn information about the Juba, Joe Turner, and the time period in general. I found that the information I received from the article gave the scenes in the play a deeper meaning, and thus, the play had a greater impact on me.

On Joe Turner's Come and Gone (April Montgomery)

The context of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone makes it very much what it is. Not knowing what the social norms were at the time of publishing and production in respect to the time the play actually happens, one can not have a true sense of what August Wilson is trying to accomplish with this play. The play itself was written in order to show a side of humanity that, for a very long time, was segregated from mainstream media and from life in general. Based in 1911, this play highlights a man and his family trying to do what so many other African-Americans did at that time. They had traveled to the North to escape the dangers of the South, after the imposition of the Jim Crow laws. In “Tomorrow Never Comes” by Mary Bogumil, she makes the point that understanding the time period of the play can help one understand the reasons behind some of the characters desire to “reconnect” with the world. This play was written in 1988, after segregation had ended at least 15 years prior. But even in the late 80’s many cultures around the world were still struggling with the apartheid and all that came with it. The even the US still had the segregation generation making things difficult for those concerned. This play was really meant to open eyes to a very personal struggle during a very difficult time in our country to help us understand the struggles of other cultures and communities around the world occurring in the present and future.

Written by April Montgomery February 27, 2007

Assessment - Joe Turner's ... (Michael Todd)

“The Good Christian’s Come and Gone…” by Sandra G. Shannon demonstrates that August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” play continues his and other African American writers’ history pf writing about a “good ole-fashioned religion.” However, Shannon argues that their abandonment of Christianity is more convenient and self-serving…merely meant for inspiration. It “has not and will not suit their needs.” This is exactly how I read the play, especially the part were Loomis denounces his faith. This applies directly to the play’s plot and how the reader feels about the characters. Throughout the play, Loomis is searching for his identity and to find it, he must truly be inspired. Eventually, he believes that his faith is holding him back, and the only way to let go is to “bleed for himself.” Loomis’ slashing of his chest is him [Loomis] trying to reinvent himself and is his official abandonment of religion…but is only for his mentality. Overall Shannon’s assessment of Wilson’s play is pretty accurate and I agree with her argument.

Written by Michael Todd February 27, 2007

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Subject: The article that I decided to read was "The Good Christian's Come and Gone: The Shifting Role of Christianity in August Wilson Play." This article in short was about how all the characters in all of August Wilson's plays contained a male character that shunned and ran away from religion and Christianity. The reason the aurthor of this article gives for their denile of religion and Chrisitianity range from replacing it because it is a "white man's god" to if God is what all that people say he is, then why did slavery even exist? In the section where the aurthor talks about Joe Turne's Come and Gone, she talks about how Herald turns his back on Christianity because he feels like God should have helped him out of the hands of Joe Turner because he was doing God's will when he got caught. She goes on to say that Herald slashes him self which is the ultimate denile of the Christian sacrifce. I agree with her thoughts on this. However she goes on to say that he does not stay because he is in search of his African heritage, I don't totally agree with this. I interpeted it as he is in search of also something to believe in that is tangible. She does also bring out another point that I like, the point where Herald pays the people finder, which is similar to offering up a prayer. Overall this was a good article and there was not much that I did not agree with.

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Subject: The article that I decided to read was "The Good Christian's Come and Gone: The Shifting Role of Christianity in August Wilson Play." This article in short was about how all the characters in all of August Wilson's plays contained a male character that shunned and ran away from religion and Christianity. The reason the aurthor of this article gives for their denile of religion and Chrisitianity range from replacing it because it is a "white man's god" to if God is what all that people say he is, then why did slavery even exist? In the section where the aurthor talks about Joe Turne's Come and Gone, she talks about how Herald turns his back on Christianity because he feels like God should have helped him out of the hands of Joe Turner because he was doing God's will when he got caught. She goes on to say that Herald slashes him self which is the ultimate denile of the Christian sacrifce. I agree with her thoughts on this. However she goes on to say that he does not stay because he is in search of his African heritage, I don't totally agree with this. I interpeted it as he is in search of also something to believe in that is tangible. She does also bring out another point that I like, the point where Herald pays the people finder, which is similar to offering up a prayer. Overall this was a good article and there was not much that I did not agree with.

Response to The Vagina Monologues (Crystal Kilburn)

Subject: Response to The Vagina Monologues

When I was in the play I felt overall humored because I could relate with the monologues about vaginas and the many questions because I have one myself. One of the monologues that stood of to me the most was The Flood. I found that I sympathized with her part, because I believe it is an injustice to women to have an event that personal happen to them and a man comes says thing discourage and shun a natural occurring event, making her feel as if she is not normal. I thought that Jackie delivered this part well, because in class she seems like a very shy and modest type like I felt the original lady must have been. It was kind of hard to imagine that the people on stage where actors because I see them around campus frequently. However, what I did get a joy out of was seeing people like Jackie who normally seem quiet, participating because I felt like they showed me another side of them everybody will not always get to see. When words were said that I considered vulgar, I would catch myself turning around to see who was in the audience, and whether or not they were laughing when I was. The other monologue that stood out to me was The Man Who Liked to Look at It. This one made me feel more confident about myself because it is good to know that some men admire things like that. I went away from this play feeling like I am not alone when I think about my parts of my body.

Written by Crystal Kilburn - February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Response to The Vagina Monologues (Adrienne Fischer)

Subject: Response to The Vagina Monologues

The most immediately noticeable thing about Thursday’s performance of The Vagina Monologues was the audience – or lack thereof. It seems that many women are more worried about missing an episode of Grey’s Anatomy than they are about vaginas. Luckily, our cast assured us, they are worried about vaginas. Having seen this performed twice before – once in a similar Austin College production and once in the form of Eve Ensler’s one-woman show on HBO – I was familiar enough with the material that it was like putting on a warm blanket. Like old blankets tend to be it was comforting in its familiarity but rough and scratchy in places.

First let me say that I have always preferred this material in the form of a one-woman show. It is admittedly unfair to compare an amateur group of college students to the author of the material, but I think there is something about the material that lends itself more readily to the hands of a single performer. Having said that, performance cannot entirely diminish the experience of the material. The Vagina Monologues are like the opera – you’ll either love it or hate it when you first see it. You might come to appreciate it, but the first blush is what will always stick.

I found many aspects of the production distracting. The lighting on center stage was dimmed during monologues, with the performers usually occupying the front of the stage. While this did add to the intimacy of the monologues, the front stage lighting was a bit too, well, blue. I found myself staring closely at the heads of several performers and wondering, “Do they have blue highlights?” The setup was also distracting. I will reiterate that I liked the idea of having monologue performers in the forefront, but in reality it detracted from the entire segment. This was mostly due to a worrisome amount of fidgeting on the part of the remaining cast. It was entirely unintentional, but by moving the performer to the foreground, the setup actually emphasized any movement in the background.

The acting was, to be sure, earnest. I felt at times as though the girls were trying too hard. Most monologues had a high point that redeemed any shortcomings, but for the most part there was a pronounced lack of making it their own. It was as though they were attempting to perform them in the exact manner they imagined their authors to have done. The disclaimer notes that these monologues are amalgams, not to be read as belonging to any one individual. They should be performed as such. The high point of the night for me was watching Mary Bryant do her thing in “My Vagina is Angry.” This was what I wanted to see from the rest of the performers – have as much fun as possible and try to get more than an understated chuckle from the less-than-impressive audience.

~ Adrienne

Written by Adrienne Fischser - February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Hoo Haa Monologues (Jon Greer)

Subject: Response to The Vagina Monologues

I wish that I knew what I was walking into before hand because maybe I would have had a couple bloody Mary’s first, no pun intended. I understand the point that the group of women performers was trying to convey but coming from a conservative Baptist background I believe that the meaning could have been less in your face. Yes, it is important for men and women alike to understand the female sense of self and anatomy but I felt the crass methods desensitized me to the delicate beauty of a female. Sketches like this are wonderful grounds for controversy in a world striving to be politically correct. In related news, last week there was a woman with here niece driving by a club that was doing a performance of the Vagina Monologues. The niece asked what a vagina was and the aunt felt that she should not have to answer these questions because of a marquee. She later complained to the club owner to have it removed. Instead the owner renamed them the “Hoo-Haa Monologues”. Honestly, should we be so concerned with the public display of anatomical parts? Is it better to learn about woman through the use of a term probably coined by fifth graders?

Written by Jon Greer - February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Response to The Vagina Monologues (Michael Gibson)

Subject: The Vagina Monologues

Well this was certainly an interesting, and shocking piece. Shocking in that it delivered exactly what I expected it to, which is indeed an all-together different type of shock. I think as a male, it’s hard to assess the piece. Well, at least as a very inartistic male. While I do believe that the message is powerful, I’m not sure that the way in which is presented is the most tactful. Now I know that’s exactly the point of it, the shock-factor is very purposeful and no doubt meant to draw extreme focus to its ultimate message of female empowerment but I just can’t get away from how socially crude and atypical it was. It almost seemed like shocking for the sake of shock, which, to me, takes away from its truly important message. Those monologues that utilized humor were more meaningful to me because they took such a serious issue and removed some of the taboo nature gently so that the core idea was what stuck out. Also, it’s not as though I feel like the vagina, or sex or any of those things are taboo and should never be discussed in such a setting, but I’m realistic to know that such schemas exist in today’s society. What I mean is that while denotatively these issues are a fundamental part of human, and specifically female, experience, one still must take into account the connotative, social aspect which is still one that may not respond so well to this type of subject matter, or expression of such.

Written by Michael Gibson February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Response to The Vagina Monologues (Rebecca Stephens)

Subject: Response to The Vagina Monologues

I arrived at the Vagina monologues a little early. In my previous experiences with theater, if you did not get there early you did not get a good seat. Or sometimes you did not even get a seat at all. It was probably a little after 6:45 when I arrived. As I walked into Ida Green, I noticed one of the performers arriving at the same time. This through me off, because in previous theater going/performing experiences the performers had been back stage for a substantial amount of time before the house opened. My friend told me it was okay to go inside. I went in, realized that no one had sold me a ticket yet, and asked the people on stage who to buy a ticket from. I went back outside, and found the ticket booth. The person taking tickets informed me that the house was not open yet, and then he was informed by his friend that people had already gone inside. From the point when I walked into the theater, until the time when the show actually began, the performers were walking around on the stage and around the room. The performers were also talking amongst themselves almost until the show started. This theater experience was rather shocking to me, because of the level of casualness, prior to the show. At first I was turned off by this, but once the show began I realized that the nature of this particular show lent itself to a casual atmosphere.

I guess my real question is whether or not other people felt the same way at the beginning of their experience that night. If they did, did it make any impact positive or negative impact?

Written by Rebecca Stephens - February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Articles on Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Read ONE of these articles on Joe Turner's Come and Gone and construct your meditation on assessing the author's argument and its applicability to the play. Do you read the play in the same way the article does? How do you read it differently, and why (and on what basis)? Be sure to provide a summary of the article's points most relevant to your discussion, but your meditation should not restrict itself to a simple gloss or restatement of the article ... include your own assessment and reading of the play (in light of the article) as well.

For those of you using computers off-campus, you may need to use a work station on campus (e.g. in the library) to access the articles.

• Richards, Sandra L. "Yoruba Gods on the American Stage ..."

• Bogumil, Mary L. "'Tomorrow Never Comes': Songs of Cultural Identity ..."

• Shannon, Sandra. "The Good Christian's Come and Gone ..."

Vagina Monologues

Subject: Wow! The Vagina Monologues…I’m really not quite sure where to start. When I first heard about this performance, my freshman year, my first thought was “…interesting, at best.” I never thought of this as a show what I would attend, much less have to attend. Now, here it is my junior year, enrolled in Theatre Arts, and on my way to the performance. My thoughts prior to the show consisted of sheer curiosity and I was almost anxious to see what it was all about.
When the show ended, I can honestly say that it wasn’t one that I particularly enjoyed. The main reason is because of how uncomfortable that I felt, the entire time. I was surprised at how raw, the show was and how open they discussed the topics that they did. The segment of the show that stuck out in my mind the most was the very last monologue, the 2007 Spotlight Monologue. It was in this performance that they spoke of the reasons and the importance of the Vagina Monologues. It was at this point that, even though I didn’t “enjoy” it per say, I felt that it did have a purpose. In this monologue, they spoke of some interesting key aspects of theatre that were/are good to take into consideration. One of these included the statement that theatre demands the audience to be where the actors are, the exact quote stated “theatre takes you there and drops you off.” In this monologue they also gave some actual “real world” data about women that will be in back of my mind forever.

On The Vagina Monologues (Crystal Kilburn)

Subject: Initial Response to The Vagina Monologues

When I was in the play I felt overall humored because I could relate with the monologues about vaginas and the many questions because I have one myself. One of the monologues that stood of to me the most was "The Flood". I found that I sympathized with her part, because I believe it is an injustice to women to have an event that personal happen to them and a man comes says thing discourage and shun a natural occurring event, making her feel as if she is not normal. I thought that Jackie delivered this part well, because in class she seems like a very shy and modest type like I felt the original lady must have been. It was kind of hard to imagine that the people on stage where actors because I see them around campus frequently. However, what I did get a joy out of was seeing people like Jackie who normally seem quiet, participating because I felt like they showed me another side of them everybody will not always get to see. When words were said that I considered vulgar, I would catch myself turning around to see who was in the audience, and whether or not they were laughing when I was. The other monologue that stood out to me was "The Man Who Liked to Look at It". This one made me feel more confident about myself because it is good to know that some men admire things like that. I went away from this play feeling like I am not alone when I think about my parts of my body.

Written by Crystal Kilburn February 20, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Vagina Monologues

I had heard of the Vagina Monologues before I walked into Ida Green Thursday night. I had no idea exactly what it was about or how it would be played out. What I did know is that women loved it and I expected that the reason for this was because they could relate to, what I thought this play would be, a comedic view of life as a woman from a woman’s view. In class we discussed the importance of having an expectation before going into the play in order to avoid feeling like you wasted your time. But honestly, I really had no idea what to expect. I had seen a Family Guy skit making fun of the play where it was a pair of legs and the vagina was a mouth. They portrayed it as if it was a stand-up comedy routine. Therefore, with that in mind, I was somewhat surprised to walk in and see two rows of chairs with about twenty women seated in them. Throughout the play, each woman would walk up and read a monologue about an experience or a thought. Some were funny and others serious. There was one monologue where everyone started yelling cunt over and over. Another monologue that stuck out was an angry telling of gynecologist visits. Most of these monologues probably had a different meaning for the audience depending on whether you were male or female. There were some subjects that just don’t mean the same if you don’t know what it is like to be a woman; and I’m not just talking about physically. Men and women emotionally behave differently and it would be hard for me to fully wrap my mind around some of the topics discussed because I honestly have no idea, and I don’t mean to sound weird, what it is like to live in this world as a woman. But overall, I got an interesting and most of the time comical look at women and their view of being a woman in this world.

Vagina Monologues

Subject: Hmmm…I had a very interesting response to the Vagina Monologues. The ladies did a wonderful job of portraying the character roles and communicating their individual messages across. Each of the stories allowed the audience to relive past memories of ones own life or empathize with the feelings of the people on stage.

One that really stuck to my mind was the monologue on “Angry Vagina” that was not only comedic, but also brought across some issues that come across all women’s minds when they walk into their gynecologist office or upset about feminine products that are not seemingly comfortable at times. This particular scene I noticed the colors of the back drop changes colors from green to red as three of the girls took turns finishing and completing one another’s thoughts. Because of the context of the part, the girls seemed more passionate and charismatic than the other monologues because anger was the emotion that they were portraying. The scene seemed to come more alive and animated because it differentiated from the more serious and sober monologues.

The audience members that were seated around me were more engaged than I in the show, partly to do with the fact that I found it a little disturbing to watch and listen to because of the vivid imagery. Especially, when the monologues began with the hair anecdote that described a woman’s dilemma between shaving herself to please her cheating husband or being comfortable with her body an accepting herself as is. Everything was said very liberal and I could see it as being liberating in some of the stories like “My Short Skirt” or “Angry Vagina”, but the others were very sexual and made me wonder whether everyone in the audience have even been in a similar circumstance as the one being described.

The ending was very moving and drew attention to the inequalities and brutalities done to women all over the world, with special focus on the year 2007. It called for action and for everyone to rise and not take these unfortunate events and sweep them under the carpet, but to motivate the masses so there comes a positive change to the lives of many women who know nothing of liberty. All in all the monologues were educating and inspiring in that they were able to educate both sexes about the hardships of women all over the world as well as a glimpse of understanding of what is like to be a woman.

The Vagina Monologues

I had never seen or read The Vagina Monologues before I walked into Ida Green last Thursday night. I walked in not knowing what to expect. I sat down in front of a plain stage—two rows of chairs, some stools, and a large group of women dressed in green. I had a strange feeling that I wouldn’t get the full effect of the monologues because I knew many of the actors that would be performing. Soon, I overcame this initial hesitation, and I became immersed in the characters. The Vagina Monologues was worth seeing because it was raw, thought-provoking, and full of passion. I was engaged and surprised continuously throughout the performance. The monologues were based on actual interviews of women about their experiences with their vaginas. In “My Angry Vagina”, three women discuss their horribly awkward experiences using feminine hygiene products and going to the gynecologist. The monologue was comical, discussing the awkwardness of wearing tampons (a wad of dry cotton) and seeing a gynecologist who looks at you using tools such as “cold metal duck lips.” Other monologues were extremely tragic, such as the monologue discussing the increase in sex crimes against women during wartime. Monologues also hit issues such as sexual abuse, lesbianism, the lifestyle of a dominatrix, the birth of a child, and shaving one’s vagina. In between monologues, all of the women would take turns speaking about topics such as ‘what their vagina would wear’, ‘what their vagina is called’, and ‘what happened when they got their first period’. It was interesting to hear all of the topics discussed so openly and forcefully, because I rarely hear these issues discussed publicly. I left the performance saddened by the injustices against women, specifically during wartime. I also left glad that I had come to the performance and wanting to tell someone about it.

Vagina Monologues Review Draft

Subject: The Vagina Monologues, as the name suggests, contains a series of monologues describing various women’s experiences with their vaginas. These women were interviewed individually and the information collected into poetic form. The stories told in these poetic monologues were very different. One story that I found distinctive tells of a boy who saw his mother’s vagina and decided that he wanted one as well. The boy believed that one’s sex was nothing more than something that was assigned randomly and not an innate part of one’s identity. Others didn’t see it that way and he was beaten many times for not acting manly. The boy eventually ran away from home, and while in isolation he worked to change his identity, taking voice lessons, vaccinations to get rid of his hair, and implanting a vagina. After changing his identity to that of a girl, he returned home, where people, not realizing who he was, treated him nicely. Despite his changed identity, he still had some manly traits and this showed when he dated another boy. His boyfriend was beaten because others were afraid of the seeming ambiguity of the relationship. The idea being conveyed is that one’s sex is something innate to the person, a natural part of the person that should not be tampered with. Similar ideas are presented throughout the other monologues. In this way, the vagina monologues are really a celebration of female sexuality. It seems to be a response to many of the wrongs that have been committed against women in the past. It conveys to women that their female identity something that they should cherish, and not be ashamed of, as those of who have wronged against women would have claimed. We see this in the monologue in which a women states that her short skirt is not an invitation to be raped, but a means to enjoy the cool autumn air moving up into her vaginal area. This message is reinforced by an announcement on the play bill that V-day 2007, in which the Vagina Monologues is part of, is meant to address the issues of violence against women during war.

Defining Theatre - Kevin Birkel

Subject: Definition of Theatre

Theatre is characterized by the use of actors, who present themselves to others in variety of way through the use of certain displays whether it be through, speech, props, gestures, or some other device. Although in the narrow sense, theatre can be associated with the typical play, containing its elaborately designed costumes and specific use of lighting, there is much more to the picture. Theatre could be used in any situation which warrants someone presenting himself before others. Businessperson, for instance, present themselves to others when trying to convince them of their ideas. In doing so, they use similar displays to the actors on stage in order to illustrate their point of view. Think of elaborate charts and graphs containing financial data. Like the props that are used to make the scene of play seem real, the numbers make the businessmen’s proposal sound convincing. The ultimate end for an actor performing in a play is trying to convince the audience that he is actually the character, even though he isn’t. The businessperson is putting on the same kind of performance, trying to convince others that their ideas are the best even though there may be better ones out there. The truth is that we present ourselves before others before others in all areas of life. Therefore theatre is an inherent part of life that we experience on a regular basis.

Written by Kevin Birkel - February 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Why Theatre? (Kevin Birkel)

Subject: Why Theatre?

Upon reflection of my previous experiences, I realized that theatre provided me with the opportunity to get out of the regular activities in my life and enter an imaginary world, one that I could never have experienced. For example, when we watched Shakespeare in love, I felt as though I was actually experiencing life during the 16th century. We see Shakespeare walking through the dirty, crowded streets of London, passing horse- drawn carts on his way to globe theatre. The director filmed the scene for the purpose of adding a considerable level realism making it seem as though Shakespeare’s walk was actually happening in real place. It seems that during a live production on stage, this illusion of setting can be portrayed only to a more limited extent. Props don’t bring the level of realism to the stage that can be captured through film, because it obvious in looking at them that they were crafted solely for the use of setting up the scene. I remember the stampede scene from the “Lion King”. Though admittedly, the artistry involved in producing that scene was amazing, there was no mistaking that the scene was an artistic portrayal of the stampede and not a stampede actually happening whereas in film it is difficult to see the difference between what what is actually happening. Nevertheless, the theatre allows you to experience interactions between the characters in person. As a result, the audience is able to notice distinct details in the actors’ interactions with each, allowing the playwright to add to their complexity. For instance, it can be observed that in many scenes, there are many actors on-stage at once, each engaged in their own interactions. We see this complexity during large gatherings in a play, such as the rehearsal during the opening scene of the Phantom of the Opera, when most of cast gathered on stage for the event. These many intertwining interactions combine to convey certain messages to the audience about what is happening. It would be very difficult to capture this complexity on film, and still have all of these messages noticed by the viewers. Theatre therefore has its own method of bringing the imaginary to life, one very different from film.

Written by Kevin Birkel February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Theatre. What Is It Good For? Absolutely Something (Michael Gibson)

Theatre is a relationship between two individuals or groups that can encompass many things, but the main concept is that relationship or interaction. The textbook identifies several of these types of interactions by first isolating the concept of performance and then separating it into three distinct categories. First off there is personal performance which anyone from childhood to adulthood experiences. We constantly represent, often misrepresent in fact, ourselves as something. We use “props” and dialogue in everyday life to convince ourselves and others of our intentions. Community performance takes these smaller individual interactions and collectively applies them to a wider range of “dramatic expression[s] that are fundamental to the community” (Arnold 5). These “rituals” take the form of religious events, weddings, and graduations. These are out-of-the-norm processes that serve to emphasis a significant communal event and subsequently strengthen said community, an extreme example being the Hopi Indians (they personate the kachinas). Finally there is professional performance in which performers intentionally study their own lives and the lives of those around them in an effort to relay to an audience these experiences in a variety of forms may include physical humor, word, storytelling, dance, or creation of character. I believe that theatre allows us to experience a world that we are unaccustomed to. The world we often experience is confined to the rules of reality. Of course it’s often said that truth is stranger then fiction, and maybe so, but often truth is relatively confined, and it is up to the medium of theatre to relay to us this incredible story. I go to the theatre to see something spectacular, something that I would otherwise never be able to experience but at the same time, theatre may take something ordinary and contemplate it. My theatre of choice, movies, allow me the sparkle of “what if?” What if these things happened? Theatre is an escape from what we know to be true, yet in so many cases a reflection of what was always there. It takes mundane experiences and focuses on them, revealing them to be much more than anticipated. I loved the “Lord of the Ring” movies for their incredible imagination, yet I also loved “The Death of a Salesman” for its profound reflection on a mentally troubled salesman and his entirely normal family.

Written by Michael Gibson - February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

Much More Intricate (Reed E.)

When I was asked what theatre was previously I responded, a performance given before a live audience meant to entertain. But this question gets much intricate when you think about what entertainment is. Some people may go to the theatre to escape their real lives to a world with happy endings and clear resolutions. Miss A in the Shawl, although she was not attending a performance (or maybe she was without knowing it), was seeking a clear resolution to her problem. Other people may go to a theatre to be intellectually challenged, or to gain a different state of conciousness. Going to a certain place, or hearing a certain song can bring back memories or evoke a wide range of feelings and emotions in a person. Theatre can have the same effect. The things a person sees in theatre may not be real, but the emotions and feelings that person gets are. A person may see or hear the ideas that they need at that time, whether these ideas are true or not. What Miss A heard was not true, but it had exactly the effect that she was looking for. Theatre can mean something different to everyone.

Written by Reed E. - February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

A Variety of Reasons (Dan Bradley)

People attend theater for a variety of different reasons. Some are looking for an escape from reality. No matter what they have to put up with in their everyday lives, they can walk into a theater and disappear into a far away world for a couple of hours. People enjoy being able to picture themselves in someone else’s life. Sometimes it is in a far away fantasy world. But at other times it is in a fairly real world situation but just one that is far from the viewer’s scope of life experience. Then there are others, like myself, who go to the theater more for entertainment purposes than anything. I go not to be transported to some fictional reality, but to see an enjoyable story. Another reason that I go to the theater is that theater is not something I am good at. I always enjoy watching someone do something that they are good at, particularly if I am not as well skilled in that area. It is an opportunity to watch others do what they do well.

Written by Dan Bradley - February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

More Than Just Actors (Pamela Sieja)

Theatre is more than just actors, an audience, and a stage. It is a way to attain knowledge about history, human experience, and life in general. As Miss A comes to seek knowledge and truth from John; audiences attend theatrical performances for the same reason. It is a way for audience members to transform and experience a time away from reality. The theatre can raise such intense emotions that it causes audience members to laugh hysterically at one moment and weep at the next. In many cases, people long for this release of emotions, and they come to see characters experience humorous or tragic situations. In Shakespeare in Love, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character Viola longs for the intensity of an ideal, passionate love to be performed on stage. She wants to see this perfect love, relate to it, and possibly strive to reach this ideal love in her own life. Furthermore, Elizabethan drama focused on the internal struggle of the characters, often in the midst of political and religious concerns. During this period, Shakespeare’s grasp on language allowed him to use the power of words to create deeply emotional plays. Shakespearian performance depended greatly on the imagination of the audience; for example, costumed characters would walk onstage and describe a battlefield scene that the audience had to imagine. Thus, a simple stage could be transformed into a dangerous battlefield by manipulating the audience’s imagination. The power of theatre, then, seems tremendous; it can trigger a release of emotions, serve as an escape from reality, and modify the thinking of individuals.

Written by Pamela Sieja - February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

What does one expect ...? (Michael Todd)

Subject: What does one expect to get out of theatre?


Theatre is a way for people to escape reality and forget about their problems, worries, etc. When a person attends any type of theatre…live play, movie, sporting event, speech, and so on, they are trying to get away from reality, and experience something that sometimes could never happen to them. For others, theatre is a way of learning about other lifestyles and cultures. For example, experiencing a foreign play can help people to understand other country’s cultures. Also attending movies, especially ones based on true stories, can help with this understanding. In my own personal experience, when I go to the theater to watch a play or movie, I am going for different reasons. Usually if I’m watching a play, I’m not trying to escape from reality, I am just trying to connect with the characters, and gain a different understanding life. However, if I am going to the movies, I am solely going for entertainment. Dramas, comedies, and even horror flicks all entertain me…I hardly ever connect with the characters. In general, theatre isn’t only an escape, but it can also be a form of entertainment.

Written by Michael Todd - February 13, 2007
Posted by Kirk Andrew Everist

What do you expect to get from the theatre?

The reason people go to the theatre or what they expect to get out of a theatrical performance differs from individual to individual. Factors such as geography, culture, religion, and philosophy have an effect on what it is an individual is looking for. In The Shawl, Miss A went to John looking for something specific. Not everyone who goes to a person in the same line of work as John is in do so for the same reason as Miss A did. The same can be said for an audience of theatre. Not everyone in the audience is present for the same reason. Some use theatre as an escape from reality or their everyday life. Others might use it to relax or even to learn something new; about a certain culture or a certain period in time.
In answering the questions what is theatre for and what can it provide, I believe it is important to realize the potential power that theatre has. Theatre as a whole can be a conservative force and “can reinforce the status quo”. It can also release social tensions or even lead to social upheaval. Theatre is a place for the free exchange of ideas. Communist governments have even realized the power of the theatre and in the past have gone to extreme measures in its attempts to censor or filter.
So what does one expect to gain from the theatre? The reasons differ from person to person and culture to culture. The Greeks initially used theatre as a way to worship the god Dionysus.

What is Theater for?

Without even realizing it, many people go to theater to fulfill a variety of needs or desires. Theater in its earliest days began as festivals to honor the gods. This not only helped to satisfy the demands of the gods, but it also brought the community together. The Hopi community has also demonstrated how religious needs can be fulfilled through “ritual performances.” Although theater was originally composed of only chorus members, one of the most defining moments for theater was when Thespis stepped out of the chorus to deliver his lines. As the history of theater progressed, theater became an outlet for authors to communicate their feelings of what was going on during that time period. By going to theater, audiences were able to identify with the similar feelings of other theater goers. This desire to connect with feeling of current events has gone as far as to help band people together to fuel the fire of revolutions. Present day theater goers are not very different from the theater goers of the past. As recently as the feelings about the interrogations of suspected communists during the 1950’s were reflected by many play writes. (Arnold, Stephanie. The Creative Spirit, 3rd ed. 6-39.) There are also more basic reasons for why people feel the need to go to the theater. They may not want to learn anything historical or religious from their theater experience, because they may just be using the theater for a basic emotional experience. To achieve this, all the theater goers would have to do is to pick a play that described the emotion they needed/wanted to experience. In Mammet’s, The Shawl, Ms. A is experiencing distraught over the sudden loss of her mother and confusion from being left out of the will. As Ms. A experiences these emotions, it is the purpose of the theater to help the audience members to feel these emotions as well

Defining Theatre - Jon Greer

Subject: Defining Theatre (2/1/07)

Theatre can be a well-rehearsed and carefully scripted demonstration for the purpose of entertainment or when someone witnesses a typical conversation. It usually preformed in front of a voluntary captive audience. It is important to note that for an event to be considered theater it must be witnessed live. The word theater is derived from the Greek term, “place of seeing” . When an event is seen on TV it does not always convey the original message brought about by the environment it is preformed in.
The State of the Union address is considered theater because the President carefully chooses his words to elicit a certain emotion from the audience. However, an individual that is watching the events unfold on TV is not part of a captive audience because he/she is free to change the channel.
Sporting events are also theater, serving the purpose of entertainment. Although the events are not always scripted they are practiced and preformed to achieve a goal of perfection.

Written by Jon Greer; posted by Kirk Everist

Defining Theatre - Dan Bradley

Subject: Defining Theatre (1/31/07)


Theater is a term that is often misunderstood. Theater does not simply refer to a show that one goes to see in an auditorium of some kind, although this type of performance is theater. Theater is a much broader term than is often recognized. The word “theater” can be used to describe any pre-scheduled performance that takes place in front of even a small live audience. What exactly will take place in the performance does not have to be pre-planned which allows for improve to be included under the umbrella of theater. However, the performers must have in their mind that they are going to be performing. Otherwise and situation that takes place in everyday life could be classified as theater. This definition allows for events such as the Super Bowl, and presidential debates that we watched last class to be grouped together under the single term theater. This definition also encompasses all types of plays, musical performances, and speeches. The performance does however; have to be done in front of a live audience. This is because theater does not restrict the experience in the same way as television or movies.

Written by Dan Bradley; posted by Kirk Everist

What is theatre?

In a broad sense, it seems that theatre consists of actors, separated from an audience, performing on a stage. The stage, or area where the performance occurs, “serves to define the acting and audience spaces and organize the theatre space as well as provide facilities for the actors and the tech crew as well as for the audience” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_(structure)). When I think of the traditional model of theatre, I view an audience filing into a performance hall, sitting down in rows of seats, and watching actors perform on a formal stage. However, other types of performances, straying from this traditional model of theater, can be encompassed in the definition of theatre. For example, informal theatre-like events include sporting events such as football. The Super Bowl clip we watched in class included actors (football players) performing (playing football) on a stage (the football field) separated from the audience (the fans in the arena). The broad definition of theatre could also be applied to the classroom setting. The professor (the actor) is performing (presenting information) in front of an audience (the students) who are separate from the professor (the students are seated in the classroom while the professor stands at the front). Thus, theatre seems to exist in everyday life, not just the formal settings that are traditionally come to mind.

What is Theatre?

I've been led to believe that theatre is a live form of entertainment presented by an individual, or individuals to an audience. As I review my definition of theatre I'm confident that there is much more to gain and value from the actual concept of theatre than simply entertaining an audience. For instance entertainment can be looked at as the end to a mean, in that an audience will not be entertained if the actor or actors are not convincing. In other words, theatre is a live depiction of rhetoric by analyzing the actor's performance in a way that convinces the audience they actually are the character in which they're presenting to the viewers. In this respect, theatrical performances can teach individuals many important lessons about convincing a diversified audience through what they'’ve observed. As opposed to other forms of entertainment brought to us through alternative mediums, like film or literature, theatre is presented in real time in front of an audience who is able to see the genuine performance as it is presented, excluding any kind of artificial intervention.