Trouble in Mind
Trouble in Mind is a play that at the surface tells a slightly humorous story about actors being actors. It also looks at the role of the crew members; such as the stage manager, doorman, and director. The play gets interesting when the relationships between the director, the crew, and the cast are blurred and the ensemble begins to break apart. The topic of race relations was at the top of people’s minds at the time the play is set in. The cast and crew are made up of a mix of both blacks and whites, with a white director leading his ensemble almost as a dictator. When the director realizes that even he is not completely innocent of racist tendencies, he loses control of himself and the command of his players. Perhaps if he had kept his director role either as a dictator or as a friend, he would not have had the breakdown that potentially destroyed the production.
posted by Rebecca @ 10:33 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I agree with you assessment of his breakdown. It seems that the conflicting identities were too much for the character to handle. How could he act like a director, friend, and non-racist while remaining in control of the situation and staying true to himself? In my psychology classes, we talk about the inner conflicts that arise when individuals attempt to play multiple roles simultaneously. It is especially characteristic in college students, because, now on our own, we are in a moratorium where we must decide who we are and what we value.
I find the word that you used to describe the director to be very interesting..."dictator". When I think of dictators, i think immidatley of Hitler...who could be considered one of the most racist men of all times. The since that he was in power of the situation and racism emerged is obviously why you chose the word, but the similariteis between the the two (Hitler and the director) are interesting none the less. Racisim is the underlying issue in the begining of the play that soon becomes evident. Just as you said, it led to the fall of the play. But you have to think that feelings like racism work both ways. Especially during that time period, the two races, for the most part, saw all blacks as the same and saw all whites for the same (when it comes to their views of eachother). This adds to my curiosity of the last question that you brough up...
It's interesting that you referred to Manners realizing that even he harbors some discriminatory tendencies. Is it that he realizes it or that he has been denying them, only to let them slip out in a moment of emotionally charged passion? It seems that he is a white man that is aware of the injustices of racism and is trying to help. After all, he went out on a limb to stage the play. I think that his final words were a result of the culture that he's fighting and the fact that it's been engrained on him despite his wishes.
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