Review of Controversial Plays and the Role of Controversy in the Societys Perception of Drama - Essay Example

Information: Number: Review of Controversial Plays and the Role of Controversy in the Society’s Perception of Drama Controversy is not a new concept in drama and theatrical performance. Throughout history, theatre has been a source of inspiration and entertainment for a culturally diverse audience. Theatre is known to confront boundaries. In a world that is constantly changing its social and cultural setting, it is not surprising that many plays have been caught in the middle of contention and dissent, sometimes even provoking public outcry. Cultural standards, however, keep changing. A play that was seen as provocative in the eighteenth century might not receive the same kind of reaction from the contemporary audience. A play sparking controversy in one community might be relatively well received by another community, depending on the prevalent socially accepted norms. For example, a play depicting divorce would have caused public outcry in the 1800s but in modern America it would not be such a big deal. Controversial plays have centered on sensitive themes that conflict with historical norms. The most contentious themes have been about politics, religion, gender, inequality, sexuality and family values. Because theatre is a means of artistic expression, playwrights often use plays to communicate their ideas. If the intended message does not resonate with the audience, it is met with opposition. If the audience agrees with the ideas depicted, it is met with approval. Controversy is created when approval conflicts with dissent, creating provocative conversations that seek to resolve this disagreement. Controversy in the theatre is a good thing. This is because it highlights the issues the society that need to be addressed. A playwright can use a play to make a social commentary, or to challenge bad leadership. The play in turn generates a conversation that raises awareness about contentious issues. On a more extreme level, this controversy can incite a change of leadership, and perhaps even shift the society’s perspective into a whole new direction. Because these issues are often sensitive, controversy demands a response instead of denial. This provokes a reaction that can lead to finding resolutions, and sometimes also incite societal change. ‘Tartuffe’ was a controversial play in 1664 by Moliere. Constructed as satirical comedy, the play is highly critical of power and hierarchy. While the play was more widely regarded as religiously provocative rather than political, the response it created caused political turmoil. The play was banned by King Louis XIV in 1667 after its initial performance. The play was also critical of religious fanaticism; this prompted the Archbishop of Paris to give orders restricting the public from performing, watching or reading the play. To impose this, the Archbishop threatened to excommunicate from the church anyone who did the contrary. The play only gained acceptance after a radical change in the political scene. In 1669, the play was returned to the public. King Louis XIV’s rule was intellectual and sophisticated. Reason and logic were preferred traits and were considered to be aristocratic (Crawford Web). Temper and violence, on the other hand, were culturally detestable and were considered to be traits of the lower classes. Under these circumstances, Moliere’s play was interpreted as an attack on religion. Moliere denied that he was attacking religion. What he was against is the irrationality of what he termed as ‘blind faith’. According to him, religious fanaticism is eyeless and unseeing. In the play’s version of blind faith, doubt and wavering are seen as a weakness of character. Persistence, on the other hand, was regarded as a strength (Crawford Web). While much of the play’s success is attributed to Moliere’s skill as a playwright, the controversy he generated also helped to call incite more interest for the play. There was widespread discussion regarding the meaning of the play. This resulting conflict calls our attention to the friction between religion and art. The play forces the question of how the two should interact and confronts the boundaries set upon art by religion and politics Henrik Ibsen’s play ‘A Doll’s House’ was also at the centre of heated controversy. The play analyzes gender relations by depicting a power struggle between men and women. Henrik Ibsen’s social background required men to be submissive and passive. Because of the proactive role of the female main character, some critics regarded the play as feminist. Other critics declared the play to be an attack on family values, marriage and decency. ‘A Doll’s House’ explores the causes of male power. The play’s heroine in the play is a character named Nora who makes the choice to leave her husband. This was viewed as resistance to her role as a wife and a mother. In a society that regarded divorce and separation of spouses as scandalous, Ibsen’s play comes in direct confrontation with prevalent social boundaries surrounding the issue of family and marriage. To the male chauvinists, Henrik Ibsen’s play was a challenge to male power. Henrik’s Ibsen’s play focuses our attention to the still controversial issue of gender equality and societal gender roles. Ibsen portrays male power as oppressive towards women. Men manipulate women in order to control them and maintain their own social status. The women are treated as mere possessions (Yuehua 79). However, despite men being portrayed in power, a deeper analysis suggests that it is Nora, and not her husband, who had the upper hand. In the play, Nora keeps getting her way after using her feminine charms to influence her husband. Torvald, the husband, is unable to resist her charms. Ibsen forces to contemplate who was really in control. Further consideration should be about the moral and social aspects regarding the gender controversy and the impact of women’s diminuated role in the society. Written in 1993 by Tony Kusher, ‘Angels in America’ was also received with a lot of controversy. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the play went on to win the highly acclaimed Pulitzer Award. A review in The Wall Street Journal referred to the play as “the most talked about play in many years” (Wilson A9). This public interest was due to the content of the play. The play revolves around a character named Joe and his wife. Joe is a law clerk and a staunch Mormon. Joe is resisting a sexual orientation he does not want to identify with. This is the cause of marital strife between Joe and his wife. His wife is unhappy and addicted to medication. Majority of Kushner’s character’s are homosexual. Cohn, also a main character in the play, is homosexual and to make it more controversial, infected with AIDS. He, however, is in denial of this fact. Kusher also deals with denial from another direction in the play. Joe’s mother is depicted as being in denial over her son’s sexual orientation. Politics also played a part in the controversy generated by the play, which was written during President Reagan’s presidency. Some critics accused the playwright of directing his attack to Mr. Reagan. Tony Kusher faced heated opposition and even received death threats. The play’s homosexual theme sparked conversation about gay rights. As a playwright, Kusher forces a provocative discussion on the issues of sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. This discussion raises consciousness levels and allows for societal introspection. How the society perceives this form of cultural diversity in turn determines how the affected individual relates to himself and the society. Other plays that stirred controversy include ‘Corpus Christie’ by Terrence McNally and ‘Behti’ by Gurpreet Bhatti. Opposition to McNally’s play came from the Christian community. This is because the play depicted Jesus and the Apostles as homosexual. The play ignited protests that led to the cancellation of the play’s premiere because of the fear that they might turn violent. The premiere, however, was restrored amidst continuing opposition. McNally was accused of blasphemy and even received death threats (Arkes W17). Gurpreet Bhatti’s play ‘Behti’ on the other hand, received its opposition from the Sikh community in Britain. Much of this dissent was provoked by a scene depicting murder and sexual assault in a Sikh temple. The play was cancelled when the protests turned violent. Regardless of this, the play gained its supporters. A organization for Asian women from different religious backgrounds pointed out that the issues raised by the play were real and needed to be dealt with (The Guardian Web). Gurpreet had to go into hiding fearing for her life. However, ten years later returned to public attention with another play in 2014. A controversial reaction to plays is often a good thing. It generates public interest for a play, which results in viewing numbers and consequently influences its success. By inciting discussion about contentious issues, controversial plays help to raise the consciousness level and in turn provoke a response. Controversy allows for informed discussion as an effective way to deal with issues, rather than hiding behind denial. Because of this, plays that are seen as controversial leave a bigger impact on the audience. These discussions force the society to reflect upon itself, its values, its politics and religious ideology. Works Cited Arkes, Hadley. Taste -- Fear and Loathing in L.A. --- On certain questions, apparently, tolerance is a one-way street. Wallstreet Journal, 1998. Eastern Edition, New York. Crawford, Jerry. Tartuffe: Attacking Hypocrisy, Not Religion. From Insight, 1993. Web. 27 March 2015. . The Gurdian. The Violence Must Be exposed. 2004. Web. 27 March 2015. . Wilson, Edwin. Tony Krusher’s Gay Fantasia Arrives on Broadway. Wall Street Journal, 1993. Eastern edition, New York. Yuehua, Guo. Gender Struggle Over Ideological Power in Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’. Canadian Social Science, 2009. P79-87. Read More

The play only gained acceptance after a radical change in the political scene. In 1669, the play was returned to the public. King Louis XIV’s rule was intellectual and sophisticated. Reason and logic were preferred traits and were considered to be aristocratic (Crawford Web). Temper and violence, on the other hand, were culturally detestable and were considered to be traits of the lower classes. Under these circumstances, Moliere’s play was interpreted as an attack on religion. Moliere denied that he was attacking religion.

What he was against is the irrationality of what he termed as ‘blind faith’. According to him, religious fanaticism is eyeless and unseeing. In the play’s version of blind faith, doubt and wavering are seen as a weakness of character. Persistence, on the other hand, was regarded as a strength (Crawford Web). While much of the play’s success is attributed to Moliere’s skill as a playwright, the controversy he generated also helped to call incite more interest for the play. There was widespread discussion regarding the meaning of the play.

This resulting conflict calls our attention to the friction between religion and art. The play forces the question of how the two should interact and confronts the boundaries set upon art by religion and politics Henrik Ibsen’s play ‘A Doll’s House’ was also at the centre of heated controversy. The play analyzes gender relations by depicting a power struggle between men and women. Henrik Ibsen’s social background required men to be submissive and passive. Because of the proactive role of the female main character, some critics regarded the play as feminist.

Other critics declared the play to be an attack on family values, marriage and decency. ‘A Doll’s House’ explores the causes of male power. The play’s heroine in the play is a character named Nora who makes the choice to leave her husband. This was viewed as resistance to her role as a wife and a mother. In a society that regarded divorce and separation of spouses as scandalous, Ibsen’s play comes in direct confrontation with prevalent social boundaries surrounding the issue of family and marriage.

To the male chauvinists, Henrik Ibsen’s play was a challenge to male power. Henrik’s Ibsen’s play focuses our attention to the still controversial issue of gender equality and societal gender roles. Ibsen portrays male power as oppressive towards women. Men manipulate women in order to control them and maintain their own social status. The women are treated as mere possessions (Yuehua 79). However, despite men being portrayed in power, a deeper analysis suggests that it is Nora, and not her husband, who had the upper hand.

In the play, Nora keeps getting her way after using her feminine charms to influence her husband. Torvald, the husband, is unable to resist her charms. Ibsen forces to contemplate who was really in control. Further consideration should be about the moral and social aspects regarding the gender controversy and the impact of women’s diminuated role in the society. Written in 1993 by Tony Kusher, ‘Angels in America’ was also received with a lot of controversy. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the play went on to win the highly acclaimed Pulitzer Award.

A review in The Wall Street Journal referred to the play as “the most talked about play in many years” (Wilson A9). This public interest was due to the content of the play. The play revolves around a character named Joe and his wife. Joe is a law clerk and a staunch Mormon. Joe is resisting a sexual orientation he does not want to identify with. This is the cause of marital strife between Joe and his wife. His wife is unhappy and addicted to medication. Majority of Kushner’s character’s are homosexual.

Cohn, also a main character in the play, is homosexual and to make it more controversial, infected with AIDS. He, however, is in denial of this fact. Kusher also deals with denial from another direction in the play.

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