Theatre, Ecocritically

Although we rarely think about it, theatre is deeply entrenched in its environment. Most theatre requires a stage, lighting, sound, and numerous other intricate factors to create an effective production. Even more so, however, theatre needs to create a believable environment. Theatre attempts to recreate real situations, real places, and real environments; that's essentially why we are so drawn to it.

Ecocritically, this recreation of natural environments could be considered both positive and negative. If nature is perceived as complete and divine, and that theatre is our attempt at revitalizing a depleting natural world, the environmental aspect of theatre could be seen as positive. However, if "nature" on the stage is unrealistic, seemingly perfect, or overly dramatized, theatre may only serve to exacerbate our negative interpretations of the world we live in.

Two writers explaining the new relationship
between theatre and social media

But what if theatre existed without an environment all together? In fact, some theatre-makers are writing and designing for solely "digital" purposes, without a stage or direct platform of performance. Celebrities, performers, and high-ranking officials alike are nowadays establishing their social media presence as an economic necessity, and performance on social media is highly important. These performers lack a direct environment, and instead rely on "the cloud" to carry their message. How does this indirect means of performance jeopardize—or perhaps save—our views of the environment?

I have always adored the closeness that the stage brings. Whenever I see a performance, I almost feel pulled into the scene, as if I am there, in that environment. Staging, props, and lighting are so crucial to a production because they create that environment that an audience member so desperately craves. Without the stage, and without the direct environment that the stage creates, I'm not sure if theatre can live to its full potential.

Diversifying the Stage

It's hard to speak without bias about diversity in theatre while being involved in production of a "Legally Blonde: The Musical" here at GBN. Although frequently disregarded, theatrical productions are frequently devoid of diversity in their casting or play heavily to stereotypes. The archetypal performance follows the story of someone young, white, and frequently male, while certain parts are specifically tailored to other races. Though more recent productions have attempted to cast race-blind, most productions still use race as a dominant factor in casting. Perhaps this is a direct reflection of our inability to move beyond race and gender as a society—are racial stereotypes on stage too obvious to ignore?

In her blog on theatre, Lyn Gardner discusses the dilemma of diversity on the stage. Although she focuses her discussion on performances in Britain, Gardner brings up the valid point that theatre is an art form often designed by the elite for the elite. While "elite" does not necessarily imply white and/or male, it certainly contributes to the relative lack of diversity of stage. In order to move past the current homogeneity of modern performance, Gardner argues that theatre as an art form must be re-crafted.

While changing how we view performance may fix the issue, perhaps this is not a "theatrical" issue per se. Instead, strict adherence to stereotypes on the stage could be a reflection of our inability to look past these stereotypes throughout society as a whole. When seeing a performance, audience members are inherently judgmental. They enter a completely difficult world for the two hours a performance, and the only information they have is based on appearance and dialogue. Therefore, the crucial role of appearance as a judgmental factor is only emphasized on stage.

In "Legally Blonde: The Musical," a lack of diversity among lead characters could not be more obvious. Hopefully everything works out for the best!