Student Life: The Global Theatre

by Patrick McDonagh

Before our eyes, the globe is shrinking — or growing — into the village predicted so long ago by Marshall McLuhan. The recent protests in Seattle and Quebec City and the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center have reminded North Americans that we too are implicated in global political strife. That such concerns touch theatre is no surprise. The works of Brecht and Shaw, George Ryga and Judith Thompson, and other socially concerned playwrights populate the literary canon. Inevitably, politics and social issues also press upon the National Theatre School’s students, some of whom create their own theatre from global and local concerns.

Third-year Playwriting student Thelon Oeming has given the question of political drama plenty of thought. "There are so many theories about the nature of drama and what it can do," he says. "On a personal level, I’m interested in working on a structure of theatre that is political and subversive." Questions of politics — why people become oppressed, why they remain oppressed, and who does the oppressing — are inherent in every relationship, he argues. Thus, he continues, "You can distill questions of politics to something everyone shares, like human contact and emotion."

Telling a story is important, but so is the act of creating it, says Oeming: "I’m interested in getting people together, and working in a semi-collaborative, semi-collective format." Last summer, Oeming returned to Edmonton, his hometown, with six NTS Acting students. Together they rented a house where they created an anti-globalization-inspired piece called Metropolis Noir for the Edmonton Fringe Festival. "We got great reviews off the top, and a good audience response," says Oeming. "I hope we can eventually incorporate as a theatre company dedicated to creating socially concerned theatre."

The Personal is Political

"I seek out stories," says second-year Playwriting student Nicole Lewis. "I just found one about a young girl in Africa who was falsely accused of theft, and painted white. Things like that really affect me, even if they might not work their way into my writing." If Oeming takes an overt political approach to his theatre, Lewis explores social and political issues on a personal, intimate scale.

"I’m fascinated by what we believe to be right or wrong," Lewis says. A possible upcoming project will focus on the nude photography of young children. "Is it art?" she asks. "Some artists have been censored because they have nude photos of children in their work. But Lewis Carroll, who is widely loved, did that too."

Last year Lewis traveled to Quebec City for the Summit of the Americas, an experience she describes as "dreamlike." She was struck by the preponderance of video cameras, especially those pointed at the violent incidents. "But there were many endearing moments, and there was lots of beauty," she stresses. "Just seeing a bunch of old women going down to the barricades… And singing, there was a lot of singing. It was interesting to see people struggling to believe in something, and to create a community."

The Political is Interpersonal

Community is at the heart of theatre. In December the graduating class mounted a production of Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechuan, working with the conceit that squeegee kids living under a bridge were putting on a play. "The play was about a group on the outskirts of society," explains third-year Scenography student Lisa Gaskell, who created the show’s costumes. "Even though they’re poor, they take a lot of interest in the way they look and often dress to reinforce the idea of alienation. There is a lot of artistry behind it." And, of course, a defiant political stance. Gaskell’s costumes incorporated tablecloths, shower curtains, garbage, CDs, a laundry basket, and bubble wrap — the sort of materials squeegee kids might use.

"When doing a text like The Good Person of Szechuan, you cannot help but think about politics," explains Gaskell. The role of the designer, she says, is to inhabit each play, even if its subject is outside his or her personal experience. "It’s important to find one little thread to relate to." Scenography thus becomes an act of empathy, an expression of community.

None of the students interviewed alluded to the World Trade Center attack when discussing politics in their theatre practice. Perhaps it is too soon for them to incorporate their reactions, or the tragedy was too specific and spectacular. However, when prompted, each student had a thoughtful response to September 11^th. Gaskell and Lewis both criticised the media coverage. Lewis observed that "It made me realize how easy it is for us to live within the closed walls of our world." For Oeming, the impact has been direct. "I had to take the change of political climate into account in my own writing," he explains. As a result, he has shelved Metropolis Noir. Thus the world of politics intrudes upon art, as it always has. And a new generation of socially concerned artists explores the issues and ideas that shape our world.