| Freedom - the irony of freedom | |||
| In my discussions with the students about their motivations for choosing theatre one of the main themes that came up was that they felt that theatre allowed them the freedom to be who they are, without judgments. It also gave them a chance to try out different styles and attitudes while exploring characters. In one of the productions this Fall, a scene pointed out the ironies and contradictions inherent in freedom. It made me think about where the ironies are within all the parts of the theatre production process, what the impact of this may be, and whether it matters. | |||
| Scene
from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" |
|||
|
What freedom could mean to Pseudolus This play centers on the attempts of a Roman slave, Pseudolus, to gain his freedom. In this scene he arranges a bargain with his master, Hero, that if Pseudolus can find a certain young woman, with whom Hero is infatuated, Hero will grant Pseudolus his freedom. Pseudolus is overjoyed and sings about how wonderful freedom will be. He thinks of all the things that he can do when he is free – |
|||
|
|||
|
Why it might not be a good thing and then he begins to realize that freedom may also have some drawbacks – |
|||
|
|||
| The most desirable thing in Pseudolus' world may not be as freeing as he thinks. He will still have to live within the limits of his society and find ways to provide for his own needs. Ultimately it doesn't matter because freedom is more important to being human than coping with the limitations. Just because we have to live in the box doesn't prevent us from enjoying exploring the limits of the box and occasionally pushing the boundaries out a bit. | |||
|
• "Free"
- the irony of freedom • Freedom
and theatre |
