SHOW AND REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT
Intention:
To witness a current local performance that is engaging with social issues
To reflect on the work through your own artistic and political lens
To view the work as an artist yourself – remarking on the artistic choices and your opinion on them
Requirements:
Watch a theater show
Write a reflection on the performance that addresses the below questions/prompts. This is a way to practice reflexive writing. This is not solely a reflection on the performance itself but also on your own experience of watching, witnessing, and remembering. Your own position and experience should be present in this writing as well as an analysis of the theatre piece.
Grade:
This is a pass/fail assignment. If it is not sufficient, you will have an opportunity to redo the reflection for full points.
Total Points:
30 points
Reflection Questions:
What are the perceived goals of the performance beyond entertainment? How do those goals connect to social change or social issues? How successful were they in accomplishing these goals?
How and when did the artistic elements (script, acting or performance style, costume, set, staging) engage you with the goals and social issues? How and when did the artistic elements distract you from the goals and social issues? (make sure you make this a reflexive part of your reflection – if you hated it, why did you specifically hate it? If you connected with it, why did you specifically connect with it? Was it a mixed experience and why?)
What, as an artist, would you want to ‘steal’ or apply to your own artistry? What did you learn about yourself as an artist through your experience of this performance?
