Theatre as a Social Mirror
--> Posted on 2009-08-06 02:12:41 By Har AmolIf the entire world is a stage or theater, the essence of all dramatic actions, whether comic or tragic, pathetic or pleasant, sublime or ridiculous, reflects the perception and perspective of the script writer. Just as civilization has marched from prehistoric times to the modern times, similarly the concepts and contours of dramatic art have traveled from classic to romantic to realistic twists and turns. Gone are the days when philosophy of “Art for Arts sake” captures the imagination of play writer and he promoted and practiced it with religious vigour. No subject of human interest is a taboo to be explored and exposed on the stage till it becomes the voice and vision of day to day events. In the scope and sweep, the theater has assumed the all encompassing personality of gaining who rubs on the wounds.
It is the ugly face of life that the play writer depicts on the stage, through his conviction and imagination, directs his guns at the most abhorrent and abject aspects of gore and greed of modern life. Unrealistic to his approach to the medium, an upright play writer uses theater not just for ritualistic presentation but also for the therapy of traumatized people anywhere under the sun. Since theatre is the mirror that reflects human condition and dilemma, it can never become a soap that needs endorsements. Moreover, if a business or brand starts sponsoring theatre, the presentation will me nothing more than an excursing in insensitivity.
As social values change over a period of time, so do parameters of literary art. Theatre today represents the most potential vibration and vehicle of social realities that affect human angst and aspirations, fears and frustrations. For some social personalities, it is the best tool for social change. It can be effectively used as a rib-tickling yet stinging stair, an expose of society and its bigwigs. How the respected citizens wear masks, how on the surface they carry on with the charade of morality, when beneath they compromise the very principle they hold dear publicly, has been unfolded on stage.
Theatre, as we all know, is a place, where dramatic actions take place and script writer tries to reach out to his audience by raising certain socio-economic issues, which question the rotting rituals in a manner that an answer to each question seems absolutely urgent and immediate. A play writer aims at establishing a rapport with the viewers when he unmasks the self style custodians of morality who use the various smoke screens to indulge in everything immoral.
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