One-track minds
So. Theatre class. Performing the Sacred. Open discussion. Holy shit I'm glad I didn't yell at anyone!!
Here's what's up. For my foundations of theatre class, we are reading a book called Performing the Sacred. As a liberal who really doesn't care about what the book has to say, I found it very boring. But we have really good discussions about it. But today we were talking about how theatre can be edifying and how to avoid shows that have no value to you mentally and spiritually. Basically: don't see Spring Awakening.
A lot of questions were how to deal with theatre that's racy and has questionable content in it. As a person who's seen Hair, Spring Awakening, American Idiot, Next to Normal, and RENT, this is obviously not a topic I will want to get crap about. I kept quiet a lot, mainly because I didn't have answers to the questions asked, but I did speak up when I got the opportunity. I used Next to Normal as an example of a show that's not "Christian" but still has a good message, even though parts of it might make people feel uncomfortable. That seemed to work okay.
Then we had to listen to part of a sermon (or something) from a guy whose name I forget. He was talking about how a liberal, non-Christian director was turning one of Flannery O'Conner's short stories into a play. He had a good point, about how a play that is overtly Christian is more accepted by mainstream society than sermons and blatantly Jesus-pushing speeches. I should have been able to look at things from his point of view, but one of the very first things he said was negative about liberals. He was quoting someone who was a liberal, then he said something along the lines of "and he goes on to rant and rage, like most secular liberals..." which basically made me want to punch his face in. Every liberal I have ever met has been a lovely person who would rather discuss something with you than scream it at you. This guy was blatantly ignoring the fact that conservatives can get just as shout-y and even more close-minded.
I know it shouldn't bother me, but as a liberal at a conservative college, you start to get really defensive every time someone uses 'liberal' as a negative adjective. Or just uses the word, period.
Whatever. I'm going to Point Park next year and I'm stoked. Theatre/cinema people FTW!!