Cruelty Theater Reply

This article seems a bit optimistic in the way of the masses turning away from cinema and other various forms of entertainment. from what I got from it he wants theater to instruct and inspire rather than be folly and to entertain. His idea of "total" theater is intriguing but I wonder its appeal range. He wants a universally understood and appealing form of theater, which seems a bit odd because rarely are things ever universal. A theme itself ( such as war) can be universal but when translated into something like scenes and acts and depicted visually there can never be a global understanding. Using gestures, words, and nonverbal mediums as a way to enhance the poetry of theater might make getting the message across a little harder but this is coming from a traditional theater student who hasn't really dabbled in the avant garde, so I might have some strong biases.