Name : Alpa Ponda
Class : M.A Sem. 4
Roll no : 2
Paper no. 15 : mass communication and media studies
Topic : Communication through Drama
Batch : 2016-18
Submitted to : Smt. S.B. Gardi
Department of English,
M. K. Bhavnagar University.
Communication through drama
Drama
is an essential medium to communicate with the group of people. Even there is
digitalization in mediums of sharing the talk or communication we can have the
traditional form that is drama still exist in 21st century.
For
centuries, theatre, or rather, drama has been used to present creative
imitations of society and the human condition. Be it the mimes and gags of
Commedia dell’ Arte in 16th century Italy, or the dramaturgical prescriptions
of our very own Bharat Muni in his Natya Sastra. However, while holding up the
mirror for reflection may be the highest objective, the dramatic form is
foremost used to simply tell stories.
From
fairytales for children to gossip exchanged through the grapevine at work,
stories are an active, undeniable necessity that add color to everyday life.
They fuel our imaginations, allowing us an escape from the drab fixtures of
reality. Be it a novel, film or play that you enjoy, what you are essentially
enjoying is the act of storytelling. An act that is unifying and invigorating
for both, the storyteller and listener. It is the intuitive trust that we place
in our knowledge of a story that makes it the most effective medium to place
messages, morals and any fodder for reflection.
The
act of theatre takes this experience a notch higher by bringing alive in flesh,
blood and breath, these stories. Simply put, theatre may be defined as an act
of dramatic expression received by an interpreting, anticipating individual.
Although its conception cannot be dated back to a single point, it has evolved
across centuries with new genres, styles and audiences that encouraged the
experiments of their storytellers. As a practice, it simply exists; like
architecture, permanent yet changing and unquestioned.
Communication
and reflection achieved through theatre is a two-way process. In order for a
performer to communicate with an audience and cause them to reflect, he/she
must themselves have undergone an internal communication, rather, introspection
concerning the text they are to bring alive in dramatic form. Theatre demands
malleability from its performers that would allow them to inhabit characters
and situations effortlessly. It demands an equal malleability from its
audience, who must have real emotional reactions to an unreal world. It is only
when this two-way cooperation of efforts is achieved that any effective
communication can manifest.
Aristotle
attempted to uncover why an audience is so particularly drawn to drama and
tragedy in drama. His answer was catharsis, a primary psychological function of
drama, especially tragedy. Often, he noticed, audiences were left feeling
relieved or even elated at the tragedy of the protagonist in a play. This, he
called, ’The Pleasure of Pity and Fear’. Through characters in a play,
audiences can have their innermost beliefs, fears and insecurities verbalised
by a character, and then watch from a comfortable distance as this character
bears the implications of this naked honesty. For example, as Hamlet waxes
eloquent his ’To be or not to be’ dilemma, we reflect on his words and may even
be momentarily disturbed by our reflection, but the final weight of those words
lies solely on Hamlet. A fictitious character that has triggered our catharsis
or purification.
Most
importantly, while it may conduct itself in crowded auditoriums, the experience
of theatre is personal, and thus, its communication most effective. In our
experience at Leogirl Productions, we often hold audience-interaction sessions
post-performance. A personal connection to the content is made evident here as
different audience members relate to various scenes or characters from the
play. The message we attempt to communicate is delivered to them through the
sieve of their own personal notions and experiences. Many may regard this
element of subjectivity to be an obstacle to foolproof communication and
reflection.
This
is not entirely untrue. The subjectivity and abstract nature of art can often
make definite messaging through an artistic medium seem like a risk. Our first
production, Woman Phenomenal, simply presented 10 short windows into the lives
of women ranging from the ages of eight to 80, from different socio-economic
backgrounds. Nothing was explained; we expected the audience in the organisations
where we performed, to synthesise the information they received from all 10
stories to derive our intended central theme: the paradox that is a woman.
While the play received acclaim, it did not have as many takers as compared to
our next two ventures, Rainbow Shadows and Ambika, both of which include
several monologues explaining the message of the play to the audience.
To
the reader, the former half of the piece may seem a more idealistic view of
theatre in theory, while the latter touches base with the ground realities in
the execution of theatre for messaging. I disagree. In the 1960s, a Brazilian
theatre practitioner, Dr Augusto Boal, developed the process of ’spect-actor’.
Here, instead of offering their reflections at the end of the performance (as
is the format of Leogirl Productions and most theatre groups), the audience is
allowed to interject while the play is in performance and offer their
improvisations, reactions and reflections. The audience is empowered to not
only imagine and introspect on the potential for change, but actively
participate in the theatrical movement for it.
Boal’s
process can only be derived from an unshaken trust in the like-mindedness of
the audience. Herein lies the future for communication through performing arts.
While the subjectivity of theatrical expression may be viewed as an obstacle,
Boal, several other theatre practitioners and I view it as an opportunity to
invite the audience into the infrastructure of their own reflection and impact
that of others. No other medium of communication could lend such personal
power.
Theatre
is clearly an under-utilized medium for driving change within organisations.
The platform to enact varied situations and the interplay through dialogues is
a powerful medium for presenting layered issues surrounding themes such as
woman empowerment, multi-generations at work and the challenges emanating from
mental models, beliefs and tradition.
Drama
has the power to engage audiences deeply and produce thought for reflection in
an entertaining manner through story telling.
The
attempts made through Woman Phenomenal, Rainbow Shadows, Ambika have received
great resonance from the audience who have related to the characters, their
dilemmas and confusions, despair and were able to resonate and internalise the
proposed solutions or journeys of the protagonists. This impact could not have
been accomplished through a training programme or case study. The real power of
theatre is incredible and can provoke individual and social change through its
engaging storytelling.
Conclusion
Drama involves acting out scenes in which people play the roles of
individual characters and tell a story by acting out the behaviors of these
characters. While some people enjoy the drama by itself, educators and
therapists have looked to drama as a tool for accomplishing a variety of goals,
including improving communication skill. Communication skills are a crucial
part of successfully functioning in the adult world and are a common need for
many careers.
Reference:
(Banerjee)
Banerjee, Priyanka. Theatre – An Effective Medium
for Communication and Reflection. May 2015. <http://theleadershipreview.org/features/theatre-an-effective-medium-for-communication-and-reflection/>.
