My Western Civ professor finally took a break from the endless sex talk today as we began our discussion of Greek tragedy. She discussed a topic I had never really thought about before - that of catharsis and the getting out of feelings through watching a drama. She said that men need to watch violent movies and get out their aggression and girls need to watch tragically romantic "chick fliks" and cry to be emotionally stable.
I thought, if that's the case, I'm not a properly formed human being at all. I watched Titanic a few years back with a girl scout troop really late at night, and they were all sobbing and I was thinking "Climb on the plank with her, you moron!" There's enough drama in my own life - if it doesn't make me cry, a stupid fictional movie isn't going to.
I raised my hand and asked if acting would also do it. She nodded and said that it would do it more. Finally, the realm of personal experience. Last year, I recalled hearing from his mom, our Shylock would go home after Production Week rehearsals, arriving at about six, and would go to bed. It was such an emotional part that it did take something out, leaving him completely drained.
Next I thought of this summer's short-term missions project, during which I had put together, directed and ended up performing with an Everything Skit team. Not only was the directing of it, just the watching, listening, etc. very draining in that it filled me with adrenaline and had me pacing, jumping, and calling from sheer energy after a day of manual labor (I slept well that week!) but it was very interesting to feel that, conditioned as I was to belong in a very active role in that skit (the musical cues still cue physical reactions in me, such as increased heart rate, etc.), in that kind of a situation I really, really wanted to get something out in the doing. I was what you might call an overenthusiastic director. (Under certain circumstances I did end up being in my least favorite most experienced role during the performance, but more on that later.)
One member of my skit team, the young man who played Satan, was the first person to actually volunteer. That is, rather than me asking him, he heard from someone and came to tell me he was in. (The casting, getting people involved, was very difficult.) He evoked comments from an extremely empathetic leader that it looked like theater/acting/drama is very good for him, and I could see it. It does let something out that it would not be appropriate to release at other times.
So. Movies? Not seeing it. However, acting does do it. And "Hamlet" is a rather emotional play. It's going to be an interesting year for all of us, I think.
I thought, if that's the case, I'm not a properly formed human being at all. I watched Titanic a few years back with a girl scout troop really late at night, and they were all sobbing and I was thinking "Climb on the plank with her, you moron!" There's enough drama in my own life - if it doesn't make me cry, a stupid fictional movie isn't going to.
I raised my hand and asked if acting would also do it. She nodded and said that it would do it more. Finally, the realm of personal experience. Last year, I recalled hearing from his mom, our Shylock would go home after Production Week rehearsals, arriving at about six, and would go to bed. It was such an emotional part that it did take something out, leaving him completely drained.
Next I thought of this summer's short-term missions project, during which I had put together, directed and ended up performing with an Everything Skit team. Not only was the directing of it, just the watching, listening, etc. very draining in that it filled me with adrenaline and had me pacing, jumping, and calling from sheer energy after a day of manual labor (I slept well that week!) but it was very interesting to feel that, conditioned as I was to belong in a very active role in that skit (the musical cues still cue physical reactions in me, such as increased heart rate, etc.), in that kind of a situation I really, really wanted to get something out in the doing. I was what you might call an overenthusiastic director. (Under certain circumstances I did end up being in my least favorite most experienced role during the performance, but more on that later.)
One member of my skit team, the young man who played Satan, was the first person to actually volunteer. That is, rather than me asking him, he heard from someone and came to tell me he was in. (The casting, getting people involved, was very difficult.) He evoked comments from an extremely empathetic leader that it looked like theater/acting/drama is very good for him, and I could see it. It does let something out that it would not be appropriate to release at other times.
So. Movies? Not seeing it. However, acting does do it. And "Hamlet" is a rather emotional play. It's going to be an interesting year for all of us, I think.
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