Drama has been removed from education for a while now. But it always surprises me when people say that if you show a negative subject in a play, you are "glorifying" it. No matter that we have much worse "negative" topics and images in movies, tv and video games. Painful parts of the human experience come across so much more powerfully in theater, or so it would seem based on the reactions people have.
For example, a high school play has a shooting in it, audience members sometimes conclude that the presenters approve of shootings and/or violence. Hmm... On the contrary, in a school setting students and teacher work hard to make sure that their play demonstrates the consequences of said shooting, so that the audience can see for themselves the agonizing effects of violence on individual and community and.. make better choices! Likewise, does showing the effects of drug addiction in a play mean that the actors approve of drug addiction? No! From ancient cultures on, tragic drama's role was to purge painful feelings of loss and grief as the audience witnesses powerful stories of the human condition. Quite the opposite of approving the negative side of life.
I am interested to see the reaction to our Oakland Tech High School students' May 25 presentation of their original play, "Bad Habits; Addiction & Hopes for a Better World." It gives a peek into the drug culture of the pop music world and the effects of one young man's addiction, ending in his realization that he needs to get help. Does this story approve addictive drugs and gangs simply by showing the negative effects of the character's choices?
Perhaps if drama returns to the curriculum people will understand its powerful, transforming role in society.
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