In “Enactments of Power,” N’gugi Wa Thiong’o discusses similarities and differences between the state and art. Additionally, he writes about the interaction between the two, and how they influence each other. On one hand, discussing the commonality, he argues that both the state and the artist have “arenas of performance,” as well as an audience “as their common target.” On the other hand, the two differ in that they consider “time, place, content,” and “goals” in a different way. He then states, the government structures in society can intervene in art and theater in the form of censorship, creating a “struggle.” However, he concludes that the primary “struggle” in theater is created by the limitations of location - “definition, delimitation, and regulation.”
How do place and space influence a piece of art? Of course, the importance of location encompasses more than simply geographical space. The performance atmosphere is determined not only by its country, but also its city, its theater, and the time period in which a it is performed. In fact, I would argue that, in addition to location, time period influences a play’s effect on an audience enormously. A timely, relevant, striking play in one century may be rendered meaningless in another. Additionally, the makeup of an audience - from age, to ethnicity, to background, to socioeconomic class - can interpret how a play is perceived.
I’d like to provide an example illustrating these concepts. First, I believe I may have spoken of this in an earlier blog, but the impact of Antigone in Ferguson is tremendously tied to its location. So much so, in fact, that “Ferguson,” its site, is in its name. Antigone in Ferguson, like many great theatrical performances, results from an event. It is a reaction, a rebuttal against an abusing power structure. Created by the citizens of Ferguson, the success of the performance depends entirely on the time, place, and audience in which is is presented. However, even when a show is not created for the space in which it is performed, its meaning can still change direly.
For example, I attended a high school known as John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, which is located about fifteen minutes away from Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson. That fall following the incident, my school put on To Kill A Mockingbird by Aaron Sorkin. It was alarmingly relevant. The performance struck tears and anger, as well as inspiring its audience to take action. In fact, it inspired a protest at my school the following morning, as students spoke in assembly in solidarity with Michael Brown. This will forever remain one of the most impactful performances in my mind, because of the time and place in which it was performed.