One Reason Why I Love Julie Taymor

When you watch a piece of theatre, what do you notice? Most directors would agree that the goal of watching a good production should be the same as watching a movie that captures your emotions or a novel that proves impossible to be put down. Good theatre, I'm talking a production with stellar actors, sets, lighting, props, and costumes (not to mention a good script to begin with) draws in its audience. Audiences watching a solid theatre production should not be able to remember that they are at the theatre. Dramatists suggest that theatrical productions encompass a third space seperate the from both the "real world" and the world of the theatre or building staging the production. Audiences are encouraged to immerse themselves completely in a piece. If a production is too distracting in any form, audiences run the risk of losing their focus and therefore drawing away from the third world of the action onstage. This transition out of a so-called out of body experience is called metatheatre--literally meaning outside the theatre.

Metatheatre is risky. Losing focus for even a few seconds could detract an audience member from returning to the action on stage. Director, creator, costume designer, and (I would argue) philosopher Julie Taymor shows no fear when it comes to the audience having a metatheatrical experience. On the contrary, Taymor suggests that what I call the duality of reality and imagination is what makes theatre magical. As part of her commentary on her production of The Lion King in 1998, Taymor explains

“I wanted viewers to be released from their memories of the film right from the start, to take a leap of faith and imagination. The Pride Rock design also helped drive the overall style of the production. Stage mechanics would be visible. The audience, given a hint or suggestion of an idea would be ready to fill in the lines, to take it in the rest of the way. They would be participants in the entire event. Magic can be generated by blatantly showing how theatre is created rather than hiding it” (Blumenthall, 2007, 225).

She also speaks about her costume choices in relation to this concept of duality in the following YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq_haDWFcBM

Taymor epitomizes play in all that she does. Like inqiry based learning or open ended curriculum, Taymor cannot fully script her work. It is impossible. By involving her audiences on such a deep level, she is inviting them to particpate, give feedback, and join her on her journey. This is how I view education. Taymor would agree that teachers are essential just as much as her role as director or designer. But a good director provides a clear enough vision for her actors to run with the idea and develop their own characters. Similary, good teachers use curriculum as a guideline to educate students through the best and most creative mediums available. As David Booth reminds us, the medium and the message can be one in the same if we choose an appropriate medium to deliver a wise message. We should all teach like Taymor, free to take risks while involving our students along with us in our journey together.

"Rom Coms" and "Captian America"

A response to the article by Clarrington, Victoria, 'I'm in a bad mood. Let's go shopping!' Interactive dolls, consumer culture and a ‘glocalized’ model of literacy. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 3(1), 83-98. University of Queensland, Australia, 2003.

After a week of reading and discussing gender stereotypes, I lived my own this Saturday night. My husband informed me Friday that he was going to see the movie "Captain America" with his best guy friend Saturday night. Although the movie seemed mildly interesting, I had my eye on my own romantic comedy. After wrangling my four gal pals together, we saw our own chick flick "Friends with Benefits". Post movie, my best friend and I met up with my husband at a pub. "How did you like the movie?" I asked my husband innocently. "Two words", he said, "kick ass. You'd love the romance in it."

Classic eh? But stereotypes aside, I had a fabulous evening. And I guess, after reading Clarrinton's article, I'm left to ask myself, when does an evening of "rom coms" and action flicks turn into Diva Starz and Tonka trucks in pink and blue packaging? In other words, what turns stereotypical into just plain scary?

Earlier that Saturday over dinner at my girlfriend's house, I said, in passing, that I thought I was a girly girl. My friend raised her brows and questioned my self imposed label. "But you don't obsess about make up and hair and clothes" she correctly assessed. "The I guess I'm not" I self corrected. Apparently flawed, to me I was a girly girl because I usually gravitate to hanging out with girls, I like shopping (though budget friendly shopping), and getting (budget friendly) pampered. I guess watching Sex and the City mislead me to believe I was Carrie Bradshaw without the casual sex and consistent failed romances. Is Carrie Bradshaw a girly girl?

Back to Clarrington, I was hooked by the mere title of her article. On one hand, as a former shoe sales associate who worked on commission, I thrive on retail therapy. It's a huge part of my company's marketing ploy. Come into the store, dish your problems, buy more than one pair of shoes (because buying one pair does not impress the managers). Voila! Problems solved. Paradoxically, what would someone like Gail Vaz-Oxlade, host of 'Til Debt Do Us Part say to this same target audience? Save your money! Budget wisely! We girly/non-girly girls are being fed mixed messages.

Maybe I'm a business woman at heart. Clarrington in her article focuses on the dolls physical features, their anime quality, their positioning on the shelves, and their figures of speech. Though I sympathise with Clarrington's frustrations, I am more of a voyeur. In my mind, this is a lost battle. I maintain the claim that in order to bring back free play, manufactures need to veer away from dolls altogether and bring back toys that set the stage for children to be the doll-like actors in their play world. Bring back fake Fisher Price food, swing sets and school houses. By providing the setting, children will be forced to bring their imagination in order to bring the bare stage to life. The perfect marriage between Bradshaw and Vaz-Oxlade.