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The question of whether theatre, or any medium, for that matter, should be socially motivated is a fallacy. When a writer puts pen to paper, an artist makes that first brush stroke or chips into that block of marble, they become the vessels by which their minds and hearts can be seen. If they have the need to make a social, economic, or political statement, that statement will manifest itself in aspects of the person's life beyond their art. The art is the physical manifestation of the thought, so the more appropriate question should be: Is it appropriate for theatre (or art in general) to be socially motivated?

This question is highly subjective, just as reactions to the piece in question would be. Two people go to see "Rent", for example. One would see it as an in-your-face, honest statement about poverty, sexuality, and the AIDS crisis, while the other would see it as an overblown melodrama with singing and dancing. Who is right? Does it matter? Assuming the former was correct, is it then "appropriate" for those statements to have been made? Again, this is a subjective question, and not really the point of this article, which is dealing with the question of what the content should be, as opposed to what the reactions of others to said content will be.

In the end, as any question involving the content of art will usually end up, it is all about who has control of it. Should societal norms, the norms of one's potential audience, be a factor in deciding what is and isn't art? Should the stage be a platform for instigating change? In pondering the answer, I am reminded of the line from Hamlet, "To thine own self be true." If the artist/writer is creating a work that comes from their own personal truths, whether they have to do with society, God, or themselves, then it is truly art, and if you don't like it, then walk out, turn it off, close the book.

Learn more about this author, Katrina Comens.
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