Ruby Moon Theatre Analysis
Drama Essay
“Drama and theatre in their content and style reflect the society from which they spring”
– To what extent is this true of contemporary Australian theatre practice?
Theatre is a direct reflection of life and society. Any script is written, including their themes and genre, in the attempt to draw on and display our surrounding world to ultimately impact audiences. Our unit of drama including Matt Cameron’s Ruby Moon and Jane Harrison’s Stolen does exactly this, but more specifically reflects on contemporary Australian culture and events. This combined with our experiential learning proved that theatre indeed is a mirror to society.
Ruby Moon’s depiction of suburbia and its “dark underbelly that lurks beneath …show more content…
In addition, Ruby Moon is typically non-realist and non-traditional, and this ambiguity is evident in the unresolved ending of Ruby’s existence; “was there a child, Ray?...or are we just having the same nightmare?” Leaving the audience with more questions than answers opts out of the traditional resolution and rather mirrors the confronting complexities of contemporary Australian society, we are not the “lucky” or “perfect” country, rather as Cameron quotes; “a picture-perfect veneer”, a paradox that the seemingly suburban proximity that defines Australia does not equal “intimacy, fraternity, community”. This is especially evident through experiential learning, the pair undertaking the final …show more content…
As the original script’s stage directions dictate; “they line up diagonally…just like in the first scene. Then the actors break out of their roles and talk in turn about their own experiences.” The original production in 1998 did just this in relation to indigenous actors and their role in the stolen generation. However, for our class performance, students emulated the directions through their experiences in workshopping, characters, researching and performing Stolen. This simple, stripped back and realist Brechtian ending was the perfect theatrical technique and choice to reflect the plays content and importance of personal connection and emotion, adding and a contemporary spin on Australian theatre. As an audience member, it was incredibly powerful hearing actors talk unscripted and bring a true sense of realism and conviction when recounting their own experience; strengthening the actor-audience relationship through understanding and empathy. One can only imagine the immense power of individuals exposed to the stolen generation and Australia’s dark past, and their re-telling of stories as actors on stage in Stolen. Witnessing our class performances, it was clear Harrison’s intent of emotional connection with the audience and an empowered empathy towards the story and our own traditional and contemporary
“Drama and theatre in their content and style reflect the society from which they spring”
– To what extent is this true of contemporary Australian theatre practice?
Theatre is a direct reflection of life and society. Any script is written, including their themes and genre, in the attempt to draw on and display our surrounding world to ultimately impact audiences. Our unit of drama including Matt Cameron’s Ruby Moon and Jane Harrison’s Stolen does exactly this, but more specifically reflects on contemporary Australian culture and events. This combined with our experiential learning proved that theatre indeed is a mirror to society.
Ruby Moon’s depiction of suburbia and its “dark underbelly that lurks beneath …show more content…
In addition, Ruby Moon is typically non-realist and non-traditional, and this ambiguity is evident in the unresolved ending of Ruby’s existence; “was there a child, Ray?...or are we just having the same nightmare?” Leaving the audience with more questions than answers opts out of the traditional resolution and rather mirrors the confronting complexities of contemporary Australian society, we are not the “lucky” or “perfect” country, rather as Cameron quotes; “a picture-perfect veneer”, a paradox that the seemingly suburban proximity that defines Australia does not equal “intimacy, fraternity, community”. This is especially evident through experiential learning, the pair undertaking the final …show more content…
As the original script’s stage directions dictate; “they line up diagonally…just like in the first scene. Then the actors break out of their roles and talk in turn about their own experiences.” The original production in 1998 did just this in relation to indigenous actors and their role in the stolen generation. However, for our class performance, students emulated the directions through their experiences in workshopping, characters, researching and performing Stolen. This simple, stripped back and realist Brechtian ending was the perfect theatrical technique and choice to reflect the plays content and importance of personal connection and emotion, adding and a contemporary spin on Australian theatre. As an audience member, it was incredibly powerful hearing actors talk unscripted and bring a true sense of realism and conviction when recounting their own experience; strengthening the actor-audience relationship through understanding and empathy. One can only imagine the immense power of individuals exposed to the stolen generation and Australia’s dark past, and their re-telling of stories as actors on stage in Stolen. Witnessing our class performances, it was clear Harrison’s intent of emotional connection with the audience and an empowered empathy towards the story and our own traditional and contemporary