The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt Ravinkumar Maheshkumar 02/06/2017

The Spatial Experience: The physical setting of the stage before the performance was very ominous. The lights were dimmed and there was dispersed murmurs among the audience. It seemed very gloomy too; however, once the lights came on the stage was more vibrant. My seat location was a prime seat. I sat towards the middle of the crowd. I was able to view everything on stage and it made it a pretty pleasurable experience for me. Also from my seat, I was able to see the exaggerated facial expressions of the actors which really aided my perception of their message. When the lights dimmed and the audience went silent was taken aback because it happened all of sudden but I got used to it. I think the size of the stage was apt; it wasn't too big or too small and that it didn't distort my perception of the play. I think my seat also contributed to the objective view of the play without distortion. The role of place is key in the good life. Our time and place determines our opportunities that are present to us. Sometimes our gifts and skills can be crafted around our location. It is important to take advantage of the environment around us; after all it has been here longer than us.

Standing in front of the Constans Theatre with the pamphlet!

The Social Experience: I went to the play with a few of my friends from Good Life class. I feel that it was important to go with friends since they can also experience the same atmosphere as you since the atmosphere might change from show to show. To get ready for the show, I dressed up in my everyday clothing. However, I wish I had dressed up more such as in a dress shirt and pants since it was a respectable and momentous occasion. This was my first play so I was unaware of the dress code for the event. Also, by attending the play with my friends I felt like it helped us empathize over the play rather than sympathize over it. We immediately talked about it afterwards and tried to shape our own opinions based of the play and each other's answers. Shared experiences play a big role in the Good life. Shared experiences can shape who a person is. As the sayings goes, "You are defined by your 5 closest friend's personalities." It is important to surround yourself with people with similar interests and personalities so they can complement your strengths and help you improve your weaknesses. Also, it is important to share your experiences because it gives you confidence in what you're doing knowing that there is someone there for you too.

Me and my friends before the show!

The Cultural and Intellectual Experience: The play was a great way of visually viewing themes that we should be embodying in our everyday lives. One example of a theme that we should exemplify in our everyday lives would be to be ourselves and to hold ourselves to high morals. We shouldn't have to lie and deceive people and even if we do we will get caught sooner or later. It is important to stay true to ourselves and our core set of values. This seemed to be one of the central themes in the play; for example, the boss tried to hide the poor working conditions of the factory but sooner or later the truth was revealed. This shows that no matter what we shouldn't intentionally deceive people since it'll only come back and haunt us. Another important theme in play is oppression both by gender and by social standing. This is clearly exemplified in the factory. The workers in the factories are poor women workers and they are treated horribly. Not only is this oppressing the minority of the gender class, women, but also by social class, the people in poverty. This sense of oppression is important now in my life more than ever especially due to the heightened sense of political tension here in the USA. Sometimes this oppression makes us feel unwanted and unloved but at the same time it helps us become stronger through the power of unity.

The Emotional Experience: The play was a great way to show our Katharsis. It brought up many relevant themes and central issues which can be seen in our everyday lives. For example oppression is seen in our lives as something called racism. Racism, nowadays, offends and ultimately aims to give people an advantage in social stature. It draws parallel to the social injustice faced in the play itself. It is important to reflect on ourselves and our society in today's day and age in order for us to understand ourselves and what we stand for morally and ethically. We should aim for the good life but in a innocent way that way when we finally achieve it we will feel a sense of pride and enthusiasm that is nothing like ever before experienced.

Made with Adobe Slate

Make your words and images move.

Get Slate

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.