The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt Duncan Elliott

Introduction

Hello, I'm Duncan Elliott, a UF first year student taking Good Life. Recently, I went to see the play "The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt" at the Constans Theater. This Spark Page describes my experience of going to a live play and what I learned from this event.

The Spacial Experience

I really enjoyed the layout of the theater. From the very beginning, the Constants Theater looked very open and welcoming. I was able to walk around before the performance and found this location inside the lobby, which I thought looked very interesting. I was seated at the very front right corner next to the stage, and loved my view of the play. I was up close and could see the performance without anyone obstructing my view. The size of the venue didn't effect me as I was right up next to the stage and really didn't notice how large the theater was. I was interested in what the story would be about and how it would be performed, if it would match my expectations. Location and design in buildings is important to the good life. It has been constantly studied throughout human history from years of architectural and interior design to Feng Shui, the importance of place has been a constant factor in the good life.

The Social Experience

I went to the performance with my close friend Lauren Sigmund. We ate some Subway before the performance and discussed what we thought the play was going to be about. It definitely made the overall experience better, being able to share the event with someone else. There was someone to talk to and enjoy the performance with. Shared experiences are crucial to the good life as humans by nature are social animals. While having some alone time is helpful to de-stress, being around others a majority of the day is very important to me to feel balanced. Overall the social experience highly enhanced the performance.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Sigmund

The Cultural and intellectual Experience

The play takes place during the early 20th Century in Quebec. The two major issues that the play tackles is the Catholic Church's covering up the far reaching molestation of children and the poor treatment of workers in large factories. I had a general idea of what was going to occur but I didn't realized the full details. The performance gave an emotional image to an overwhelmingly large problem. It is easy to be desensitized by large statistics and facts without any emotional context. This play was able to bring life to such devastating global issues. I've never had to face such issues head on but it does make me appreciate the safety that I do have within my job. The problems addressed in the play are issues that have been corrected, for the most part, because such plays brought them to the forefront.

The Emotional Experience

Dramas, and specifically tragedies, focus on catharsis, allowing the audience to live through the challenging experiences and hardships of the life of individuals. This vicarious experience gives the audience the opportunity to see life through another view and examine a new perspective. After viewing a drama or tragedy, the audience is usually given release from the stress that the narrative provided throughout the entire production. This same catharsis can be found in a number of other forms of entertainment such as television series and movies. Overall, I felt better after the performance because I had lived through another life and felt their struggles, to give me perspective on my own.

Created By
Duncan Elliott
Appreciate

Credits:

Duncan Elliott Lauren Sigmund

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.