A modern day Shakespeare?

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Blog #6
What Happens When


        The What Happens When play was interesting to say the least. I went into it not expecting much to be honest and came out pleasantly surprised with some parts and not sure how I felt about some other parts. As abstract/different the scenes with the two girls pretending to be children was, I must say I was a fan of the concept. I think it is really important to understand that any type of exploration into sexuality usually coincides with the loss or losing of innocence. Some might say that experiencing sexual things is what really moves a person from childhood to adulthood, and I can't help but agree with this mentality. Furthermore, I think sexual assault can really make a girl or guy lose their childhood-like mentality. That type of bright eyed ready for the wonders of the world mentality can be taken so quickly if someone is sexually assaulted. Having someone use sexuality in a forced or aggressive way can completely alter how someone sees the world. This is why I really thought the part with the girls was good to have, even though I am sure that not everyone felt the same way or even interpreted the metaphor at all like I did.
       One of the aspects of the play that I wasn't completely sure about was the fact that a lot of the scenes that they did had a comedic undertone to them. I think that sometimes comedy is an extremely good way to deal with serious topics...and that having a completely serious and rigid play would probably make people extremely uncomfortable and may create too heavy of an atmosphere for people to feel comfortable in. However, I think it is always a toss up when making this kind of decision. If you do use comedy you may not get across to people how serious and exactly how scary these situations can be when they are actually happening. If you don't use comedy, people may be so uncomfortable that the high level of awkwardness that they feel is what they focus on, rather than the actual content that is causing them the discomfort.
        Overall, I respect what the play did and think that they had a lot of good ideas. I would definitely have changed some parts, but then again when faced with the decision myself; comedy or to take a more serious route, I can honestly say I am not sure what would have been best. I am curious to hear what everyone else's thoughts were?

                                              To be or not to be? stormtrooper style...

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