Overview
This week we have been looking at Urban Drama in Film and Theatre, its style, way of presentation, the people, the characters, and situations that fill up the pages of Urban Drama playwrights and screenwriters who seek to engage their audiences in very real and provocative ways. These movies (like Crash)and television shows like (The Wire) can be intense and searing at times with their topics and issues related to so called “street life” or stories that reflect the everyday struggles of so many that live in highly urbanized areas dealing with poverty, crime, family, drug abuse, gangs, race, and social and economic immobility, assimilation, gentrification and appropriation.
It is interesting to note that the style of these narratives on stage plays are not always supposed to be realistic. In fact many playwrights will create stories that are slightly more melodramatic or having more melodramatic characters in some situations to make their social commentary have more impact and perhaps more entertainment in the storytelling. Stephen Adly-Guirgis is one of these playwrights who tends to tell his stories in a melodramatic fashion or style. The Last days of Judas Iscariot, Jesus Hopped the A-train, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Mother F@$%*& With A Hat all have melodramatic characters and more theatrical elements that help to lift the drama in a potentially provocative and entertaining way. The language and often course vernacular of the people and characters that populate his plays is very important to him as way to convey aspects of behavior, culture, decorum and a certain point of view about the society around him.
Here are two clips from a fairly recent production of his play: Our Lady of 121st Street.
WARNING: There is a lot of course language used in the dialogue within this clip which is the first scene from the play.
One could make the argument that Urban Drama is a melding of particular aspects of so many of the other genres of Theatre and Film that we have looked at so far this semester, African American Theatre, Latino Theatre, Asian and LGBT Theatre. There are so many common themes that cross over these genres. Urban Drama will often purposely blend the characters and cultures to look more at the humanity of particular group of people rather than the specific cultural or ethnic background being the underlying through line. These plays tend to have a “melting pot” kind of casting that adds to the language, the conflicts and social angst in these stories.
For your discussion this week:
Reflecting on your studies this week including our viewing of Crash and your own research and conclusions to what Urban Drama in Theatre and Film is:
What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?
What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?
Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street or view more films like Crash? Why or why not?
Your post should be at least 150 words with a response to two other posts with 150 words
Student 1: Jey
What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?
Before anything, I find this genre of film and theatre fascinating. For one, Urban Drama is unique and creative, allowing people who have not often told their stories to finally have a voice to do so. In addition, Urban Drama focuses is often exciting, as the two selection demonstrate, and rich in character and plot. When watching Urban Drama, such as the film Crash, I am also reminded about how connected everyone is and the fact that even though we are divided we all have more commonalities than differences
What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?
One of the major themes of this genre is racism. In the movie Crash, for example, the Black and brown colors often experience discrimination, especially from people in power, like police officers. Another major theme is how self-expression. In “Our Lady of 121st Street,” one of the themes that is constantly addressed is what it means to be a person of color and how people of color can be true to themselves as people. This is a complex theme that definitely deserves attention in theatre.
Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street or view more films like Crash? Why or why not?
Yes, I would see a play like Our Lady of 121st Street or view more films like Crash. Even from the brief clips from Our Lady of 121st Street, I realized that Urban Dramas are fun, exciting, and thoughtful. Crash was much more sincere and solemn, and was not in any real way comedic, but it was also highly engaging, making it so that as I watched the movie I could not keep away. I also loved the writing in both the play and the movie, which I found to be honest, sincere, and, at times, deeply moving.
Student 2: Mohammed
What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?
My opinion of urban drama is that I really enjoy it and find the stories and characters engaging and well-conceived. Though I did not know much about urban drama before taking this class, when I first heard the genre name I thought that I would encounter cookie-cutter characters who talk about so-called urban issues but without any depth or insight. I was wrong. For this reason, I have come to appreciate the genre and am interested in viewing some other urban drama plays and films.
What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?
The major themes or issues that are found in urban drama are: racism, poverty, being an immigrant/outsider in a predominately white society, and the struggle to constantly improve. I can relate to all of these issues on a personal basis. As an Arab Muslims studying as a foreign-exchange student in the United, I know discrimination and the feeling of being a perpetual outsider, even if I am fortunate to not know poverty. Seeing the issues that I face projected in plays and movies lets me know that other people share my struggles and that I am not alone, which is comforting to me.
Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street or view more films like Crash? Why or why not?
Of course I would go to a play like “Our Lady of 121st Street” or view more films like Crash. In both of these plays, the acting was great, and I always appreciate great acting. I was also drawn to the plotlines, especially in Crash, which was so intricate and capable of keeping my attention, which is often hard to do. Though I still do not know much about urban drama, I plan to research the genre some more and find other plays and films that spark my interest and are worth watching.