“Who dares not speak his free thought is a slave” – Euripides, ‘The Phoenician Women’
It is a fact that we can use our voice to create change. This could involve speaking from behind a lectern about an issue which concerns us, or it might mean reflecting the world of the unthinkable in front of our eyes.
Our world today has been transformed in many positive ways. As Queenwood girls, we are the beneficiaries of many historical transformations, such as the establishment of quality education for women, and we have the obligation to reflect these lessons forward. How can we shape our individual path to make this world a better place than it was when we came into it?
Theatre has the ability to do just this. No one production will change the world but it is one of the most immersive, captivating forms of education. It can evoke and inspire change within the minds of its viewers, as it explores themes from philosophy, ethics, morals, and values. It allows marginalised voices to be heard and can create long-lasting, important change in cultural and social values.
The power of modern-day theatre has its roots in ancient Greek theatre. In ancient Greece, theatre was used as a tool in shaping their “village”. Storylines were captivating and gripping, and taught the morality, virtues and ideals of the perfect citizen. Universal themes of love, loss, grief, power, war, violence, and jealousy were presented to a village of people with the intention of evoking catharsis and inspiring internal, moral and transformative change.
For instance, Euripides’ Medea, a celebrated ancient Greek work, is a story of betrayal and revenge. Betrayed by her husband, Medea murders her children as vengeance against her husband. It is a cautionary tale, exploring a character’s fatal flaw and using fear to send a strong moral message to the audience. In most circumstances, such themes are too horrific to discuss but here change is being activated by confronting the unthinkable.
From ancient Greek theatre to Elizabeth melodrama, to Victorian realism, to 20th century political theatre and 21st century theatre and screen productions, that conversation about the world we live in continues.
The liberal education that is offered at Queenwood has become more important than ever as the problems in our world grow in scope and complexity. So as the beneficiaries of such a great education and so much opportunity, how can we shape our values, morals, and aspirations?
Just as ancient Greek society used theatre to shape their village community, at Queenwood, we can utilise the arts to reflect stories, ideas, and messages that have the power to shape our own “village” of students. By honouring this long theatrical tradition we can expand the scope of a liberal education, and create a more informed, sympathetic community.
Most recently, the senior production of The Wolves spoke to our school community, as the story of a teenage soccer team contained characters with which all audience members could identify. The tragic death of one the teammates in this story reflected the hard truths of the world we live in. Rather than gloss over the potential for suffering, this truth is confronted as it was in ancient Greece. Just like the fictional teenage soccer players, we are all trying to understand who we truly are and our place in the world.
In our upcoming assembly next week, Year 11 drama student Aya Kazal will showcase her individual performance of Medea – one of the most infamous, unsettling characters to emerge from theatre. Through the appreciation and experiential study of art which remains timeless in our ever-changing world, we as Drama students are given the opportunity to shape the hearts and minds of our Queenwood village. We recognise and celebrate that, whilst the past has seen great change, the future holds the capacity for much more.