A Living Newspaper

Recently a few classmates and I set out to create a living newspaper: A live-action presentation of current issues within the news media. Each group chose a particular issue that concerned them via a vote, then met in separate groups on their own time to write and rehearse a powerful skit to present to the general population here at Albion College. This harrowing project pushed a few of us to our limits and allowed all of us to grow as students, actors, and politically active Americans.

My group met several times to create a skit revolving around the topic of torture policies in America. The group meetings were truly enjoyable, with our members bouncing ideas off of one another until a wholly fantastic script which we could all be proud of rose from the ashes. The three other members of my group are truly intelligent, agreeable individuals and I was never once upset or frustrated with the decisions that we made. We never took away or put down, but always were either refining or adding to our piece of drama. What resulted was a powerful emotional display which we could all dedicate ourselves to.

Our group set out with the intention of exposing American torture policies that did not “hold water” (drum on cymbal) and provoking fruitful discussion revolving around past, present, and future American torture tactics. In order to accomplish this goal, our group used direct parallels between the words of the U.S. government and their opposing actions as well as satirizing some of the dehumanization tactics that U.S. officials use to break down the human value of Iraqi POW’s.

Many of the most emotional parts of our piece, namely beating on faceless people then waterboarding them, were wholly inspired ideas of my group mates, and each greatly added to the emotional weight of our performance. I found our piece to be thought-provoking, inflammatory, and powerful; exactly the three traits that I would believe to be most important to a work of scathing politics such as ours. Our performance was certainly far from perfect, however,  and if we were to do our piece over again I would add a stronger finishing scene revolving around the Obama/Cheney interviews. I did find our finish to be the most dry point of our skit, though it was still vital to our success.

The living theater project confirmed for me how powerful the theater can be in exposing policital indecency and bringing about consequential change. I learned also that the drama of everyday life is often never considered; if actors never would portray life in a dramatic or satirical matter, then no one would ever see how truly preposterous their actions are.