Distracted - Theatre Experience

I have never been to a theatre other than school plays a few years ago. The play definitely created an image different from what I imagined. Mama seems to be much older than what I expected, who I imagined to be around thirty to thirty-five year old, given the age of Jesse. I was surprised at how well the actress could engage the audience during her sililoquies as a mother and a narrator, perhaps that is why she was chosen to Mama. It was a marvelous experience to see the acting make the play come alive, the male doctor caught my attention the most. He was funny when he acted with different accents, and he was bold and genuine at parts when he was himself, "ritalin helped me act as a doctor to help people!" When he did that, I felt as if he was part of the audience, and no longer distanced from us on the stage. Overall, I loved the play and it was quite an refreshing experience. I hope students in future will have the opportunity to not only read plays, but also watch them up close.

Distracted

The play reflects what I feel about ADD and Ritalin: "nice and quiet" students are always more attractive to conservative teachers, but no child should have their mind altered to suit their teacher's preference. There have been countless debates over this issue, and there are solid arguments for both sides. I believe, in the most rare and severe cases, when they can barely function without it, Ritalin could be given to children, and they could really find more success than without it. On the other hand, for children who are labeled with ADD with minor symptoms, Ritalin feels like a drug-version of lobotomy, such is the case in the play, "Distracted."
Our society values obeyers who are quiet, and do what they're told, as opposed to trouble makers who question everything. But from my experience, the U.S. is far more advanced in helping trouble makers succeed, compared to other countries like Taiwan, where I graduated from elementary school. The American education encourages questions and raised hands, much more than Taiwanese schools. And this has allowed many innovators and original thinkers to thrive - I can't imagine Thomas Edison growing up in Taiwan, he probably would have been stuck in special ed for all of his childhood. This is not to say that American education can't be improved.
Ritalin is a drug pushed by the drug industry. They don't care about needlessly drugging our children, as long as they make profits.

http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/theater/reviews/05dist.html

Crossroad

The future is frightening, yet exciting.

Your heart itches, but your head aches.

Should you take the ride more satisfying?

Or should you settle for the bowl that never breaks?

You ponder all the possibilities,

But half of them fade sooner or later.

You wonder if you have the abilities,

If you really have what it takes to become greater

How do you think at the heat of the moment?

When so many factors need to be considered?

Like a chaotic cloud of torment.

Maybe some things never mattered.

You stand at the crossroad of your life,

And you are the one and only who knows what you desire.

The Rabbit Hole - Comparison

The movie of the “The Rabbit Hole” has many additional and altered scenes that give the viewer more to think about, but in some sense, it limits the viewer’s imagination – as the play gives a more suggestive approach to how the characters think and behave. One part of the movie that intrigues me is the group therapy session as Becca and Howie both attend, while in the play, Becca and Howie only recollect their memories about the group therapy sessions, and comment about what they feel about it – particularly Becca. In the movie, Becca openly confronts one of the troubled parents who also lost their child, who suggests that their children have been summoned by God to become angels, but the play, Becca makes the same comment to Howie when she expresses her discomfort about the group’s tendency to lean on religious rationalizations. The movie makes a more concrete, vivid presentation of Becca’s attitude by illustrating her awkward behavior, which is reasonable based on the play, while in the play, there are no scenes of Becca attending the session, but her comments hint her behavior in the sessions before she quit. Both mediums portray Becca’s radical thinking towards how she deals with the loss of her son, and how, at the same time, her attitude can irrational towards her own recovery and mental health. Perhaps, the movie needs more variety of scenes to portray Becca and Howie’s situation, so it shows how exactly she acts in the sessions. And the play can rely more on the audience’s imagination to let them formulate an impression of how she acts.

Madea

1.      The nurse feels sorry for Madea’s anger and grief as she describes Madea’s behavior after being abandoned: “My poor Madea – dishonored … she’s deaf as a stone or a wave in the sea (Lines 20 – 29).”The nurse also worries about what Madea might do: “I am afraid some plan is already forming in her head (Lines 33 – 42).”

2.      The tutor sympathizes towards Madea, but shows an attitude as if the abandonment was an unsurprising outcome (Lines 80 – 88).

3.      The interaction between the Nurse and the Tutor shows that they feel obligated to be loyal, while they feel sorry for Madea. The Nurse shows a tendency to be more on Madea and the children’s side, especially the children (Lines 82 – 84). The tutor seems to be more indifferent, and does not judge the situation of how Madea and her children may be exported (Lines 75  - 76)

4.      I stand with what the Nurse is trying to say to the children. The children are innocent and should not be tied down to the conflict between their parents. As a child of divorced parents, I feel that children are sometimes excessively involved by their parents – especially as tools to hurt each other. It is unfair to involve the children in such complicated matters at a royal level, and for their own good, they should stay out – like the Nurse suggests.

5.      The Chorus is not actively involved in the plot. They simply react to the plot, and provide information for audience.

6.      Madea expresses her frustration, sense of alienation, and her contempt for gender inequalities. Madea speaks in a tone that suggests her indifference towards what people think about her, as she points out the unfairness between women and men, which is seen as cultural norms in the setting of the play. She speaks candidly and seems trustworthy, and I feel that she probably has view of her society that is ahead of her time.

7.      The Chorus changes its attitude because of Madea’s compelling soliloquy. It got to know all the reasons why Madea is angry and frustrated, and has an idea about Madea’s point of view.