Exploring the Self with Brown Bag Theatre
by Joe Mitchell, Art Equals Intern
At Art Equals, we believe that everyone is creative. Not only does each person have a unique self that they can express to the world through art, but creating art plays a significant role in the process of healing and growing oneself. It is often easy to consider art entertaining and fun, but at its roots, it is even more– it is crucial to our understanding of the world. The author John Green, in his essay about the prehistoric Lascaux cave paintings, wrote, “These communities hunted and gathered, and there were no large caloric surpluses, so every healthy person would have had to contribute to the acquisition of food and water– and yet somehow, they still made time to create art, almost as if art isn’t optional for humans.” Creativity isn’t merely an ornamentation to the human experience– it is essential.
The performing arts, much like painting, also dates back to prehistoric times. Oral tradition, the earliest form of theatre, still lives on today. Even when someone tells their friend about their day, they will use elements of theatricality in their tone, pacing, and gestures to prompt an emotional response. Every day, we are creatively performing, improvising, and telling stories. The performing arts are more than simply sitting in the audience to watch a play– they are a tool we use to understand the world.
Since we experience the world through our unique selves, creative performing is also a way of exploring the self. When an actor inhabits a character, they invite both themselves and the audience to ask three main questions:
How am I similar to this character?
How am I different from this character?
What can I learn from this character?
Oftentimes, answers to these questions may seem abundantly clear. But, like many meaningful questions, the answers may slowly reveal themselves through personal reflection. For an audience member, it may be the experience of sitting in the dark for over an hour, watching a character go about their life, that unveils their similarities and differences. For an actor, it may be the process of regularly putting themselves in the shoes of their character, and allowing themselves to take on an identity other than their own.
Then, once the lights come up and the actors take their bows, this self-reflection sticks with the actors and the audience alike. Many actors agree that the creativity they use to become different characters has helped them discover more that is true about themselves. In real life, someone may be hesitant to express their true self, both to themselves and others. But creative performing in any sense– whether it be acting, singing, dancing, or reciting a written piece– gives oneself the permission to explore an identity different from the one they outwardly present, and the bravery to take on a truer personal identity in their everyday life. That is why humans have an emotional response to the performing arts– because they tell us something that deep down is true about ourselves.
It is our mission to provide inclusive and accessible creative opportunities for everyone to explore and express themselves. That is why, for the first time this summer, we are hosting Brown Bag Theatre. In this week-long workshop, you can create a three-dimensional mask out of a paper bag, and decorate it to make a unique character of your own. Whether it’s an animal, a mythical creature, or even just a face with a strong emotion, putting on a mask provides us with a physical change, allowing us to truly feel like we are becoming that character. At the end of the week, everyone will bring their masks to life in a creative performance, each choosing a performance style that best supports their mask creation. Brown Bag Theatre is a way for anyone to confidently explore their sense of self, all with a little help from a paper mask.
To join us for Brown Bag Theatre this August, click HERE for more information and to register. We can’t wait for a summer full of creative exploration!
