"Society is a factory ... We produce the people you see on the street. We are, to a certain degree, responsible for what they've done, what they're doing and what they will do," says Karen Kessler, a faculty member of Ball State University's Department of Theatre and Dance. She says this referring to Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, the convicted killers of Matthew Shepard.
Last week, to mark the eleventh anniversary of Shepard's horrific, homophobic murder, there was a staged reading of "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later." The majority of the cast came from the Department of Theatre and Dance, with a few exceptions. Whether as a result of their craft, the show's content or a combination of both, audience members left Pruis Hall offering performance affirmations to those involved, but offered more passionately their gratitude that the performance itself occurred.
The emotions evoked by the performance spoke not only to the cast's talent but also to art as a force. Whether through the verse of Shakespeare or the melody of Beethoven, art can have profound effects on humanity. Art is so integral to the human spirit and a well-rounded education that sociology professor Melinda Messineo, director of the Freshman Connections Program, includes fine arts as one of the program's four learning objectives for freshmen.
"Fine arts are necessary to be a fully educated student. Our culture, knowledge base, critical thought and convention are continually challenged by the arts," she said.
And who are the people responsible for conveying these messages and ideals to challenge tradition and popular belief? To an extent, we all are; but for some, it is both a passion and a profession. Actors, writers, painters, sculptors, photographers and mixed-media artists, among others, spend their lives training and honing their skills to produce work that will not only entertain but spotlight that which is not openly discussed.
Jonathan Becker, another faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance, refers to a time in Czechoslovakian history before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Utilizing the theatre as common ground, citizens gathered to participate in political conversations within the context of the performance. The outlet allowed them to express their ideas without the fear of persecution, which was often the effect of public political discourse.
As Becker explains it, art is a conversation between the viewer and the piece itself. Adding more specifically, "The artist speaks of things between." Between reality and concept, practicality and theory. Art might be the "between" of Matthew Shepard's slaying and the still unequal rights of the GLBTQ community. Representation, manifestation, transformation of this "between" into something feasible - a painting, a photograph, a play - is art.
This art produces a unifying effect. "Art emphasizes a shared human experience. Everyone in an audience or at a gallery or concert is feeling something, and that something reminds us of our humanity, our shared experiences," Messineo said.
Such an experience transpired the evening of the reading.
Michael Daehn, theatre and dance faculty member and director of the staged reading, said members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, the theatre company that interviewed Laramie residents to create the epilogue, encouraged theatre groups from around the country to participate in staged readings to remember Shepard's death.
"Nearly every state was participating in a reading except Indiana. We had to do it," he said. "Within 10 minutes of sending out an e-mail [to the faculty], three-quarters of the roles were filled."
The poignant emotions experienced by the Muncie audience were undoubtedly mirrored by the other staged readings occurring across the country. Though separated by distance and boundaries, thousands were united in consideration of the effects of the tragic incident. Meaningful art conveys a message, sometimes one that is difficult to digest, like a brick in our stomach or the murder of an innocent college freshman.
Father Roger, the parish priest of Laramie who counseled McKinney and Henderson, said during the show, "They are our sons. We created them." The difference between a society and a factory is that a society cannot issue a recall. Society must live or die by the "between" of its intended creation and its final product. We use art as a medium through which to consider this question and others like it. The dialogue we repeat to ourselves, the tears we wipe away and the questions we ask at the end are evidence of art and its essentiality to our souls and spirits.
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