Some thoughts on... Restoring Faith
In the UK as in the States, the biggest topic of discussion is the Presidential election. There is an overwhelming support for Obama, and his rise to the top position is viewed as a means of rebuilding international respectability. Similar to people supporting Barack in America, they see him as a person who will re-establish a multi-lateral approach to world engagement rather than pursue the forced unilateralism approach of an unchecked super-power prevalent over the past eight years.
But are we placing undue hope on the shoulders of one skinny, black man?
Three of the hottest shows on Broadway and the West End are touching on this theme of faith lost and restored in the face of questionable moral choices. They provide some answers to this question.
Zorro the Musical interweaves the music of the Gypsy Kings around the classic story of a wayward swordsman jousting for justice in the California colonies of Spain. Diego (Zorro) is brought up with Ramon as his brother. Ramon diverges to become a totalitarian dictator forcing the army he leads to exploit the pueblo population. Diego inspired by his father’s memory vows to fight against the injustice. As Zorro takes on the cruel regime, the awaiting and until now passive population follows in Zorro’s example to vanquish the oppressive leader. Without the example of an illuminating leader the people would not be inspired; without the repressive regime Zorro would not arise as a guiding light. To place hope on a leader’s shoulders we need to find ourselves in a situation which we can not get out of by ourselves.
All My Sons is one of the first plays by Arthur Miller, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. In the glorious glow of the 1950’s, a family is recovering from the death of a son during the WWII. The family’s older son discovers the father’s involvement in creating faulty airplane parts that may have resulted in the death of a squadron of airmen during the war. Mrs. Tom Cruise (Katie Holmes) flits about as the girlfriend of the dead son and the soon to be wife of the older brother. The rest of the cast bring gravitas to the play; Patrick Wilson betrayed by his father’s morals (John Lithgow) is wounded by the indirect sin. Dianne Wiest is the mother in denial trying to reconcile a fallen son against the egregious choices of a husband. Despite the love of his family, the elder son pushes aside his family allegiance to reject his father’s moral uncertainty. The younger generation’s questioning and refusal of the existing business and ethical code, brings catharsis to the players and the audience for the dreadful choices of a fallen man.
Christopher Shinn’s play Now or Later is almost too prescient and clever. On the eve of election night in the US, the democratic presidential nominee faces a quandary. His ivy-league, gay son just attended a campus Halloween party dressed as an unflattering Prophet Mohammed. The son holds his own moral judgments, and is trying to prove a point on freedom of expression around Islam. This heady mix of religion and politics challenges and resettles our own borders of cultural acceptance and personal fortitude. To what extent to do we impose our own cultural and religious beliefs on others? Few answers are provided by the play, but it provokes and enlightens the arguments from each side. The characters are forced to reckon with their actions, compromise on their staunch positions, and minimize their own egos by accepting that no issue is as black and white as we would wish,. In the end, settling on a middle-ground in political matters rather than sharp ideologue may be the only way to bring about change.
Could a person who provides inspiration, questioning and then a middle-ground be what we need to counter the uni-laterial views of a decrepit administration and restore our faith in the US system?
But are we placing undue hope on the shoulders of one skinny, black man?
Three of the hottest shows on Broadway and the West End are touching on this theme of faith lost and restored in the face of questionable moral choices. They provide some answers to this question.
Zorro the Musical interweaves the music of the Gypsy Kings around the classic story of a wayward swordsman jousting for justice in the California colonies of Spain. Diego (Zorro) is brought up with Ramon as his brother. Ramon diverges to become a totalitarian dictator forcing the army he leads to exploit the pueblo population. Diego inspired by his father’s memory vows to fight against the injustice. As Zorro takes on the cruel regime, the awaiting and until now passive population follows in Zorro’s example to vanquish the oppressive leader. Without the example of an illuminating leader the people would not be inspired; without the repressive regime Zorro would not arise as a guiding light. To place hope on a leader’s shoulders we need to find ourselves in a situation which we can not get out of by ourselves.
All My Sons is one of the first plays by Arthur Miller, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. In the glorious glow of the 1950’s, a family is recovering from the death of a son during the WWII. The family’s older son discovers the father’s involvement in creating faulty airplane parts that may have resulted in the death of a squadron of airmen during the war. Mrs. Tom Cruise (Katie Holmes) flits about as the girlfriend of the dead son and the soon to be wife of the older brother. The rest of the cast bring gravitas to the play; Patrick Wilson betrayed by his father’s morals (John Lithgow) is wounded by the indirect sin. Dianne Wiest is the mother in denial trying to reconcile a fallen son against the egregious choices of a husband. Despite the love of his family, the elder son pushes aside his family allegiance to reject his father’s moral uncertainty. The younger generation’s questioning and refusal of the existing business and ethical code, brings catharsis to the players and the audience for the dreadful choices of a fallen man.
Christopher Shinn’s play Now or Later is almost too prescient and clever. On the eve of election night in the US, the democratic presidential nominee faces a quandary. His ivy-league, gay son just attended a campus Halloween party dressed as an unflattering Prophet Mohammed. The son holds his own moral judgments, and is trying to prove a point on freedom of expression around Islam. This heady mix of religion and politics challenges and resettles our own borders of cultural acceptance and personal fortitude. To what extent to do we impose our own cultural and religious beliefs on others? Few answers are provided by the play, but it provokes and enlightens the arguments from each side. The characters are forced to reckon with their actions, compromise on their staunch positions, and minimize their own egos by accepting that no issue is as black and white as we would wish,. In the end, settling on a middle-ground in political matters rather than sharp ideologue may be the only way to bring about change.
Could a person who provides inspiration, questioning and then a middle-ground be what we need to counter the uni-laterial views of a decrepit administration and restore our faith in the US system?