GLOBETROTTER
Theatre, a story on relevance
in an age of dissension.
Expression, art and theatre plays are said to be the fountain where human creativity springs forth
and what makes us all uniquely human. When threats of censorship, suppression and blockage
occur as they do in our everyday lives, that same creativity gets stifled and creative sparks that
could have changed our perception or inspire feelings see an abrupt end without ever surfacing.
According to Professor Kathy Foley, a lecturer of theater arts at the University of California
Santa Cruz, theatre like human creativity also requires “space to breathe”.Foley elaborates that theatre and arts are quintessential meeting places of agreement for people
with dissenting views and suppression of these mediums could spell the end of creativity to many.The professor adds that this is the true essence of human capital.“You need such spaces where people can speak openly and, truly, and
theatre is that space. When I look at very difficult political situations such as
Indonesia during the crude politics of the Suharto time, the elites did not
care too much about exercising full censorship on theatre and this allowed a
space to breathe”“You don’t necessarily have to agree with what performers say. You just have
to create similar spaces for free exploration within classrooms. If you
suppress such spaces, you are suppressing a person’s ability to be intelligent,
to have new ideas and to seek solutions. And that’s what I see sometimes
with the education system or within some forms of theatre, artists don’t want
to “get in trouble”, so they suppress what is their ultimate creativity. That
creativity will serve the nation better and that is the challenge,
to create room to think. Theatre is only a small thing, but it
creates thinking human beings.”“One needs to create that human capital that
is not divided by ethnicity, or other things.
Education, theatre, and arts provide
platforms to work through issues, to get the
best thought, the best decisions and the foster
the most developed people to deal with
whatever is coming ahead”NEW HOTEL
BUZZ
With views over St Stephens Basilica and housed within a protected historic building on Elizabeth Square, The Ritz-
Carlton, Budapest is the epitome of elegant cool, complete with stained glass cupula and al fresco terrace that
overlooks the vibrant Fashion Street (from US$255 per night; ritzcarlton.com).New from
New Zealand
Culley’s hot sauces use
only the freshest
ingredients for that
specialty scald –
options range from the
smoky Chipotle with
roasted jalapenos and
paprika, to the
scorching “hot as hell”
Trinidad Scorpion
(culleys.co.nz).Wine parties will never be the
same again. Smear some of
Genevieve’s seafood and liver
mousse onto crackers and feel
your taste buds light up!
Hearty recommendations
include the chicken liver with
truffle and the scallop
(genevievescuisine.com).