4-1 Discussion: The Performing Arts and Society

In this discussion, you will reflect on your experience with a performing arts work and the different ways that creative work impacts your relationship, as well as society’s relationship, with the topic it portrays. The performing arts work you choose can be a work you’ve participated in such as a play, a vocal or musical performance, spoken word, stand-up comedy, a magic show, public speaking, professional wrestling, a flash mob or other dance performance, gymnastics, and so forth. You may also choose a performing arts work that you’ve experienced in person or in a video, such as a Broadway show filmed live, like Hamilton. Remember, film is a visual art form, so you should only use a video if it’s a recording of a live event.

Discussing challenges that face our world often means investigating opinions and ideas different from your own. Remember to remain thoughtful and respectful toward your peers and instructor in your initial post as well as in your response discussion posts.

Create one initial post and respond to at least two of your classmates.

For your initial post, address the following:

1. Describe the elements of the performing arts work that you chose and why they made you choose this creative work.
2. Describe the topic of the work portrayed. Include why that topic is meaningful to you personally.
3. Describe examples within the work that caused you to feel empathy. Explain why.

For your response posts, address the following:

1. What stood out to you about the way your classmate described the work? Did anything surprise you or spark curiosity?
2. Have you encountered similar themes in creative works that you are familiar with? How did those works approach the topic?
3. What do you see as the unique way that your peer’s creative work builds empathy for an audience?