Hi this is going to be like previous discussion assignments you did.

This week we have been looking at Urban Drama in Film and Theatre, its style, way of presentation, the people, the characters, and situations that fill up the pages of Urban Drama playwrights and screenwriters who seek to engage their audiences in very real and provocative ways. These movies and plays can be intense and searing at times with their topics and issues related to so called “street life” or stories that reflect the everyday struggles of so many that live in highly urbanized areas dealing with poverty, crime, family, drug abuse, gangs, race, and social and economic immobility, assimilation, gentrification and appropriation.

It is interesting to note that the style of these plays are not always supposed to be realistic. In fact many playwrights will create stories that are slightly more melodramatic or having more melodramatic characters in some situations to make their social commentary have more impact and perhaps more entertainment in the storytelling. Stephen Adly-Guirgis is one of these playwrights who tends to tell his stories in a melodramatic fashion or style. The Last days of Judas Iscariot, Jesus Hopped the A-train, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Mother F@$%*& With A Hat all have melodramatic characters and more theatrical elements that help to lift the drama in a potentially provocative and entertaining way. The language and often course vernacular of the people and characters that populate his plays is very important to him as way to convey aspects of behavior, culture, decorum and a certain point of view about the society around him.

Here are two clips from a fairly recent production of his play: Our Lady of 121st Street.

WARNING: There is a lot of course language used in the dialogue within this clip which is the first scene from the play.

One could make the argument that Urban Drama is a melding of particular aspects of so many of the other genres of Theatre and Film that we have looked at so far this semester, African American Theatre, Latino Theatre, Asian and LGBT Theatre. There are so many common themes that cross over these genres. Urban Drama will often purposely blend the characters and cultures to look more at the humanity of particular group of people rather than the specific cultural or ethnic background being the underlying through line. These plays tend to have a “melting pot” kind of casting that adds to the language, the conflicts and social angst in these stories.

For your discussion this week:

Reflecting on your studies this week including your own research and conclusions to what Urban Drama in Theatre and Film is:

What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?

What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?

Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street? Why or why not?

Would you seek out another Urban Drama film in the future. Why or why not?

# Your post should be at least 150 words

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Part 2: Your Comments: Read and respond to two other students’ answers. Make sure you are specific and identify who and what you are responding to.

Remember, your answer needs to be at least 150 words total and use proper English grammar and syntax, and you must reply to at least two other students’ posts.

Respond to these two:

1- Hira Yousaf

What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?

To be honest, I was never really that familiar with Urban drama till we watched the film Crash. I loved how it emphasized people’s daily struggles that they have to face such as dealing with racist people and people who don’t take the role of gender seriously. For example, when the police officer molesting the other guy’s wife, I felt very shaken because there are many women out there going through the same tragedy but no one to help them. Some of the themes that are presented in this film still exist in today’s generation such as racism, crime, inequality of being from a lower class. All these themes presented in urban drama reflect the lives of those who don’t speak up everyday. I think presenting the reality in this genre is a good way to make others’ voices heard about what they are going through.

What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?

Racism, crime, hate among people, gender inequality . It is basically used to represent a realistic and articulate outlook on the urban community and also deals with the social issues of the urban society. I’ve watched a couple of urban drama films such as Hotel Rwanda, which was all based on the true lives of being an African-American. This was a very touching film for me because it was my very first urban drama film that had ever sparked such a true emotion inside of me. Even in the film Crash, at first I was very confused with the film because I couldn’t understand the plot very well. However, later on in the film, the idea of how racial issues cause conflict among people became more clear. We grew up in a society where we have seen many cases of racial injustice or have seen documentaries about it. putting these issues in a urban drama genre makes it easier to understand the lives of those who are being mistreated based on their gender, ethnicity or their level of working class.

Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street? Why or why not?

No, I would not. Just watching the recent two clips, I felt very uncomfortable. I’ve seen plays before and I’m just not a huge fan of it because I don’t think that their plot is too organized or easy to follow along for their audiences. Instead, I’d rather watch a movie, where the story starts with a theme. I don’t believe that plays connect with your emotions, well at least it doesn’t with mine as much as films do. In a play, its also hard to see where the characters is facing while they are acting. Yes, I agree it does provide a realistic view of the society but I just don’t like the way that its directed. I prefer watching documentaries on reality that have different locations and everything is not just played out in one location with just two characters acting the scene out.

Would you seek out another Urban Drama film in the future. Why or why not?

Sure, why not! I love watching movies like the Crash or Hotel Rwanda or any other film whose main focus is to portray the reality of people going through issues such as gender, race, ethnicity. These are issues that have been going on for a very long time and there are definitely not enough films out there to show the messages for these types of issues. We have a lot of themes of romance, comedy, fiction but very few to address the social issues of our society. Urban drama has opened my eyes as to what goes on in people’s day to day life. After watching the film Crash, I definitely feel the urge of watching more urban drama films because they are so relatable to our society.

2- David Nguyen

What is your opinion of this genre of Film and Theatre?

· I find urban drama to be very interesting and relevant because it deals with issues that people in the inner city face all the time. Thus, it has these realistic elements that make the audience empathize with the character even further. Additionally, these plays show how these different cultures in the city interact with each other, and this is a very intriguing aspect of urban drama that I like.

What do you believe are some of the major themes or issues that this genre deals with?

· I believe some major themes are gangs, corruption, crime, drugs abuse, and inequality because these are characteristics of life for people who live in the city. Through showcasing these abhorrent scenarios, these plays are advocating for adjustments in how we deal with people. One can see these themes in the play, Our Lady of 121st Street, and the movie Crash.

Would you ever go to a play like Our Lady of 121st Street? Why or why not?

· I would because the 1st scene started out strong with Vic out in his underwear. This is both alarming and hilarious; these scenes enticed me to watch the rest of the play. In addition, they mock common male stereotypes, and this shows that they aren’t afraid to enter controversial topics; this motivates me more to see the play in action.

Would you seek out another Urban Drama film in the future? Why or why not?

· I would see an Urban Drama film in the future because I find the themes that are commonly found are interesting. Furthermore, I am curious to see the playwright take on the genre, and I want to see what narrative he is trying to push. In addition, the urban drama film might highlight crucial social issues that I have no knowledge

Just respond to them in a paragraph of 150 words at least.

Thanks,

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