Ovation Fellows are current students or recent alumni from Los Angeles area universities. Fellows are paired with a Mentor, currently serving as an Ovation Award voter, and see productions and meet artists around Greater Los Angeles throughout the year. Their articles, posted on LAStageBlog, are intended to be their personal responses to their experiences, and not as critical reviews or representing the views of LA Stage Alliance.
Christopher Johnson is an Ovation Fellow from the Azusa Pacific University.
In a generation where people are faced with multiple issues and conflicts within its society, it is vital for the art to reflect the struggles and grotesque realities of the time. Traditional theater, which may pacify and placate the audience, is no longer relevant if it doesn’t seek to compel the spectator. L. Trey Wilson, the talented playwright and director, premiered his play Something Happened at Pacific Stages.
In the show, a traditional couple has to face the reality their son, an only child, is gay. As you begin to watch the characters relay their personal philosophies on life and love, each character brings a unique understanding of the world. Although very different, each philosophy sheds light on a different worldview.
One of the things I appreciated about this production was the Brechtian element within it. The concept of alienation, which seeks to halt the emotional catharsis, was a strong way of getting the audience to critically analyze the themes within the play. While watching, I was able to think and truly understand the perceptions of the characters. I feel this concept of Brecht’s has a powerful effect on audiences because younger audiences are hungry for art with substance. They’re hungry for art that convicts and transforms instead of art that conforms and compromises.
Wilson captures valid and current themes within our society and confronts a lot of the truths and misconceptions related to them. He presents multiple views within the spectrum and does not overtly push any ideas down the audience’s throat. Because he presents the story in a comedic and objective manner, I was more inclined to look at each character’s struggle and empathize with the conflict they were facing. Instead of presenting an overbearing point of view or an unrealistic portrayal, Wilson honestly dissects the hearts of the different characters on stage in order to truthfully convey the conflict within their hearts.
I appreciate this type of art on stage because it doesn’t hide the undeniable aspects of family life and personal life. It compels me to look at a point of view different than mine in order to gain a broader understanding of the issue.
