“A televised theatrical performance staged by the Democrats.” With these words, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes expressed his discontent with the beginning of presidential impeachment hearings. He indirectly invited listeners — both supporters and detractors — to consider the relationship between theater and politics. As the hearings continue, it’s important to remember that theater is one of the most consequential elements in U.S. history, enabling the killing of a president, the election of at least two, and probably the impeachment of another.Advertisement: This connection between theater and politics goes back to the earliest days of Western civilization. In the ancient world, people took to the stage as one of the earliest instances of civic engagement, telling stories that reflected their history as well as their cultural values. Athenians participated in dramas inspired by public debates as well as mythology. They laughed at comedies that made fun of recognizable politicians. Throughout history, theaters have been places for the public to see what was happening, venues for transparency offering points of view on real-life scenarios. A “medical theater” was the setting for scientific observation in the pursuit of knowledge. A “theater of war” was a battlefield, a zone of undeniable realness, where a split-second decision could preserve or end a life. There was little false or pretended about these kinds of theater, as my research on the role of performance in everyday life reveals.Advertisement: Plato’s warning Before print newspapers, radio and television, people learned about current events — as well as their histories — through performances and reenactments. The importance of live, public presentation has not waned despite the arrival of new forms of media. Even today, the television news anchor seems to be an extension of the Homeric narrator. They entertain and educate us with their stories.Advertisement: Nevertheless, numerous politicians, including Nunes, have expressed distaste for the presence of theater in the world of politics. Their aversion also has roots in antiquity. Plato complained about the popularity of artists and fretted that a society that empowered a performer could not realize its potential. He worried that his ancient Greek world might choose to follow an illusionist, essentially the modern-day equivalent of a reality television star, rather than an educated student of politics.Advertisement: Politicians as actors As centuries passed, this early anti-theatrical prejudice hardened for some into a general public distrust of an industry and the people who worked within it, viewing them as making money from a lie by pretending to be someone else. It is this negative labeling — theater as artifice or sham — that creates alarm when the idea of politics as performance enters the conversation.Advertisement: You can sense the anxiety and hand-wringing when sociologist Richard Merelman, in 1969, linked theater and p
Relax, Devin Nunes — theater is essential to politics
“A televised theatrical performance staged by the Democrats.” With these words, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes expressed his discontent with the beginning of presidential impeachment hearings. He indirectly invited listeners — both supporters and detractors — to consider the relationship between theater and politics. As the hearings continue, it’s important to remember that theater is one of the most consequential elements in U.S. history, enabling the killing of a president, the election of at least two, and probably the impeachment of another.Advertisement: This connection between theater and politics goes back to the earliest days of Western civilization. In the ancient world, people took to the stage as one of the earliest instances of civic engagement, telling stories that reflected their history as well as their cultural values. Athenians participated in dramas inspired by public debates as well as mythology. They laughed at comedies that made fun of recognizable politicians. Throughout history, theaters have been places for the public to see what was happening, venues for transparency offering points of view on real-life scenarios. A “medical theater” was the setting for scientific observation in the pursuit of knowledge. A “theater of war” was a battlefield, a zone of undeniable realness, where a split-second decision could preserve or end a life. There was little false or pretended about these kinds of theater, as my research on the role of performance in everyday life reveals.Advertisement: Plato’s warning Before print newspapers, radio and television, people learned about current events — as well as their histories — through performances and reenactments. The importance of live, public presentation has not waned despite the arrival of new forms of media. Even today, the television news anchor seems to be an extension of the Homeric narrator. They entertain and educate us with their stories.Advertisement: Nevertheless, numerous politicians, including Nunes, have expressed distaste for the presence of theater in the world of politics. Their aversion also has roots in antiquity. Plato complained about the popularity of artists and fretted that a society that empowered a performer could not realize its potential. He worried that his ancient Greek world might choose to follow an illusionist, essentially the modern-day equivalent of a reality television star, rather than an educated student of politics.Advertisement: Politicians as actors As centuries passed, this early anti-theatrical prejudice hardened for some into a general public distrust of an industry and the people who worked within it, viewing them as making money from a lie by pretending to be someone else. It is this negative labeling — theater as artifice or sham — that creates alarm when the idea of politics as performance enters the conversation.Advertisement: You can sense the anxiety and hand-wringing when sociologist Richard Merelman, in 1969, linked theater and p
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