The Politics of Art & Authenticity

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BAM was not as fancy as Lincoln Center but it offered the homey feeling when entering the theatre. House/Divided was honestly the first play that did get my full attention. Maybe it was because the seats weren’t very comfortable or because the plot was really interesting. Maybe both.

I thought the digital effects were amazing. It was incredible how the scenes were able to transition so quickly from one era to another. The play compared the Depression-era and what is happening in this decade about the home foreclosures. The audience saw the similarities of these economic downturns.

The opening scene was an eye-grabber. It amazed me that the house was digitally formed. I wondered what kind of material they used for the house because it was also possible to see what was behind the house or inside it. I don’t know whether that film turner, or whatever it’s called, was just a prop or actually was used to project the picture onto the house. I also liked the digital screen on the background of the New York Stock Exchange. The modern setting gave off the franticness of Wall Street and how quickly everything gets done.

I think what also appealed to me in the play was the business jargon used because I recently took a midterm in my business class! I actually knew who Alan Greenspan was and what earnings per share was. Thank you, Professor O’Malley, my business professor. My favorite part was the hearing of Alan Greenspan and how he tried to justify the housing bust.

I did enjoy this play. I also liked the fact that it was only an hour and a half long because usually all the events that I have been to so far they are really long and it gets very tedious trying to pay attention after a long day of school. I have never seen a play like this before but I am glad I did.