Oct 29 2012
A House Divided: Hardship Then & Now
http://www.bam.org/media/312114/2012_NWF_Mainstage_HouseDivided_613x463.jpg
When I first sat down to watch this play/multimedia presentation my first thought was “what is with these seats?” I felt as though I was going to fall off the edge of my chair and onto the stage. However as the play or story or whatever you want to call it progressed I found myself completely lost in the storyline. I loved how they used lighting and music and live performances all in one to create this play. For some reason I could not turn my eyes away from the stage. I was fascinated how they kept changing the size of the house and how they would project videos onto the house to make it seem like you were there.
The storyline was also great and I loved how that one house was able to tell the story of American hardship in two separate eras. It made me realized how important a home is and no matter what decade it is home will still be the most important aspect of American life. For many of us it is a home that idealizes the American dream,often referred to as the house“with the white picket fence.” This story evokes emotion in anyone who watches it because it is so relatable. It is so easy to picture your own family being evicted from your home and forced to fend for yourselves on the streets. Overall A House Divided was a spectacular multimedia play that gave me a very clear insight into the hardships of the housing crises in two seemingly very different eras in American history.
I like how you bring a personal touch to the presentation. It is so hard to imagine myself in one of those people’s situations, but this play helped, as did your post. It’s true that the house (shelter) is basically the most important part of someone’s life, and when you watch someone taking apart your home, it’s as if they’re taking apart your life, piece by piece! Hard to imagine, yet so easy too!
You bring up an interesting point – both stories epitomize the house, as the home stands for and represents so many American ideals, including prosperity, family, etc. It is truly the backbone of the American dream, something that lives on today.
It scares me to think about what you wrote! I can imagine my home being takeen away, because this past year, my bedroom was taken away from me. My mom turned my room into her closet while i was away for the year, and I got moved downstairs. Lots of my things got thrown out and misplaced, and it is a very unsettling feeling. But in the end of the day, even downstairs, I still have a place to call home (and something to hold over my mothers head when i want new things :)). If my home was taken away, i am sure that I would not be able to handle it. eek!
I like how your post relates to the presentation you gave in class on House/Divided. Home is very important and you conveyed that message very well in your post, as well as in your presentation. I think everyone can also say that those seats were sketchy and there were times I worried that if I fell asleep (which I didn’t) I would plummet to my death.
In the beginning I shared the same sentiment about the seats. It was amazing to see how the performers were able to draw people’s attention despite the risky seats. I guess it shows how engaging the show was. Personally for me it was fascinating to see you mention how relatable it was. Of course the concept of home by itself can be central to any culture but I think there’s a difference between a home and a house. What do you think the show was focusing on, the concept of house or home?