What I love most about Jenkins is how he views the theater to be a safe space for emotions, and usually the negative ones. That’s something that always attracted me to art, when the artist is conveying something so realistic that it’s gut wrenching or heartbreaking. That kind of art gives a commentary on real life which I find fascinating and significant. For example, Jacob’s Gloria excerpt was so complex and emotional, very much like a real life situation. These characters reflect ourselves by depicting our own reactions, and as a result play out our own thinking. The Gloria excerpt reflected awkwardness, anger, fear, and was perfectly executed by the actors. I was able to follow along with what Jenkins wanted us to feel and think about. At the end I was like holy crap that’s a real ass work of art right there man.
Jenkins also mentioned Game of Thrones and I loved what he had to say about it. He talked about how Game of Thrones is one of those few shows that is very honest with its audience. Like the real world, it doesn’t give the audience a chance to predict what’s going to happen next or feel comfortable with the current situation. Like life, there are tons of twists and turns and crazy shit happening all the time. The audience has to keep up with it and accept it as it happens. So, all the death, rape, brutal scenes have to be digested by the viewers and consequently the viewers are taken on the journey by the show. That again, is an awesome masterpiece that is moving for many viewers.
One more example of this kind of art that I really love is when movies don’t have happy endings. This is more general but when a movie doesn’t give you a satisfying ending that lets you sleep in peace, it stays in my mind for much longer and I enjoy it a lot more. Some examples of this are Shutter Island, Inception, Donnie Darko, Looper, and a lot more. I respect these clever ending movies because they keep the audience thinking like a real work of art should.
Anyways, that’s why I really like Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. His art is very self-reflective and makes everyone think and be aware of the craziness that exists in this world. I believe Artists like him are super important in this world.
