The Theater Day orientation did not seem as interesting to me as I was expecting. I did not feel we touched on anything about theater, though the interview with Safran Foer was an interesting experience. I was a little misled in the beginning and very confused as to the purpose of the day. The activities offered did appeal to my likes and I signed up for a couple, but again, I was looking for something more.
Foer’s interview was the most captivating part of the day. He spoke with eloquence and sophistication, but I couldn’t help but detect a sense of condescension. He spoke of art in a very abstract way, but it didn’t resonate with me. He read to us from the novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, in a very different way than when I had read it to myself before. The words seemed to pop out more and create a very vivid image. But when the interview began, my interest was lost. The questions asked of him were not at all about the novel, which I had been more interested to hear about. Instead, he was sharing insight on his college life and his opinions on our society and how we deal with technology.
Foer made an interesting point when he referenced the subway. He said something along the lines of how many years ago, people riding the subway could look up and spark a conversation with someone, while now everyone was so absorbed in their technological contraption that they had no time to look up and even smile. There truth in his words; whenever I ride the subway, it catches my attention that everyone, or a majority, has their head down and is looking at a screen. Foer’s words allowed me to look a little at my life and the choices I was making, which was at least a little enjoyable.
The name of the day was Theater Day, but I did not see a single reference to theater nor any discussion about it. I did find enjoyment in the day, but I was greatly disappointed.
