startingbloc essay #3
TRANSCRIPT
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StartingBloc Fellowship ApplicationEssay
#3:
ALOHA
Arielle Lehuanani Simon
everyone calls me
LEHUA(lay – who – ahhh)
Lehua is the name of a native Hawaiian flower that looks like this
my
nameis
pronounced
Pukalani
I come from a small town on the island of Maui called
Pukalani means“the heavenly gate”
I am a
performance artist,media designer,and (of course)
social activist.
as a performance artist and media designer, I am interested in the effect of live or digital presentations on public consciousness
this is the performance of an original
song called “the
matriarch”which is about
a woman’s ability to
govern and build
community
this woman is using a trash can as a musical instrument
Throughout history we have used the technology of theatre and its derivatives (such as film, television, etc) as a method to sway the masses through the
tactical presentation of information.
1000 A. D
During the dark ages, theatre was only
allowed to be presented by the Catholic Church, who used it to spread
biblical propaganda and attract the populace to
the church with theatrical spectacle.
Theatre artist and Marxist, Bertolt Brecht
conceptualizes “Epic Theatre,” a form that forces
audiences to recognize social
injustice and exploitation.
1930
The first TV commercial is
broadcast in the United States. Bulova,
a watch company, paid $9 to broadcast
before a baseball game between the Dodgers and the
Phillies.
1941James Cameron
produces Avatar.
2009
"If you can get a theater full of people in Kentucky to
stand and applaud the defeat of their country in
war, then you’ve got some amazing special effects.”
Russell D. MooreThe Christian Post
But I think we fail to recognize the impact our “entertainment” has on
our society.
We can tell stories that have a positive social impact.This is an advertisement for a production of A Christmas Carol that I directed in 2010. Not only did we raise money for the Food Bank, a cancer foundation, and children who could not afford Christmas presents, but we also portrayed the story about of finding joy and generosity during an economic recession.
The performing and media arts are one of our greatest tools for social innovation.
Go Theatre Power!It is my mission in life to show the world the power of theatre and use it for the good of mankind.(And I believe that becoming a StartingBloc Fellow at the Institute for Social Innovation will help me fulfill my mission!)