Identity Lectures

This week’s lectures presented powerful points on identity as it is portrayed in the arts. From the lectures, the most important points that I took away were: identity is not always something that can be performed on stage, music itself is identity and that social norms are not always the building blocks for identity. The reflection on identity, particularly African-American identity, in these three main arts is incredibly important in understanding their meaning and how they shaped cultures of all types.

Identity is conveyed differently in each of the artistic fields just by the nature of the field. While theatre identity can be conveyed by transporting the audience into the characters world, music must convey all of this without visual aids leaving the audience to imagine. A Jazz audience, for example, without background knowledge, would not understand its history in the African-American culture. With that knowledge, however, the listener can really feel the identity of a culture come out.

A point that really hit home for me was the story of the Plano, Texas production of Hairspray. While I don’t think that company’s racial make-up is an accurate representation of the city it reminds me of the small town where I grew up. With most of the kids that could afford to be in theatre being white, we had to be sensitive to the play that we chose. I remember having to pass on plays because we could not “historically represent” the play. Because of the play’s historical message, I found the theatre company was being irresponsible in allowing the play to continue.

I am Greg Loeffler -- that is all I choose to identify myself by. I feel that giving myself an identity this early in my life limits me in what I can be. Later in life I may be able to put words to who I am but for now I’m happy just being me.