Resist Capitulating: Psychology of Semiotics in Illinois Wesleyan’s Rhinoceros
Submission Type
Event
Faculty Advisor
Joanne Diaz
Expected Graduation Date
2018
Location
Room E101, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-21-2018 11:00 AM
End Date
4-21-2018 12:00 PM
Disciplines
Education
Abstract
Illinois Wesleyan’s production of Rhinoceros transported Eugene Ionesco’s words, originally inspired by the rise of fascism in early 20th century France and Romania, right into Bloomington-Normal and the Trump era, complete with “Make America Great Again” caps. As an audience member, I observed my fellow spectators and found the audience to be split into two camps—those who found the overt semiotics to be effective and powerful, and those who felt the production didn’t allow them to make their own connections. This study is an examination of the theory of theatre semiotics, engaging with scholars such as Saussure, Alter, and Fortier, as well as an exploration into the question of artistic license. I analyze both the production concept and audience reactions of past and future Rhinoceros productions, comparing the effectiveness of overt and subtle semiotics onstage, in order to figure out how to best engage audience members in political conversation through theatre.
Resist Capitulating: Psychology of Semiotics in Illinois Wesleyan’s Rhinoceros
Room E101, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan’s production of Rhinoceros transported Eugene Ionesco’s words, originally inspired by the rise of fascism in early 20th century France and Romania, right into Bloomington-Normal and the Trump era, complete with “Make America Great Again” caps. As an audience member, I observed my fellow spectators and found the audience to be split into two camps—those who found the overt semiotics to be effective and powerful, and those who felt the production didn’t allow them to make their own connections. This study is an examination of the theory of theatre semiotics, engaging with scholars such as Saussure, Alter, and Fortier, as well as an exploration into the question of artistic license. I analyze both the production concept and audience reactions of past and future Rhinoceros productions, comparing the effectiveness of overt and subtle semiotics onstage, in order to figure out how to best engage audience members in political conversation through theatre.