Course

ENGL 401: Senior Inquiry

Document Type

Student Paper

Publication Date

Winter 12-6-2024

Disciplines

Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory | English Language and Literature | Other Theatre and Performance Studies | Theatre History

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

In the marketplace of ideas, the Theatre Arts employ narrative stories and eye-catching visual art pieces draw listeners and viewers in a way that is unmatched by other methods. Art not only reflects the society from which it was created, it also acts as a projection of the creator’s ideal world. Theatre, being both a sonic and visual medium also has the unique advantage of speaking directly to a captive audience that are physically in the same room as the characters onstage, making those connections significantly more personal. A caveat, however, is that modern theatre tends to reflect the values of the economic elite. This phenomenon is reflected by two works of Susan Glaspell’s: the smashing success of Trifles and the critical failure of The Verge. Trifles was more palatable for audiences and critics than The Verge because, while Trifles is a feminist play, it does little to challenge real life structures and affirms the theatre as a masculine space.