That would be November 8th 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Up until then, journalists and news anchors would inform while comedians provided laughter. Each had a role with specific duties. A few weeks into this new presidency however, as American audiences started complaining about late-night shows joking about the President and stand-up comedians focused on the hilarity in the White House, lines were blurred.
By executive order, President Donald Trump recently rescinded the three-year-old rule that requires the Director of National Intelligence to disclose the number of civilians killed by drone strike outside of official war zones. What could this news possibly have to do with me, a composer/playwright?
Turn on CNN, BBC, open the New York Times or the South China Morning Post and you’d be forgiven for thinking the sky is falling. In fact, best not to do any of those things but quickly, go and check your window – maybe the sky is already down.
Over the last few weeks, the artistic world has been making headlines, the question has been raised – how far is too far? Art, by its very nature is meant to push people beyond their comfort zone and make people think. This can be a very confronting and is not always welcomed. But when does art cross the line from confronting and thought provoking to outright offensive and detrimental? Who gets to decide where this line is?
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you for your interest in the TheatreArtLife Archives, this area is for members only.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.