Blasted is an antiviolence play depicting mental and physical violence such as rape, suicide, cannibalism, and war. In 1995, when it was performed for the first time at the Royale Court Theatre in London, theater critics attacked the play for its excessive use of explicit violence and lack of what was called a moral framework. They referred to Blasted as "a disgusting feast of filth." In an Interview, Kane responded to the reception of her play by the media and said:
"there was an earthquake in Japan in which thousands of people died, and in this country, a fifteen-year-old girl was raped and murdered in a wood, but Blasted got more media coverage in some newspapers than either of these events […] the thing that shocks me most is that the media seems to have been more upset by the representation of violence than by the violence itself"
Reactions to the play and Kane's response prove Blasted as a perfect example of an In-yer-face theatre. Theatre scholars defined In-yer-face theatre as a kind of drama that takes the audience by the scruff of the neck and shakes it until it gets the message. The audiences in this kind of theatre cannot feel safe in their detached positions as they are constantly exposed to extreme emotions shown on the stage. (Dabiri, p:90). This explosion may evoke them to consider theatre beyond entertainment and stimulate them to participate in a movement for social change.
In-yer-face theatre is what we need in most parts of the world as many people are indifferent to what is happening around them.
Racism is everywhere; many people are being killed and displaced in the Ukrainian war; many Refugees are in detention centers in Libya. There is an interior war in Afghanistan where the Taliban are repressing and immuring Afghan people, particularly women. And foremost, the most significant feminist movement is happening in Iran, in which not only women but also men have come to the streets protesting against the mandatory hijab and gender inequality. Gender inequality has caused the death of many women, such as Mahsa Amini, so far.
Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old woman arrested by the morality police last week because of a kind hijab that was inappropriate in the morality police's eye. When police hit her head, she fell into a coma and died after two days. Her death now proves costly for the regime, as people in Iran have come to the street to protest against the hegemonic regime and the suppression system. Women are removing the hijab and burning it on the street, and men support them, but the government is always trying to suppress them. While the police are killing people on the street to repress protests for women's rights, Ibrahim Raeisi, president of Iran, has come to New York to attend the 77th United Nations General Assembly. Iranian hope that other attendees of the United Nations General Assembly would not be indifferent to what is happening in Iran, question him, and support the Iranian people.
I believe nowadays we need to stage an in-yer-face theatre as many people are indifferent to what is happening around them. They are bystanders who don't want to come out of their comfort zone to confront the reality of the society in which there are racism, inequality, gender, homophobia, and many other types of violence. In Sarah Kane's play, Ian is a racist, homophobic person who pretends to love Cate, but he belittles her every moment and then rapes her. Then Soldier brings all war violence into the hotel room to represent what is happening outside the hotel; he rapes Ian, eats his eyes, and then suicide. Ian and soldier perfectly represent the suppression system against all human rights, and their fate shows that even themselves, are not immune from the violence they brought. Blasted shows Sarah Kane's concern for humanity; it depicts that nowhere is safe, and the distance between war and peace is as thin as a hair. I hope performing Blasted provokes the audience to come out of their comfort zone and step toward making a change in the world and social justice.
Resource:
Dabiri, Ayoub. Sarah Kane's Concept for Humanity: Blasted as an Antiwar Play, Islamic Azad University, Abhar Branch. DOI: 10.7763/IPEDR. 2012. V51. 20
Kane in interview with Clare Bayley, Arts section, Independent, 23 January 1995, p.20.
Marzi, you did a great job. I agree with your take on how race is such an issue and this play outlines race in a not-so-obvious, but important way. Although sometimes these discussions are uncomfortable, they are important and need to be had. Thank you for all your pictures as well.
Marzi, I really liked how you used in-yer-face theatre as an opportunity for "reality checks" as this coming week's reading suggests. In THR 645, we have talked extensively about theatre as an avenue for empathy, but as Lope de Vega signaled in his pivotal work, El arte nuevo de hacer comedias (The New Art of Making Comedies) theatre has a didactic element, and in yer-face-theatres like Blasted, have the ability to teach and represent realities that are uncomfortable and distant, like for many Americans, war would be. I also really appreciated your use of the phrase "Nowhere is safe". By staging a violent war in the UK, Kane challenges the way we think of where war occurs and why w…
Marzi, I thought you made some great points. I really liked the quote you included : "media seems to have been more upset by the representation of violence than by the violence itself." I thought this really set the stage for the tone of the play. I agree that theatre can be visceral and uncomfortable while also working to bring change to the community. Some people need to be put into an uncomfortable situation for them to take action.
Marzi, bringing the Bosnia war context was really good and how Sarah Kane’s responded to the war. The quote on how media responded to the representation of violence instead of violence itself it really brings the reality of media on how it chooses to deviate the real and affecting issues by literally misinterpretation the real purpose of things. I really found your example of what is occurring on Iran really pertinent on the issues that are needed to be addressed on the consequences of war, defiance, and human rights. Great Job!