Because snakes are long

Haven't reported on the Religion & Theater class for a while. That's not because nothing's been happening, but rather because so much has. I was intrigued by Antonin Artaud's crazy ambition for the theater:

If music affects snakes, it is not on account of the spiritual notions it offers them, but because snakes are long and coil their length upon the earth, because their bodies touch the earth at almost every point; and because the musical vibrations which are communicated to the earth affect them like a very subtle, very long massage; and I propose to treat the spectators like the snakecharmer's subjects and conduct them by means of their organisms to an apprehension of the subtlest notions.

Antonin Artaud, The Theater and Its Double
trans. Richards (NY: Grove Press, 1958), 81

I find I'm having a hard time getting theater students to admit to such an ambition, or even a less mad-sounding version of it. "Theater should be fun!" When presented with a contrast between theater as instruction or pleasure (Bertolt Brecht) or efficacy or entertainment (Richard Schechner), most students choose the safe, polite pleasure, entertainment. While they are certainly keen on riding the wave of energy of an audience, the transformations which intrigue them (though they are sometimes rather unambitious here, too) are their own.

Next week, C and I will be presenting our synthesizing thoughts on what the class has covered. With your leave, I'll post them here once I have them.