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Bread And Puppet Theater Analysis

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Throughout the series of time, the theatre has been an essential integral in human-being. It is through theatre that people gain a sense of understanding for different and relatable perspectives. For many individuals who are, or have been involved in theatre, it has nourished them with meaningful messages and morals. A well-known company called “ Bread and Puppet” is an old but prevalent theater in our society today. The Bread and Puppet Theater was founded in 1963 by Peter Schumann in Lower East Side of New York City (Bread and Puppet Theater). Aside from being the founder of the Bread and Puppet Theater, Schumann was also known as a dancer and sculptor (Ryder). The Bread and Puppet company is a clear demonstration of the potential theatre …show more content…

The idea of sharing bread is to portray how theatre is an essential part of life. In an interview with Schumann, he described that “ theatre is …like bread… like a necessity” (Ryder). Through the comparison of theatre to bread, the Bread and Puppet company conveys that the art of expression is a necessity for people to gain a well-rounded understanding of the world. As explained, “For a long time, the theater arts have been separated from the stomach. The theater was entertainment. Entertainment was meant for the skin. Bread was meant for the stomach. The old rites of baking, eating and offering bread were forgotten”(Bread and Puppet Theater). According to this statement, it expresses how theater has only been view as a ‘single story’, which is to entertain and amuse people. On the other hand, the representation of bread is symbolical for food which is important for human survival. The Bread and Puppet theater aims to combine the symbolic meaning of bread to the theater, to express its importance in people’s life. The primary purpose of the Bread and Puppet theater is to raise awareness and feelings about the political issues in society. With the purpose to influence the audience awareness about political issues, the theater methods to reach that mission was through the element of political

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