Theatre reflects the society in which it is in. Use of particular elements of drama and production in Harrison’s Stolen and Keene’s Life Without Me and evokes the audience’s engagement and understanding of the dramatic meaning that is created. By exploring the development of the character’s personal concerns the audience can effectively engage with and consider the cultural issues expressed in these two plays. By highlighting and exploring these key issues the audience is challenged and confronted with a representation and reflection on parts of Australian culture. The thematic issues and concerns of both plays include – Racism, Discrimination, Persecution, Lack of Respect, Identity, Belonging (or lack of), Discovery and the issues of Home. Harrison’s production is an empathetic insight into the sustained impact of the “Stolen Generation” on its victims. Harrison’s stage directions allow performers to powerfully use sets and props to represent the experience of each character. This was demonstrated while viewing different scenes of “Stolen” workshopped in class. The actors started off each holding a suitcase conveying the absence of home, stability and security. This …show more content…
For non-Australians and even for many Australian citizens, knowledge of Australian policies such as the Half Caste Acts, Aboriginal Protection Act and non-indigenous policies such as the White Australia policy and the Assimilation policy stained Australian culture as incredibly racist. This context would help the audience of Stolen to understand just how much cruelty Indigenous Australians experienced. Harrison pushes the thematic concern of inequality through the five children institutionalised. The children are played by adults who symbolises the transgression of pain from child to adult; sexual abuse, intellectual abuse and physical abuse never just