And now for something completely different. We're several steps beyond 1934's Children's Hour with 1994's Love! Valour! Compassion! In fact, you might even say we're in a whole different worldview, one where thoughts about capital-T Truths and consistent methods for representing that Truth are much changed.
Suppose a historian centuries in the future reads The Glass of Water and The Children's Hour and concludes (rightly) that these plays emerge from and point to a worldview that affirms bright dividing lines between reality and fantasy, truth and illusion. Furthermore, these plays--by their very structure--seem to reflect a preference for order, cause-and-effect advancement, climactic (obligatory) scenes, and definite conclusions.
Suppose that this future historian then looks at Love! Valour! Compassion! Looking only at the structure and dramaturgical choices in the play, what conclusions about the worldview of the play's culture (USA 1994) might our historian draw? What is this culture's view of capital-T Truth and whether/how artists represent that Truth? What assumptions about theatre and drama seem to be inherent in this play that make it different than well-made plays and their offshoots? What is this play doing that's different from other plays we've read?
JF
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