Beyond Verbatim: Embodied Truth and the Limits of Language in House Arrest

Year 2024, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 136 - 152, 19.09.2024

Mehmet Ünal

https://doi.org/10.62425/theatreacademy.1530109

Abstract

In an era marked by the proliferation of media images and the blurring of fact and fabrication, Anna Deavere Smith’s House Arrest (1999) offers a compelling exploration of truth, language and the pervasive influence of media in shaping public perception. Through verbatim text, minimalist staging and emotionally resonant performance, Smith highlights how individuals, particularly those from marginalised groups, are vulnerable to having their narratives distorted or controlled by those in power. In light of media effects theories, including framing, agenda-setting and Marshall McLuhan’s concepts of the ‘global village’ and ‘the medium is the message,’ this article analyses how the play compels a critical examination of media manipulation and the subtle ways language constructs individuals’ understanding of truth. Transcending its historical context, House Arrest emerges as a timely call for heightened media literacy and a discerning approach to information consumption in a world increasingly characterised by political polarisation and misinformation. Ultimately, Smith advocates for an active engagement with diverse perspectives and a recognition of the limitations of language by encouraging the audience to cultivate a more conscious and critical relationship with the information that surrounds them.

Keywords

Anna Deavere Smith, House Arrest, Media Effects, Verbatim Theatre, Performance

Verbatim’in Ötesinde: House Arrest’te Vücut Bulan Hakikat ve Dilin Sınırları

Abstract

Medya imgelerinin çoğaldığı ve gerçek ile uydurmanın bulanıklaştığı bir çağda, Anna Deavere Smith’in House Arrest (1999) eseri hakikatin, dilin ve medyanın kamusal algıyı şekillendirmedeki yaygın etkisinin ilgi çekici bir incelemesini sunar. Verbatim metin, minimalist sahneleme ve duygusal açıdan yankı uyandıran performans aracılığıyla Smith, özellikle marjinal gruplardan gelen bireylerin anlatılarının iktidardakiler tarafından çarpıtılmaya veya kontrol edilmeye karşı nasıl savunmasız olduklarını vurguluyor. Çerçeveleme (framing), gündem belirleme (agenda-setting) ve Marshall McLuhan’ın ‘küresel köy’ (global village ) ve ‘araç mesajdır’ (the medium is the message) kavramları da dahil olmak üzere medya etkileri teorileri ışığında bu makale, oyunun medya manipülasyonuna dair eleştirel bir incelemeyi nasıl zorunlu kıldığını ve dilin bireylerin hakikat anlayışını nasıl incelikli bir şekilde inşa ettiğini analiz etmektedir. Tarihsel bağlamını aşan House Arrest, siyasi kutuplaşma ve yanlış bilgilendirmeyle giderek daha fazla karakterize edilen bir dünyada, artan medya okuryazarlığı ve bilgi tüketimine yönelik seçici bir yaklaşım için zamanında yapılmış bir çağrı olarak ortaya çıkıyor. Sonuç olarak Smith, izleyicileri onları çevreleyen bilgilerle daha bilinçli ve eleştirel bir ilişki kurmaya teşvik ederek farklı bakış açılarıyla aktif bir etkileşimi ve dilin sınırlarının tanınmasını savunur.

Keywords

Anna Deavere Smith, House Arrest, Medya Etkileri, Verbatim Tiyatrosu, Performans

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