Art Action And Revival By David Ftcho Analysis

Art, Action & Revival by David S. Fetcho is definitely one of the most thought out and thoughtful articles that I have read on the church and theatre in a long time. Fetcho begins his article with stating that “in many ways, the world of art and the Christian church are parallel universes. Both are concerned with the goal of becoming the point of social, psychological and spiritual integration for individuals and for society as a whole.” He’s quite right of course, and goes onto how the church and theatre ought to be married in the dramatic arts. He argues for the idea that the Christian artist, though a hundred years ago would have been crucified in the Church, is valiantly attempting to “reclaim lost ground--reclaiming territory that has …show more content…
It is in this that he suggests a change in how art is viewed, both in the church and abroad. Fetcho argues for change of perception in how art is experienced. He states that we are caught up in “a kind of perceptual oblivion,” and this one of the jobs of art and the artist is to overcome this oblivion. Fetcho states,
It is the business of art...to call the process of perception themselves into question, in both positive and negative directs, to reorient perception, either away from or back towards to ordinary, so that the ordinary can be truly experienced;to repattern perception so as to create the conditions for a new way of seeing that is prevenient to authentic encounter, and is hence, part of the basis for both reconciliation and …show more content…
In that documentary we see prisoners perform Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest. Big G, the actor who played Caliban stated, “ I’ve often thought that bunch of convicts would make great actors, because they’re used to lying and playing a role. But really it’s the exact opposite of that, because you have to tell the truth and inhabit a character. And that’s so scary for me and they guys in the group because we’re opening up our inner selves for everyone to see.” In this we can see that he really understands that art is not just something to be done by the faint of heart. Much like Fecho, Big G realizes that art can “succeed… as revelation precisely because it was able to incite the truth in its audience.” It is in the truth that the prisoners like Big G and Red find comfort. They become something more than their crimes, and one of the prisoners mentions that he’d like to be known for more than his crimes. They find a kind of solace in the truth of The Tempest, that there is a power in forgiveness, and though they themselves might not be forgiven by the world, they can find a sort of comfort in dealing out forgiveness to their fellow inmates and to