In response to David Jagernauth’s commentary article on Feb. 4, 2005, I happen to agree with a lot of what was said in his column (“Welcome to activist theatre”). I like the idea that some “actions” are becoming “more arbitrary and less consistent.”
However, I feel that many “activists on the left” are very deliberate in their actions. They also get results. The time has come where conventional forms of protest are largely ignored. Many of these actions take place after an issue has been ignored in the institutional realm, so the necessity of “theater activism” becomes an expression of the actor’s lack of satisfaction with the dominant power structure. “Theater activism” is a tactic important for
expressing ideas without having to depend on mainstream media.
Saying that we should narrow the targets of our actions, I can agree with. But suggesting that we narrow the scope of our disobedience is exactly the opposite of what needs to happen on a very, very large scale.
Creativity is revolutionary.
Ray Cole
Eugene