Reading Response – Jordan Tannahill’s Why Live?

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June 23, 2020
Reading Response – Jordan Tannahill’s Why Live?
Understanding the importance of empathy and collectivity in an individual’s life is essential for our daily lives. It allows us to connect with one another and live together despite the increasing disconnect resulting from the continued dominance of the digital over the physical. In Tannahill’s essay Why Live, the author poses the question, “In an era where the screen reigns supreme, why live?” Upon closer scrutiny, this question appeals to our hearts and minds about the importance of theater and other live performances when it comes to their ability to create a sense of ‘community, provide an extraordinary experience, and ultimately, “confront the humanity of others” CITATION Tan14 \l 1033 (Tannahill). In this article, let us look at how these aspects are present in the live performance of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.
In his article, Tannahill explicitly argued that one of the reasons why people still watch live performances is to be able to build a sense of community. As social beings, we humans are naturally predisposed to do things together. We eat together, go to church together, and watch the cinema together. This is the same for attending a live performance of the play. It is the sense of community that we create as we hear others in the audience seat laugh, cry, and even get mad against a character, that gives us the idea that ‘I am not alone.’ During the time when I watched the live performance of The Twelfth Night, I realized that watching with an audience provides you a shared experience about the play. During breaks, some of the audience would discuss the fate of Orsino and how tragic it is that Olivia fell in love with Viola i...