Theatre as a Call to Action

Art has the capacity to move us, to make us think differently about the world, and to challenge our behaviour. It is no exaggeration to say that with the right conditions, art can lead to social change and spark movements. Indeed, the power of art in all its forms to inspire people to promote and fight for great systemic change is evident in the fact that throughout history and the world authoritarian governments have censored and banned books, plays, films, music and art, and even gone to the lengths of arresting, exiling or killing those who produced supposedly inflammatory content. However, art also has the power to exclude people. If art is produced by or represents the identities and views of only a small proportion of the population, it limits those who can relate to it and tells stories that only consider the identity of a few. 

In this lesson, students will consider theatre as a call to action, discussing its power and limitations to spark real social change. Students will explore the constraints of theatre: theatre productions (and indeed every art form) tell the stories of those involved in their creation; they, therefore, are more likely to resonate with people who have similar identities and/or experiences to the creators.  Students will read an article on this topic, which discusses the UK theatre scene and outlines issues regarding its inclusivity. They will then have the opportunity to modernise An Inspector Calls, outlining a version that is relevant to them and their experiences and writing a scene from their version. This creative activity will encourage them to reflect on the power of sharing stories and of telling their own. 

Before teaching this lesson, please review the following information to help guide your preparation process.

Activity 1 Consider the Power of Storytelling

• Explain to students that, in this lesson, they will be thinking about theatre as a call to action, considering both its strengths and its limitations, before going on to imagine and outline a modern morality play that is relevant to their experiences. 
• First, they will journal on the following quotation and prompts concerning the power of stories:
   

  ‘Those who tell the stories rule society.’ —Plato

  • What do you think this statement means?
  • Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Explain your answers.
  • Plato was a Greek Philosopher, who wrote this statement almost 2,500 years ago. Can you connect it to anything you see, read or hear today?
• Have students apply the Think, Pair, Share strategy with a partner, and then invite some students to share their ideas with the class.

Activity 2 Debate on Storytelling

• Tell students they will be participating in a short debate on the following statement: People cannot tell the stories of others.
• Guide students through the SPAR strategy, assigning half the class the position of proposition and the other half, opposition. Give them 1–2 minutes to prepare their arguments before having them debate the statement.  
• Ask students to then reflect on the statement themselves in a journal response and then a class discussion, using the following prompts: 
  • What makes it problematic for people to tell the stories of others? Explain your response.
  • Why might it be helpful for people to tell the stories of others? Explain your response?
  • How would you feel if someone told your story?

Activity 3 Discuss Representation in the Arts

• Explain to students that Priestley wrote An Inspector Calls as a call to action and a way to promote social change in 1945. However, there are fears that the arts and theatre in the UK are not representative of society. Tell students that to explore this idea further, they will be reading two articles about the creative industries.
• Divide students into pairs, and give each pair either the reading Working-Class Creatives: Excerpt One or the reading Working-Class Creatives: Excerpt Two. Give students ten minutes to read their text and answer the Connection questions with their partners. 
• You may want to project the following definitions on the board:
  • Obliged (v.) – bound to do something
  • Concrete (adj.) – reliable and steady
  • Alienate (v.) – push away/make to feel like they don’t belong
  • Airs and graces – behaving in a way that suggests you are superior
  • Creative economy (n.) – art, film, TV, theatre and publishing industries
  • Nepotism (n.) – the act of using power unfairly in order to get friends, family or people you know desirable jobs/benefits that put them ahead of others
  • Internship (n.) – a work placement in which people often work for free in order to gain work experience
  • Cognisant (adj.) – be aware of 
• Next, have each pair join up with another pair who had the other reading to create groups of four. Then, have them take turns to summarise their excerpt and briefly discuss the following questions: What is the most surprising, interesting, or troubling idea in your excerpt? What makes you say that?
• Finally, facilitate class discussion using the following questions: 
  • What did you find surprising, interesting, and troubling in the article excerpts? 
  • What do the excerpts suggest about the relationship between the entertainment industry and working-class creatives?
  • What might the consequences be for society if the entertainment industry only tells the story of some people? 
  • How do current entertainment offerings (art, film, plays, television, books, museum exhibits, murals) reflect or not reflect your identity and your experiences? Explain your answer.

Activity 1 Reflect on An Inspector Calls

Ask students to journal using the following prompts:

• Whose story does An Inspector Calls tell? 
• In what ways is the play relevant to you and your experiences? In what ways is it not? 
• What could be done to make the play relevant to you? How could it be made relevant to modern Britain?

Activity 2 Plot a Play Inspired by An Inspector Calls

• Explain to students that they will now be thinking about plotting their own play, inspired by An Inspector Calls. Their play will be a morality play, and while they can use ideas and themes from An Inspector Calls, they should write for a modern-day audience. If students wish, they can reimagine An Inspector Calls in a different setting and with characters relevant to modern society. 
• Divide students into groups of three and encourage them to imagine that they are playwrights, who are creating a two-minute pitch to promote their play to a theatre. To help them think about what their play is about and what they can include in their pitch, project the following questions on the board and give students fifteen minutes to answer them: 
  • What is your central message?
  • Is there a key warning (like Priestley’s ‘fire and blood and anguish’ warning)? What is it? 
  • Where is the play set? 
  • Who are the characters? Consider different factors of identity: race, gender, age, sexuality, class, education, language. 
  • What happens in the play? (outline the beginning, middle and end)
  • Who are the target audience? 
  • How is this story relevant to you and your experiences?
  • How will this story change society for the better?
  • What will you title your play?
• Next, give students ten minutes to create their two-minute pitch from their ideas.
• Finally, ask each group to join up with two or three others and give them ten minutes to share their pitches with each other. 
• If there is time, you may wish to invite some groups to share their pitches with the whole class.

Activity 3 Final Reflection

• End the unit with a final reflection. Project the following prompt on the board and give students some time to consider how they would complete it: One valuable idea from An Inspector Calls that I want to remember and apply to my own life is. . . 
• Invite students to share their ideas in a wraparound.