Applying Liberty & Theater

This series on political ideologies in the theater grew out of Caleb Winebrenner’s article responding to Daniel Jones’ post. Each writer was invited to respond to the intersection of political ideology and art in their work.

Why the hell would—nay, how the hell could—libertarians utilize theater, an art/industry plagued by insularity and commodification to further their goals?

I wasn't asked to contribute to this series to provide a concise taxonomic dissection of the philosophy of liberty, and praise Jeebus for that because I don't really know it. What I do know is that a) I'm a practicing theater artist, b) I've adopted the label “libertarian” since 2007, and c) my good friend and enviously brilliant D.C. theater artist Jordan Beck has filtered his distillation of civic practice to me in enticing fits and bursts.

So what I can also say from all of that is I'm both shocked and miffed that there isn't a libertarian theater movement raging across the country. Or, at least ubiquitous local-scale civic practice. Because theater, liberty, and local civic action are a fitful ménage à trois.

A common trait of my ilk is our preference for localization over nationalization. Take the Free State Project, an ambitious initiative for “Liberty in Our Lifetime” in New Hampshire. Okay, New Hampshire is a state and not a neighborhood, but Keene has turned into the de facto Capitol of this idea made manifest. A very proud and prominent community of deeply connected and exceedingly active people in and around the town have banded together for their cause: holding smoke-in's, attending public hearings for ridiculous citations, opposing mandatory seat belt laws, most recently “Robin Hooding” meter enforcement...And no one's even died yet!

Let me go back to a clause I dropped on y'all back there: idea made manifest. I think that's what theater really does: takes ideas, makes them into ephemeral yet infinitely tangible centers/events of community. Libertarians also manifest their ideas with abandon, especially in our own back yards. We spect-act a wide field-view of injustice and are not afraid to call it out, understanding the social need for the political and ruling class to be subject to scrutiny, mockery, and the beautiful baby, satire. ...Catchin' my drift? So why haven't these two (theater and Liberty) hooked up yet?

Why the hell would—nay, how the hell could—libertarians utilize theater, an art/industry plagued by insularity and commodification to further their goals?

Okay, there are plenty of play-scripts that mock authority. And the last thing­­­­—well, okay, maybe not last—but what I'm not advocating is libertarians becoming “traditional” cathartic playmakers. Because as mentioned in c) above, my appetite is whetted by prospects of socially engaged, immersive, participatory theater.

And, because I'm completely personally unversed in how said theater is practiced today, I am uniquely qualified to advocate for applied libertarian theater.

Picture free-staters in Keene attempting to address, say, the city's issuance of tickets for overtime parking meters and its run-ins with the merry men who rescue potential offenders. Yeah meter shortage is technically a violation, but everyone who has gotten a ticket recognizes its bogus nature. The Robin Hood approach is surprisingly controversial in Keene, and so let's suppose the socially active community (in this case, mostly libertarian) want to find a resolution to the escalation of a perceived injustice of which they are both subjects and, to a degree, inciters.

Using their interpersonal wizardry, with civility, they secure a theater practitioner or employ the necessary skills to their best ability; they invite city decision-makers and members of the community to a gathering; they utilize theatrical tools of improvisation, role-playing, etc. to honestly examine the perceived injustice and need for sensible order from a variety of invested perspectives; they engage in healthy exploratory dialogue. It is decided from the outset whether the event will encourage any lasting agreement by involved parties.

What was once a small town PR clusterfuck becomes emblematic of participatory governance. Local democracy demonstrates and enacts accountability in times of even the most modest social unrest. And even if nothing comes of it, at least everyone stopped being assholes and honestly listened for a hot minute.

If everyday people of any persuasion – libertarian ticket hounds, progressive homeless advocates, non-partisan pothole victims – were endowed with proper theatrical tools, and city hall opened their doors to directly engage the public, individuals and governments of any scale could co-demonstrate points-of-view, learn to live in those of the other—empathize with previously intentionally less-understood perspectives of their fellow civic “players” and act in a civilized manner in response. Consider: is it preferable that a Chief of Police enforce zero-tolerance for parking offenders, while agitators stymie officers' efforts and lambast public officials—or, for all parties to meet, actively engage multiple points-of-view, and address their real-world conflict?

If you were brave and caffeinated enough to troll the comments of Caleb's sparking article, you'll find me piping up far beyond acceptable lengths, trying to plant a single seed: that socially engaged libertarians can utilize civic practice. I now realize the flaw in my argument was its specificity: anyone with the grievance and spirit can and should use her dramatic toolbox to tackle her community's issues. I am certain it is a freedom that free subjects and lovers of freedom could embrace, champion, and proliferate.