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Contrast and compare the role and purpose of secular drama and theatre as an expression of the communities from which it arose and for which it has served with that of religious and ritual drama and theatre. Use examples from Joe Turner and the way the play makes use of both secular and religious/ritual aspects to shape it's content an manner of expression.

Theater has always been an important art form because it allows cultures to express their values of the time in a public fashion. The best way to learn about people is to observe their art and their values. As a culture, we use certain rituals to mark events that we consider important such as birthdays, graduation, marriage, and funerals. In the same way, ancient people used theater as a ritual to express what they considered valuable.

Early indigenous cultures such as the Native Americans used theater as a way to worship their gods. Initially, Greek theater specifically honored one of their gods, Dionysus. However as Greek theater evolved, it began to focus on human issues such as relationships and everyday struggles. Medieval theater was very religious in nature because the Catholic Church mandated that all forms of art were to be made as patronage to God. Many artists were not recognized because art was seen as a collective act for God. Shakespeare and the Elizabethan drama served as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Like the Greeks, these plays explored some secular topics within a religious context. The Renaissance represented a time when society began to move a way from religion and towards science; its plays reflected this shift and were generally secular.

August Wilson set his play, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, during a critical moment in African American history. African Americans often turned to religious practices to deal with their secular problems. Mattie goes to see Bynum, a spiritual man, to see if he can help make her man return to her. Another example can be seen when Loomis appears to be possessed and have a vision but Bertha claims it was just drunken behavior. She tries to justify a spiritual problem with a secular behavior because it is more familiar. In this way, the play is able to demonstrate the blending of religious and secular ritual of African American society. The play serves as a reflection of society at the time.