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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.

Over the years, the theater has served as a sort of mirror for society. As one explores the motives behind plays and other works of theater and the meanings behind these pieces, one is able to see the religious and secular influences of the times.

Religious influences are recorded from as far back in history as Native American societies. In these societies, the people celebrated and worshipped their gods by through performances involving ornate costumes, masks, and very intricate dance choreography. In __Joe Turner__, Bynum serves as the main religious symbol, almost like a shaman at times. His name refers to the fact that he brings couples together by performing symbolic marriage ceremonies, serving as a sort of reverend. Along the same line of western religious traditions, when Loomis collapses on the floor Bynum acts as a minister. In this scene, he leans over Loomis, asking questions and calling him by his full name as one might do during a baptism. Furthermore, Bynum kills the pigeons in the yard and uses their blood in a religious rite of some sort that is reminiscent of religious sacrifice. While this practice does not reflect religious practices of most in society today, there is no doubt that religious overtones are present here. When the characters are shown performing the juba song, there is a break from the realistic nature of the play. This scene is very similar to what Native American tribes might have done in their religious theater long ago and is directly taken from African traditions as a form of joining the mystical, spiritual world with reality.

In Elizabethan Theater, the religious influences on theater disappeared and the focus turned toward human condition and motivations. This period of theater was almost entirely secular. __Joe Turner__ focuses on some secular themes such as family; here the traditional idea of family is challenged and expanded to include people who are very close to one another even though they are not actually related. The members of the boarding house come together to support one another with life’s struggles and the whole serves as a hub in each character’s life. Their bonding through the juba dance and over coffee and biscuit further develops this idea of family and closeness. Identity is also explored in depth as most characters travel through a type of transition in their lives to find themselves. Loomis, obviously, in undergoing the deepest change as he journeys to find his wife and to rediscover who he is now that he has been released from captivity. The young boy, Jeremy, is only just coming into his own and has difficulty staying out of trouble as he tries to both work and follow his love for music. Mattie had the misfortune of being abandoned and is forced to stand on her own two feet. Though she and Jeremy are bedfellows, she is truly on her own and has to discover how to be so. All of these characters use the boardinghouse as a safe haven in which they can grow and change as people.

Citation:

Arnold, Stephanie. //The Creative Spirit: An Introduction to Theatre//. 5th ed. New York:

McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.