One question asked in class was: Is all destruction necessarily a bad thing? A firecracker can be shot hundreds of feet in the air and blown to bits, but the pretty colors and relative lack of danger make it an enjoyable experience for many. Similarly, some will argue that the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were a terrible tragedy and a wanton act of violence, whereas others will say that they were a necessary and effective measure in a time of war. As for Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction (for the sake of creation) he has certainly been a busy bee lately hasn’t he? Tsunamis, hurricanes, epidemics and war are (still) eating Earth society for lunch. And although my knowledge of Hinduism is slim, it seems that Shiva is still worshiped as a benevolent deity because there is presumed to be a method to his madness. Destruction is after all a part of nature, and sometimes for a tree to grow it needs to destroy some ant colonies. This may be our clue as to why that feisty Shiva is also the god of sex, dance, and theater. It seems that sex, dance, and theater are Shiva’s bargaining chips to make his destruction bearable. Sex, dance and theater are, in their broadest senses, the reactionary or escapist measures by which humans can either express their feelings to an experience of destruction in their lives, or hide from them. Some of the greatest art has come from times of great human despair. Sex, dance, and theater are the antidotes to that despair, and the human heart pogos from pits of sadness to clouds of inspiration.
-- Director-Designer Collaboration
Ruth Pongstaphone + Ruben Polendo
1-26-05
