SUMMARY
Actors, experts and community members are turning to a classic play to address contemporary trauma and tensions from the pandemic. Reporter Jeffrey Brown has a look for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and for our ongoing arts and culture coverage, CANVAS.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Bryan Doerries and what is he the director of?
- What classic play is being used to address contemporary trauma and tensions from the pandemic?
- Why was the audience so moved by the performance?
- Why is "An Enemy of the People" relevant to today's democracy and public health issues?
- How did David Strathairn describe Dr. Stockmann's character in the play?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- What can we learn from examining historical events through art?
- How can learning from history help us avoid making the same mistakes today?
Media literacy: Write down three big challenges related to public health raised in the play "An Enemy of the People." Then, discuss how the play's treatment of those challenges is different than how a news outlet might present the challenges.
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Explore the interception of art and history by competing in National History Day! Learn about what types of projects students can make and how to get involved in next year's competition.
Link to the NewsHour Classroom lesson: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2024/07/how-students-can-explore-history-through-art-in-a-national-competiton
This post was written by Raegan Lusk, a senior at the University of Southern California, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour's Luke Gerwe.
Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources.
