The 7 Stages Of Grieving Play Analysis

How are the dramatic forms and theatrical techniques of the plays you have studied used to portray the struggles of the characters?

Contemporary Australian theatre employs the elements of drama as well as the conventions and traditions of many theatre movements to portray the struggles of the characters in an interesting and engaging way for both audience and performers. This can be seen in Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman’s “The Seven Stages of Grieving” (7 stages), which portrays one aboriginal ‘every woman’ and her daily struggle against prejudice, as well as this, the text explores a range of struggles aboriginal people have faced since settlement, such as the stolen generations and land rights. The play draws on a number of theatrical styles, using the conventions of epic
The play uses the conventions of theatre of the absurd to accentuate these struggles; the play shows a meaningless and threatening world where not even an innocent child is safe. The play also portrays that in this world people cling to abstract ideas of love and family to try and find meaning, which is shown in the way Ray and Sylvie refuse to move on with their lives and instead live everyday clinging to the memory of their once happy family. This is shown clearly in the preface, where Ray and Sylvie jump from topic to topic nonsensically and always referring back to Ruby, as well as in the way Sylvie reacts when Ray speaks of Ruby in past tense. In class we explored their struggle to move on in workshops of the preface. Ray spoke in slowly in hushed tones, while Sylvie spoke in a hurried and confused way, creating tension through the differences. The nonsensical dialogue of the opening was spoken in confused tones, demonstrating that Ray and Sylvie could understood the ‘normal’ life the once led and were struggling to try and have it