jm+Assignment+3


 * Ritual Drama: Between Mysticism and Magic.** David E. R. George. __Asian Theatre Journal__, Fall, 1987. 26.2 pps. 127-165.

In his article, David E. R. George describes the function, history, and classification of ritual and its relation to drama. The topic, while intriguing in and of itself, is handled in a very broad and roundabout manner. Rather than speak exclusively of ritual drama, George chooses to focus on the definition of drama itself, tirelessly shifting from the Western suspension of disbelief associated with its drama to the Eastern acceptance of drama as ritual (as, for example, in the //raslila//). The reader is then pushed through a very lengthy argument on the definitions of mysticism versus magic and their association with ritual and, ultimately, ritual drama. Unfortunately, this approach distorts the argument the author presents and muddles the sense of direction of the article, leading to a very dry, if nonetheless informative, reading. As for the content itself, George seems to be well versed in the intricacies of both Western and Eastern theatre genres and does provide convincing, if seemingly contradictory, evidence for his arguments in the form of historical references and a nearly endless supply of quotations. It is clear that he has spent much time creating the rationalizations he employs, as he is undoubtedly thorough in his approach and aware of counter-arguments that have already been made. Unfortunately, the depth to which George pursues each micro-argument diverts the attention from the main point, so it must once again be pointed out that the style of the work detracts from the information contained therein. As for who would find the article useful, most anyone seriously interested in ritual drama would be able to take away a good bit of information from this article. As its scope is broad, so is its audience. Of course, given George's qualifications as the Chairman of the Theatre and Drama Studies Program, it is not surprising in the least that such should be the case. Beyond usefulness, however, the article does leave the reader with some important concepts to ruminate upon. While I would hesitate to place it among the beacons of enlightenment, there is still light shed from this article if one focuses on specific fragments.