Probably the most intriguing topic for me in class was dramaturgy. This term was really relateable, because I was in one musical and I was back stage crew for a lot of productions in high school.
Dramaturgy is using the analogy of stages. We all have different stages that we are apart of. For example, I have a stage as a student and as a roommate. I act differently in both areas. At home, I would not be raising my hand to talk to my fellow roommates nor would I be sitting in class wearing sweatpants watching Doctor Who on Netflix. Note that I said that I would never wear sweatpants to class. Sweatpants would be considered "props" in terms of Goffman's dramaturgy theory. They would be considered a prop, because those sweatpants would be seen by others and they would base their ideas of me off of what I wear. It perhaps it may give off a signal that I like being comfortable, I do not care how I look or I am lazy. I do not wear sweatpants, because I use my clothes as a prop to portray to people who I am and I think sweatpants would give off a vibe to people that I am lazy first. (Sorry to all of you sweatpants fans out there.) This just shows the power of the audience. People are watching you; they have expectations for you and they will interpret your acting whether you like it or not. If the audience or society had no power, no one would care what other people wear and I would probably be sporting my sweatpants everywhere.
"Rehersal on Stage" by Edgar Degas
You did a really good job of making this personal and easy to understand! It's so true that our clothes can be considered props, because they say so much about us! (Even thought I would most likely be seen in class wearing sweatpants!) But of course, there are times when, yes, it's very important to present yourself in a way that shows you are professional, responsible, etc...and clothes are often the first indicator of that! I really enjoyed your post! :)
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