I remember sometime the week before, the class had a discussion on how to "break up with a friend". As I was listening to the conversation, I realized that I was going through that problem. I had a friend in my life who I felt didn't need to be there. I felt like I was obligated to be their friend, yet I didn't want it and didn't enjoy it. When you feel pressured to be someone's friend, that isn't friendship. When I voiced my plight on the situation, the questioned was asked "How do you break up with a friend?". It never dawned on me tha there were no examples of 'breaking up' with a friend. Not even in theatre!
Why hasn't anyone written a script that ventures into the life of a individual or more that has a complicated relationship with a friend? Like, they have no other choice, but to break it off and end the friendship. Why hasn't anyone done that? We have countless plays that give us examples of dis functional relationships concerning family, lovers, spouses, colleuges, and if a friendship does end, it ended because of betrayal of love when the friend steals the lover! I haven't heard of it seen an example in theatre, film, or TV that shows the complication of friendship soley based on the dyanamic of the relationship without it being comedic (I Love You Man anyone?).
When I look at my situation, I don't find anything funny about my plight. I wish someone would discuss how complicated a friendship could be when there are hidden agendas involved. Since I'm the one complaining about it, I guess it'll have to be me (laughs to one self). You'd think throughout the history there would be a story, a serious story on a friendship that has ended. We're so obsessed with romantic love, but the love of a friendship can sting just as much. That's a pet peeve I have with theatre.
To explain in a nutshell my other two pet peeves, I'm over plays about dis functional families and over plays that 'try' to explain the African American experience. There are many plays that can reach out to people who have had problems with family members, but why do we have reciprocate the same old story? Wired dialogue, women with hidden sexual agendas, men who have masculine identity issues and etc. Even with the black experience, I wish it would be more diverse or dig deeper into the issues of the black community without being political. Like reveal how deeply religious the black community is and challenge the stagnation of progression due to the strong dogma in the culture. Challenge it without honoring it. Too many AA plays honor Christianity but never Truly challenge it.
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