Multi-Modal Literacies: Les Miserables

     Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to go see Les Miserable at Playhouse Square in Cleveland.  It's a musical that centers around the French Revolution but also deals primarily with human relationships and the human spirit in times of trouble.  Although, I've seen this musical twice before it had been about ten years since the last time I saw it.  To me, it was interesting to see how the show has changed in the past ten years including the new uses of technology in lighting and background images that were used.  I also thought it was interesting how I understood the show as a whole so much better.  Last time I saw it I was eleven and I didn't understand a lot of the adult content in the storyline.
     Overall, I think theatre is a great example of a type of text that people don't often utilize.  This show made me think so much about human nature and the human story and the costumes and music were beautiful.  I think people could really benefit from seeing these shows.  Playhouse Square is only about fifty minutes away in Cleveland and there are tickets sold at cheaper prices.  I also think it would be a great idea to do a unit involving theatre with my future students.  I think this would expose them to a different element of culture and allow them to explore different themes in a variety of ways.