Macon theaters remind us why arts, humanities matter in modern education | Opinion

My wife and I recently decided to celebrate my birthday by seeing a play. On the previous weekend we had seen a show in Atlanta called “Reservoir,” concerning dementia and alcoholism, but this week we were attending local productions (“Waitress” and “Rent”). Many people are sadly unaware that Macon is home to two very fine community theaters. The local colleges also produce plays, although not to the extent that they once did. We were able to see an interesting production of the classic “The Colored Museum” at Mercer University this year.

I have attended dozens of shows in Atlanta and New York, but among the very best that I have seen are several from Macon’s stages. Our city can take pride in the quality of entertainment produced here. Alas, those who follow the news are undoubtedly aware that all across our land, the death of the arts and humanities is being announced. We see this demise not only in our local communities but in the curriculum of the nation’s colleges and universities — where they once comprised the heart of the curriculum.

Many schools today have abolished their theater departments. Even better known is the decline of the nation’s English departments. Once vast operations using English 101 and 102 as the tools to teach first-year students “composition.” These ”how to write” courses paid a lot of rents until some educators decided that perhaps many highly educated, well-read persons could share their secret with undergraduates. Most recently, the advent of artificial intelligence has brought upheaval to academic writing, relegating the English department to teaching literature, which some say is how it should be.

Years ago, exposure of students to great literature was a major part of both secondary and post-secondary education. In my “library” is a high school English textbook from the late 1930s. The farm boys from rural Virginia who read the classic works in this 786-page tome would soon leave their agrarian pursuits for the Great War in the fields of France. The ones who returned home became the parents of the legions who returned to the fields of France or who fought in the Pacific islands – “the Greatest Generation” (including my father and several of his brothers). No doubt many of these youths remembered Kipling’s poetry: “You may talk ‘o gin and beer when you’re quartered way out here, but when it comes to slaughter, you’ll do your work on water….”

Late at night, some folks’ conversation devolves around to discussing “the human condition” or “the meaning of life.” Do we expect education to prepare us for life? In an earlier era we expected much of education to be aimed at the preservation of civilization. Today we expect most education to be career-focused. We see this change in many ways, especially in the diminution of the role of arts and humanities. We see this in the role of the humanities in the curriculum at the service academies (recently under attack). They too could use some Kipling.

At Christmas last year, my wife and I journeyed to New York to see Macon native Grey Henson starring in “Elf” on Broadway. While there, we also saw Atlanta’s Kenny Leon’s production of “Our Town.” First written in 1938, this soul-searching show still speaks to us in the 21st century. It’s also a profound illustration of why we need to educate our students in the humanities. Playwright Thorton Wilder reminds us of the precious nature of human life, a lesson as essential in our time as in 1938.

Larry Fennelly can be contacted at larney_f@hotmail.com