Julie Taymor’s “Lion King” as an example of Reconstructivist Art
Experimental theater veteran Julie Taymor put together this commercial and critical smash hit musical-theater adaptation of a Disney movie.
Reconstructivist Elements:
- Nod to Artifice: The show features fully visible puppeteers, and actors whose faces show beneath their animal masks, as well as an unashamedly theatrical use of stage magic.
- Classic Structure: The structure comes directly from the conventional plot of the original children’s movie (which itself was supposedly inspired by the Shakespeare play “Hamlet”).
- Transcontextual and Iconic Elements: Julie drew on many different sources to create “Lion King” including the puppet and theater traditions of several different countries, including Bali, Japan and Greece.
- Moments of Genuine Emotion or Significance: The Lion King is filled with such moments, including the courtship of Simba and Nala, the death of the old king, and the climatic restoration of Simba at the end.
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