Concepts of The City

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Concepts of The City

Crowded, overwhelming, hard work, polluted, stressful and chaotic. Not only words frequently used to describe western cities in a post-modern era, but also concepts portrayed through David Williamson's play "Corporate Vibes". The city is definitely a diverse place. There is not one phrase that can entirely describe a city, as its image is shaped not only through its aesthetic nature, but also the people who make it up, and the industries that it is well known for. People's perceptions of the city vary with experience. Therefore many texts are opinionated. Even Leo Meier's stunning photograph of Sydney Harbour was carefully planned to produce a flawless representation of the city. It is clearly evident the city is a source of inspiration to composers. There are a vast range of texts featuring the city as a central element, which all convey varying images, ranging from iniquity to modernity, sexuality, beauty and freedom.

Corporate Vibes by David Williamson is a play centralised around a city environment. It is my belief the text inadequately portrayed the whole concept of the city, as Williamson stereotyped not only his characters, but focused his entire approach on business life - as unrealistic as it was. The corporate world is definitely a major component associated with the city, yet it is just one aspect of the typical civilized society. Williamson attempts to humour sympathetic audiences with the central theme a conflict between the traditional autocratic mode of management and modern schools of intervention. He presents an idealistic organisational theory within the practical reality of corporate power structures, which itself contributes as a source of humour to the familiar city-dweller.

The whole structure of a company is emphasised on a small scale by the composer. A Chief Executive Officer exists as well as a Marketing and Sales Manager, and the Human Resources and Equal Opportunities Officer. This prevalent business structure is used to identify with an audience, and satirize the often inefficient strategies used in the play. Williamson also focused on the specific jobs, training and connections that are unique to the city, and are rarely seen in country towns.

The company "Siddons Residential" designs apartments to fit the cityscape, and thus this whole notion is very much an urban issue. When discussing selling characteristics of apartments, the character of Megan mentioned, "People are sick of social isolation...the new move is towards connectedness, community, interaction". This highlights the idea of anonymity and alienation in the city, which can be viewed on both a positive and negative basis. It can be very comforting to walk down the street and know not one person has any idea as to who you are; yet this can also be a very lonely thought.

Sexual freedom is a subject, which in itself can lead to isolation. Freedom in this manner is suggested several times throughout the play, especially in reference to James Glenby, who Sam refers to as "...the Oberfuhrer and great gay God of all things...." The management team also need to be very understanding when Brian expresses his aspiration to become an interior designer. It is often considered effeminate for a male to enter such a profession, so Brian's colleagues were mindful to be particularly sensitive when he expressed his aspirations to create his own unique style, - a style which can only be found in the city. This freedom of sexual expression is more firmly demonstrated by the liberty felt by minority groups in the city, such as homosexuals who express their uniqueness in such festivals as the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gra.
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Pressure to perform in a job is a significant issue in the corporate world. Stress over the possibility of losing a job is constantly seen in the city where competitiveness is incredibly high. The character of Brian mentioned a typical complaint by employees, when he stated "...Flat structures. Get rid of middle management. Save costs by getting three times the work from half the staff." This idea of cutting jobs and thus overheads is rather a taboo amongst staff. Sam realized this problem, when he commented, "When guys hit fifty they're finished...everyone gets rid of them these days."
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