Even in Theatre...
A few months ago I decided from now on to only see plays if there's a person of color. Again, I'm fully aware of the complexity of race and what does it mean to "see" race but let's be honest, I feel most of us know what we're talking about when it comes to under-representation. I feel there should at least be an effort to include the most apparent and salient aspects of diversity in our nation with, again, the understanding there is intersection of identities.
Thus, the other night I went to see "The Glass Menagerie" at Trinity Rep in Providence. Well, the play has an African-American woman playing the role of Laura, which is a refreshing change. If you didn't know, in theatre circles there is the on-going debate of the idea of "purity" in hiring actors for specific roles, e.g. Romeo and Juliet need to be White and European. It can go both ways in that White actors have been hired to play roles specifically for people of color and that seems unjust considering how very few such roles exist and the bias towards Whiteness in theatre (as in most institutions). Yet theatre (at least for me) has always been about the willingness to experiment and stretch boundaries so it's wonderful to see a theatre company willing to do that.
Overall, the play was interesting, perplexing and gave me much to think about. What I found to be more interesting was the talk-back after the play with the general manager and one of the actors. It started with guests being asked to share first impressions. What was curious to me that no-one was commenting about the role of Laura being played by a young Black woman. I finally piped up (no surprise) and there seemed to be a discomfort and a hesitancy to suggest that race adds to the play. In fact there seemed to be s desire to make clear that race really didn't matter and that in the end it was about a wonderful actor (true) who did a brilliant job (yes) "despite race."
Again and again, I observe how people (White folks in particular) be colorblind and thinking that being so was doing us folks of color a favor. That is, focusing on our skills and talents not identity. And when race is brought up, it's couched as a negative thing, i.e. "despite of"" rather "because of" and seen as a thing of beauty.
It's beyond me that people try so hard not to see race yet they see it all the time. Honestly, how can we not see the actor as a Black woman in this role of Laura? I just wish the world of theatre can realize the "and/both" of the reality of race knowing that, guess what, we see race and that the identity of race enriches and adds to the performance while also knowing that acting in itself is an art form unto itself. Yet no matter what no actor plays a role in a vacuum. All of who s/he is encompasses a role and that includes race, gender, and so on.
Thus, the other night I went to see "The Glass Menagerie" at Trinity Rep in Providence. Well, the play has an African-American woman playing the role of Laura, which is a refreshing change. If you didn't know, in theatre circles there is the on-going debate of the idea of "purity" in hiring actors for specific roles, e.g. Romeo and Juliet need to be White and European. It can go both ways in that White actors have been hired to play roles specifically for people of color and that seems unjust considering how very few such roles exist and the bias towards Whiteness in theatre (as in most institutions). Yet theatre (at least for me) has always been about the willingness to experiment and stretch boundaries so it's wonderful to see a theatre company willing to do that.
Overall, the play was interesting, perplexing and gave me much to think about. What I found to be more interesting was the talk-back after the play with the general manager and one of the actors. It started with guests being asked to share first impressions. What was curious to me that no-one was commenting about the role of Laura being played by a young Black woman. I finally piped up (no surprise) and there seemed to be a discomfort and a hesitancy to suggest that race adds to the play. In fact there seemed to be s desire to make clear that race really didn't matter and that in the end it was about a wonderful actor (true) who did a brilliant job (yes) "despite race."
Again and again, I observe how people (White folks in particular) be colorblind and thinking that being so was doing us folks of color a favor. That is, focusing on our skills and talents not identity. And when race is brought up, it's couched as a negative thing, i.e. "despite of"" rather "because of" and seen as a thing of beauty.
It's beyond me that people try so hard not to see race yet they see it all the time. Honestly, how can we not see the actor as a Black woman in this role of Laura? I just wish the world of theatre can realize the "and/both" of the reality of race knowing that, guess what, we see race and that the identity of race enriches and adds to the performance while also knowing that acting in itself is an art form unto itself. Yet no matter what no actor plays a role in a vacuum. All of who s/he is encompasses a role and that includes race, gender, and so on.
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