TCG Circle: The following blog salon series will focus on how theatre artists are responding to Michael Brown’s death and the oppression, violence, and resistance happening in Ferguson, MO. This series grew out of a series of discussions between Oregon based theatre-makers Claudia Alick, Mica Cole and Massachusetts based theatre-maker Megan Sandberg-Zakian, and myself.
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Thompson’s points on the importance and power of theatre as a vehicle for social change are very well articulated, and I wholeheartedly agree with her. It is absolutely our responsibility as theatre artists to take advantage of our unique ability to portray the world as we see it, as it is and as it could be, and to use that to convey messages that might not be heard otherwise. I think that one of the most powerful things about theatre is that it is centered on human connection, and that the relationship that the actors create with their audience is inherently emotional, which is one of the strongest connections there is.
I think that this is particularly relevant to Ferguson, which is has shown that the strength of a community to connect and support its members can have a very strong impact on not just a single event or city but a whole nation as well. It is of the utmost importance to maintain a dialogue and foster art about Ferguson, the tragedy that took place there and the subsequent events and agents of social change. It’s important because theatre can allow an under-represented, under-valued and virtually invisible section of American society that is never portrayed by the media in anything other than a negative light to find their voice and use it to tell their story.
"Theatre has the ability to serve as the mirror to society, casting an abstract and beautiful light in the darkest situations. Theatre art carries the responsibility of sharing these realities from all perspectives."
I literally felt like these words spoke directly to my theatre practitioner soul, and why I find it, as well as all other creative art forms to be so incredibly important to us as human beings. We have social responsibility in this world. We should care about those around us, and not just those directly in our circles of life. In fact we should take greater care for those outside of our circles. Those people who have extremely different circumstances and walks of life. We should be trying to understand them, and cherish these differences. I feel that art is the way to celebrate life, explore it, and expose it. I have such sadness and frustration regarding the circumstances around Ferguson tragedy. I hope that we as a theatre community, and essentially artists can do our share in documenting this history and helping the world gain insights and exercise their minds to be more invested in social responsibility and change.
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