“Their faces cringed,” she said. “They were like, ‘Oh God, I hope you’re going to be okay!’” While the “usual reaction to my move was concern or fear, a lot of these people had never even been to Detroit.” Still, Corporandy confessed: “I grew up in Michigan, and I hadn’t spent a lot of time in the city; I think I had that fear, too.”
3 comments:
Being from the Detroit area, I can relate to this article. Many people, myself included, still have a negative view of Detroit overall. That being said, Detroit has come back from being a truly depressing, run-down city. At this point, Detroit is not a destination city, nor is it even a city where those from the metropolitan Detroit area go to shop or wander the city without a specific destination in mind. I applaud these women for their effort and gumption to start this theater company in Detroit. I find it interesting that, at least in the article, there weren’t any negative comments about Wayne State University other than it being in Detroit. There are a lot of good things happening in Detroit, but it still has a long way to go. Income levels in the city are still low and poverty levels high; along with the number of abandoned/burnt out buildings and homes it does not make Detroit attractive. I am glad that DPT has started an education program because that will help the city, the community, and the children of Detroit. Maybe, one day, we’ll see Detroit in all the glory that it once had.
I think every area deserves the right to be able to access theatre, no matter its history and Sarah Clare Corporandy is an awesome person for doing so. I think that a place that has a reputation for not being such a good place can benefit even more from the introduction to theatre. I find it really awesome that the community is greeting the DPT with open arms and supporting their efforts. I like how the Detroit Public Theatre's plan is to bring in new works and focus on the human interest that has surrounded Detroit. They want to get the community interested and they want to do this by giving them something to relate to. I think that something even more wonderful is the fact that DPT is not only trying to relate to the community but also help it to learn and grow with its new programs being developed in correctional facilities and schools. I think that everyone deserves access to theatre and the Detroit Public theatre is making that happen.
Admittedly, my first reaction to this article was something along the lines of "Oh, my God, something happened in Detroit". Like Daniel, I am also from the Detroit area. Honestly, it felt so horrible to come here and realize that all people knew about Detroit was it's bad reputation. It's true that the city was hit by some hard times in the last few decades, but recently it has gotten significant;y better. The auto-industries are back on their feet, and downtown Detroit is blossoming. The DPT will only add to the rich cultural heritage of the city. Detroit is home to the Detroit Institute of Art, which houses the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera (this was the last successful mural Rivera painted in the United States and it marks the end of his career. In the same area is the Museum on African American history. Just outside the city is Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum, which both commemorate the American Industrial Revolution and the auto industry. People always forget that Detroit was great. It was the hub of industry and immigration. And, with the help of new interest in the area and new innovative minds, it can achieve greatness again.
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