HowlRound Theatre Commons: I sat in my seat, overflowing with excitement and anticipating the greatness I was sure to behold. The theatre was smaller than I’d expected. A sold out venue of hundreds of theatregoers is definitely nothing to scoff at, but I expected thousands. I expected bigger, I mean, this was Broadway—the pinnacle of professional theatre. But what did I really know about Broadway? Nothing!
3 comments:
Black representation is so critical in theater and as the article mentioned, it is not centered around exclusivity but instead about focus. It made me happy to hear that the author was excited to see representation onstage, which not only means representation in entertainment for audience members but additional opportunities for actors of color as well. I’m glad that the author also acknowledged that while there exists very successful black-owned theatre companies, there needs to be more. Additionally, black-owned theatres becoming more widespread provides a greater outreach to different audiences and would help theater that promotes black storylines to not be pegged simply as “black theatre” and therefore be labeled as a “niche” art form. I agree wholeheartedly with the comparison of theatre with a megaphone for marginalized voices. It is our duty as theatremakers to provide this megaphone, and continue to project necessary stories and experiences to audiences worldwide.
As someone from Tennessee, it is nice to see articles like this. I have often thought about how restrictive living in the South is for people of color, and I want to change that. I think companies like this are really the best way to go about it. The racial history in the South is unlike anything else, and getting beyond that to some form of decency and equality is a monolithic task for sure, but I am optimistic. I think the South has potential, and it really seems like it is close to being more habitable for minorities. It has been changing since the civil war and still has a long ways to go, but before long, racism and prejudice will become the outlyer, making way for acceptance and equality. There are pockets showing themselves already. Chattanooga and Sewanee are two good examples where the divide between the two has been reduced considerably in recent years. Hopefully Nashville will catch up to them and go beyond.
Well as a Floridian , I never really look at Nashville as a very soon black theatre community area, and I am not sure why that is. So after reading this article I no know where I should look into to see more theatre of color. Again I have to say I am incarnated every time I read stories like this. I think more and more everyday the I want or need to become more involved in this effort to try to better the representation as well as elevate those stories. If I have learn one ting over the past year here at CMU, it is that is a lot of history dedicated to the prevailing culture of our past, so in the days of equality it is so vital to really seek out these untold stories. This is why it is such important work, what they are doing in Nashville.
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