rescripted.org: On Wednesday, September 19, several Chicago artists received an invitation to audition for a play called Angel by playwright Henry Naylor. Angel is the second production in a series called “Arabian Nightmares”. The invitation was sent by local Chicago theatre Akvavit on behalf of Urbanite Theatre, located in Sarasota, Florida. Angel is inspired by fake news tweeted by the English-language news outlet Slemani Times.
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To me, this article emphasized the need for more theater that describes experiences that the playwright and/or directors have themselves experienced. Without people telling their own stories, plays like Angel get produced which, instead of diversifying the experiences portrayed in theater, tend to perpetuate negative stereotypes of marginalized groups. No matter how good people’s intentions are, there will always be times, like the one described in this article, where shows enforce, rather than take down, negative stereotypes ideas that people have about minority groups. I think it is admirable that people spoke up against the production of Angel at Urbanite Theatre; often, it can be easier to let things happen and then complain about them but I think, in order for actual change to occur, it is more important to take action as soon as possible and try to educate people and let them know, as in this case, that the show they want to put on is going to do more harm than good.
I am glad that this play was pulled. I believe that it is important that when we choose to tell stories of a different culture, the stories are told by those people, or at the very least consented to by that group. These actors made it very clear this story was not representative of what they wanted to be present. Perpetrating the idea that Islam is equal to ISIS and it is impossible to be a "good Muslim" unless you are western, educated, and liberal is irresponsible. It is absolutely important to recognize the negative aspects of every group of people, but rather this play simply reinforces an idea that everyone already agrees with; extremism is bad. Theater is meant to challenge us, all this does is validate fear of Islam. I am not someone who necessarily advocates for gate-keeping, but in cases like this, it is best to stay in your lane and not write about experiences you really know nothing about because it will likely result in a painful and stereotypical depiction of an entire group of people who may already be downtrodden.
I was surprised to hear that something like this happened so recently, but in retrospect I shouldn’t have been. It makes sense that in our progress toward inclusion, people are going to make mistakes. And though “Angel” has a lot of fundamental problems that should have raised red flags or halted the process sooner, I think that Urbanite handled the backlash pretty well. The statement from the artistic director was well worded and didn’t try to deflect blame.
The article states that “Institutions should always be prepared to listen to the groups they are trying to represent and give them a prominent voice in the telling of their own stories.” This is a very important idea to understand because it’s very easy to cross the line between help and harm. You cannot assume the kind of help someone needs, you must ask. If someone asks you to hand them a banana, don’t give them an apple because you think it’s better for them.
The moral is to ask questions and make no assumptions when you’re telling someone else’s story.
This article contains some very relevant and important statements that are bringing light to important issues. When the cast got the opportunity to speak and say why they are not involved in the show anymore, they were very mature and clearly explained why this show should not go one. One of the major issues is that this play is written from a white man’s perspective along with it being directed by a white man. The second major issue is that the story made it seem that “Islam is tied to terrorism and ISIS.” This is extremely incorrect and the theatre itself should have never been a part of a play like this. While the producers to apologize and put the blame on themselves, that’s still not ok. Many people were ok with doing this show and performing in front of audiences no matter how inappropriate it will be. Hopefully this will not happen again in the future.
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