Friday, December 07, 2018
Facing the Real Monsters in 'King Kong'
Theatre Development Fund – TDF: While writing The Making of King Kong, Lisa Clair almost abandoned the project. "It is too big, it is too scary," the recent graduate of Brooklyn College's playwriting program recalls thinking. She wasn't frightened of the oversize title ape; she was wary of the piece's giant themes: racism and sexism. The 1933 King Kong film is now understood as a coded exploration of interracial relationships and the evils of colonialism. In crafting her play about the making of that movie, Clair wanted to make its subtext the text so she could unpack those complex ideas. But, as a white woman, she worried whether she was "equipped" to enter the conversation.
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This play sound quite interesting to me. Exploring a widely beloved yet deeply troubled film is no easy task. The playwright saying that multiple times she has wanted to turn away from the project just for it’s shear complexity didn’t surprise me at all but I’m glad she looked for ways to complete what she started because I think she did a good job. Again the discussion about privilege and how it affects us all weighs heavily on my mind as well, trying to figure out what is appropriate for me to contribute and acknowledging things that I will never be able to experience first hand because of the privileges I have been born with. I definitely think that she has come up with fun solutions which incorporate representation and work well with her satire piece. Pieces such as this one I really enjoy having them produced because I think their well thought through and further expose problematic emblems of society some people are to afraid to tackle.
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