AMERICAN THEATRE: I stand between multiple worlds. A body as a crossroads and a bridge. In diaspora. In exile. Rooting down in land that is new to me. In love with theatre, a sacred vessel to reclaim what was taken from my ancestors. My art and I embody the very possibility of a pluralistic world. I wish I could hear my blood and bones more easily.
1 comment:
I had a conversation one time in undergrad with a theater friend who is from India about the difference between western theater and the theater that he grew up with. He said a lot of similar things to the author of this article about how western theater is more “tame” and not as full of life as what he had experienced. I have watched a lot of shows from different cultures because the theaters near me were very diverse, however all of the shows were still “palatable” to a mostly white older audience. This quote, “When we perform in the ’hood for folks who might have never seen theatre before, it’s a different type of gratitude. In majority white spaces, people usually leave quietly and feeling guilty, but when it’s in majority poor or Black neighborhoods, folks leave feeling seen.”, stuck with me. I worked on a production of Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks and had many conversations with one of the actors who I carpooled with about the average audience of the theater vs who the show itself was intended for.
Post a Comment