DC Theater Arts: On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, the DCTA leadership team woke up to the news that President Trump would be making a major announcement at the Kennedy Center. Amid internet rumors that he would be making a name change to the organization, and days after his orders to federalize the DC Metropolitan Police Department and activate the National Guard on American citizens, we made the choice to listen in.
6 comments:
I take pride in the knowledge that I am entering a workforce with such a community mindset. In times where access to the arts is holding on by a thread, coming together and sharing resources is crucial. We must also remember the importance of continuing to share our experiences through art. Theater is such a unique avenue, as it can speak directly to the audience. I think back to the play “The Visit” by Friedrich Durrenmatt. This piece played out as a surrealist small town, but within the lines were tales of corruption and group ethics. This play challenged the idea of an “us versus them” mentality, suggesting that a community is only as strong as its weakest link. We have to push the importance of the community mindset. By creating a stronger and more closely integrated community surrounding the arts, we can better protect the messages that are important to those around us.
I find it very encouraging that the community I want to be a part of is coming together to help those amidst and around the community who are currently being targeted. I don’t often see mutual aid projects and other direct action when reading news. Especially when it is pushing readers to consider joining in those efforts. When I was deciding about choosing theater work as my job I knew I wanted it to be impactful work in the community. I didn’t expect just how direct the theater community might be to supporting people though trying times. I think that encouraging people to do actionable things in a time where many are feeling hopeless is also apart of resisting tyranny. The actions that the administration are taking are meant to make you feel so hopeless you don’t do anything about it. Being sad that the world is bad right now isn’t resisting, it's giving in. Being hopeful for a better future and using your words, actions, money, resources to build that better world is resistance.
I loved what Timothy Snyder discusses the importance of community and solidarity. Theater, performing arts, and any and all arts are all a community and collaborative work, from the teams it takes to create theatrical or performative art- but even if you are in a closed room creating art alone because the audience is also a collaborative form of art. How audiences connect, react, and absorb art is also a huge impact and part of the arts. I love the question that was asked in the article; What can your community do in these difficult times? When the art is in danger, we need to come together and build up people who are creating art, no matter what anyone says or does, no one can completely stop art from happening and being creative.
There is no doubt that we are living in interesting times right now. With the current political administration the industry which all reside in is at risk and is being suppressed. Reading an article such as this feels reassuring. Seeing a group such as the DC Theater group come together to offer support during a time like this shines light among us and shows that even through tough times like this the arts can stick together. I truly hope that these 4 years go by fast. It is a true shame that this is happening
As a student of the theatre arts in both highschool and now college it has become more apparent how important collaboration and community is within theater. It is important for us to support each other and ideas as it has become increasingly difficult to speak our minds in a literal way, especially political, so many of us have turned to the arts to express our opinions. Within the arts we have also began to be silenced as well, having my own high school unable to perform a show due to the political nature of the peace.
This article was both heartening and disheartening to read. I'm glad that our community is strong and that we are able to focus on community support and uplifting each other, but it's truly, truly awful that such a thing is even necessary. all of the ‘changes’ being enforced by this administration feel largely cosmetic and performative, as well as attacking marginalized groups instead of the areas that are actually creating the problems, such as a lack of affordable housing. That being said, the best thing that we can do as artists and as humans is to continue to resist in our everyday lives, with the communities and with the people that surround us. Like the article mentions, if we start letting this administration go against our values, soon we will no longer have our values left to fight for. It feels like an insurmountable task, but that isn't how you make change. Change is made by showing up every day.
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