For a lot of those who work in the arts, these shutdowns are unprecedented in an industry that is already completely unpredictable. Here is a short list of things that you can do to help either yourself or peers during this time of crisis
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“I have been doing this long enough to know that I will NEVER KNOW what the people behind the table feel or think. I have to trust the process and the journey.”
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“I wish I could look back at my high school theatre program and have fond memories. But as I am currently writing this, I don’t feel fond of my high school theatre program anymore. I get a feeling of dread when I remember that my theatre teacher was found to be engaging in sexual misconduct with one of his students.”
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“A colleague of mine often ribs me about being so enamored with the ensemble. He thinks I place too much emphasis on the shadow characters, the living props, the background, the wallflowers. He is 100% correct. “
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“At the end of the day, people are filming because they love theatre and want to relive it. It’s well-intentioned but it can’t be tolerated, it’s too distracting.”
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Larger bodies seem to be the last frontier in the push for greater inclusivity in casting. The topic is only beginning to surface in the theatre community. And this is why the casting in the current Broadway production of The Rose Tattoo rubs me the wrong way, like my thighs on a hot summer day.
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Thankfully in 2019, awareness of blackface, brownface, and yellowface have been heightened to the level that it’s almost universally understood that donning them is wrong.
Yet some people are showing a more delayed response in understanding that.
Reports and pictures of an opera production with actors dressed in yellowface, are going viral on social media. The images are from the Knoxville Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly, which closed last weekend.
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Since Angels premiered, Kushner has been considered an intellectual leader of the theatre. But with his lack of artistic discipline has also come a lack of intellectual discipline.
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“Producing Neil LaBute’s work is oppressive to womxn, people of size, people of color, people with disabilities, and many other groups, while simultaneously putting money into the hands of someone known to be problematic and hurtful. Keep your theatre life safe and healthy, and truly consider your choice before producing, or working on, a Neil LaBute piece.”
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“Putting together a reading is nerve-wracking, at least it was for me. Fortunately, I had the resources of a small theatre company, including their space and a corral of actors.”
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“What we've discovered over the last few days is that everyone is willing to help with anything. Where we found things didn't work or we needed extra props, someone would be able to help out or offer something to make it work. We're a team after all.”
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Those who love theater will find a way to continue to make it. They’ll convince someone who has never seen a play to come see it and they will fall in love with the art form. The next time a show gets put up in the local community theater, they’ll spend their money to come and see it, even if they don’t know anyone involved. The important thing is that they show up. We need them to show up.
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