Last Blog...

The one thing that has been on my mind heavy is color blind casting. It’s a term that I have heard since elementary school believe it or not, but since ive been at LSU ive had a new outlook on the term. Its probably because I have found myself being color blindly casted lately. While at LSU, I’ve been cast as Romeo, Phillinte, Henry Clerval, and Alex. I am extremely grateful to have these opportunities, but apart of me has wondered if me doing these roles affected what audience members experienced watching the show. Lets be honest, we all have our ideas of what makes good theatre and sometimes staying true to the script and what the casting entails ties into that. I will never forget when I was cast as Romeo this summer! It was such a huge thing in the African-American community, because they never saw or heard of a “Black Romeo”. Although many friends and family were elated for me, I think they were more concerned to see if I could actually do it especially being cast beside Amanda Clark as my Juliet.

This brings me to my next feeling on color-blind casting. What shows do audience members or even society deem appropriate to be color-blindly cast? It has been argued that Classics are the best and most appropriate. So if that is the case then Shakespeare, Moliere, Rodger and Hammerstein, and maybe even Chekhov are fine. I found a unique quote in Cantese’s Problem of the Color Blind in which theatre critic John Simon said, “it is not only aurally that Negro actors present a problem; they do not look right in parts that historically demand white performers.” This quote was in response to African-Americans being cast in Shakespeare roles. Simon said this in the 1960’s, but I still wonder if other theatre critics or audience members feel the same way? Another thing that is unique to me is when shows are color-blind cast to the point where family members are of different ethnicities such as the film remake of Disney’s Cinderella starring Brandy Norwood, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bernadette Peters.

The one thing that I have been thinking about lately is how the film industry has recently cast actors/actresses in their movies. Zoe Saldana was cast to portray Nina Simone, Angelina Jolie was cast to play Cleopatra, and there are several A-list actors playing Egyptians in the film Exodus. Is this okay? When does casting like this change the purpose and intention of the movie or play? If the story or plot was directly influenced by the ethnicity, should the casting stay true to the original race or does it not matter as long as the actor’s talents shine through? August Wilson felt very passionate about making sure that certain races only portray their race due to questions like this. He said, “Colorblind casting is an aberrant idea that has never had any validity other than as a tool of the Cultural Imperialist who view their American Culture, rooted in the icons of European Culture, as beyond reproach in its perfection… it simply gives a new face to someone else’s racial and cultural experience.” I’m still struggling to answer all these questions myself. I am however still grateful for the opportunities I have been granted thus far and look forward to those in the future!

Our Theatre Department Shall NOT BE MOVED!!!!

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." -Oscar Wilde. Theatre is more than an art form and certainly more than just an experience to be had.  An immediate issue that I have been helping to fight as we speak would be saving Albany State University's Theatre Program. As an Alumni of this program it would be absolutely remiss of me to not be an advocate  and voice for how this program has made a huge impact on my life. Through this program I found myself as an artist and was able to tap into talents that I had no idea I possessed! I could literally rant about the benefits this program has bestowed upon my life, which is why this subject is very important, personal, and dear to me!

There have been several justifications to why cutting this program would be in the best interest for Albany State University. Some reasons include lack of theatre faculty members, lack of needed theatre space, and supposedly stagnant results from graduates. When I first arrived at Albany State we only had two theatre faculty members and 15 theatre majors. Although we only had two faculty members, they were able to equip us with all the tools we needed to be successful theatre practitioners. Upon leaving Albany State we had 5 theatre faculty members and over 39 theatre majors. I would have to agree that the lack of theatre space is a huge issue. There's a theatre space located in our auditorium, but unfortunately that space is available to whomever wants it. This shared space causes the theatre program to not have its own dedicated rehearsal space and performance venue. We also had to cram all props and costumes in a small closet located in a totally different building across campus. I’ve list these issues not to validate the choice to cut the theatre program, but rather to encourage a resolution to them. The thought that this theatre program produces graduates who aren’t successful after graduating is absolutely ridiculous. This program produced some of the most talented actors, singers, and dancers in the southwestern region of Georgia. Their work spoke volumes for them during undergrad and continues to speak for them today.

Our protest would first occur through a direct-action rally. I would invite current theatre majors, alumni who graduated from the program, prospective theatre majors, the entire student body, the Albany community, Faculty and Staff, representatives from the University System of Georgia (Southwestern Region), and definitely the media. We would reach out to all news stations, local and regional newspapers, and several popular radio stations. The rally would start off by addressing the proposal of cutting the program. We would thoroughly outline all reasons for this proposal. It would be easy to throw other programs under the bus, but instead we will focus on what makes our program so fantastic. We would do this by transitioning to the second part of the rally, which would be showcasing the talent that this program fosters. It would be encompassed of monologues, scene work, musical performances, technical design examples (lights, sound, sets), and dance from current theatre majors. We would then allow alumni graduates to share their undergraduate experiences since we are products of the program. Current/past grad school students, current professional actors, singers, dancers, directors, and technical designers would deliver these testimonials. Hopefully through the artistic showcase and testimonials, the audience and powers that be will be moved and aware of why they should keep the program. We’d end the rally by proposing enhancements that could move the program to the next level. The Ray Charles Foundation donated 3 million dollars to Albany State University over a decade ago. These funds were to be used to progress the fine arts specifically the music and theatre program. Instead these funds were used to build dorms, enhance the honors program and give presidential scholarships. This misuse of funds has not only caused Albany State University a huge lawsuit, but it’s a key reason for why the proposal to cut the theatre program is on the table now.

Hopefully this rally would cause a reversal in the proposal, but if not we would go the passive aggressive route by showing up to the University System of Georgia Headquarters and stage a nonviolent sit-in throughout the executive offices. We would once again invite the media. We would know that both forms of protest are over when we are promised that the proposal to cut the theatre program will be re-evaluated. Not only would it have to be re-evaluated, but we’d also have to be updated on the progression to possibly reversing it!

The Reality Effect/Twitter Dramas

What does single/multi-tweet dramas, durationals, and futurist pieces have in common? They all challenge the time and pace of traditional theatre. As theatre practitioners and spectators we have all experienced shows that seemed too short or felt like eternity. It seems like the perfect show runs  around an hour and thirty minutes to two hours max and during this time frame we hope to enjoy a theatrical experience that will present a “slice of life” in some form or fashion.

Single-tweet and Multi-tweet dramas not only challenge what a play entails, but through virtual space and theatrical spectatorship it shows a performance in real time. Prior to reading this particular article I never thought that tweeting could be seen as theatrical or performative, but as Muse states, “theatrical or pseudotheatrical activity has arguably found a life on Twitter precisely because Twitter has always been a platform for performance.” (140 Characters in Search of a Theater, Page 7) As an ex-tweeter I shared a “slice of my life” several times during the day as it happened in real time, at a pretty consistent pace, and I did it all under 140 characters. Tweeting about a situation, person, place, or thing is easy to do in 140 words. However, tweeting a play in 140 words is a completely different story.

I believe that the reality effect can be found in both single/multi-tweets dramas. Although single-tweets dramas seem to end as soon as they begin, the play is unmediated and the need for pace is unnecessary due to its brief tweet performance time. With multi-tweet dramas the pacing is more prevalent due to tweet performances being stretched over a longer period of time. However due to the pacing, multi-tweet performances can come across as being mediated because time itself is intervening. Developing a story through meted tweet updates could waver the reality effect in my opinion, and it also poses a struggle to maintain the interest and attention of its tweet followers. Neo-Futurists believe in theatrical brevity and through these brief moments of time a play can be constituted, and thus a reality effect can still be achieved. Greg Allen says, “Extreme brevity enforced by a ticking clock reminds the audience that theater takes place in real time and space. The audience is right in front of you right now.” (140 Characters in Search of a Theater, Page 9)

Performance art artist Marina Abramovic says, “You know what’s interesting about stillness and duration and meditation? In real life it’s impossible for me to have any of this. The older I get the more activity and the more obligations I have. The pace is so fast. I’m literally running after myself. So I need to create these islands of time. Then I go through this transformation in the work; work transforms me, and then I use this experience in real life.” (Great Lengths, Page 154) I found this particular quote to be interesting because the time/duration of the piece allowed Marina to experience a sort of internal reality effect due to the recollection of how life and its pacing affected her. To the spectator this is an extreme contrast to theatrical brevity found in single/multi-tweet dramas and Neo-Futurist plays because durational works specifically challenge pace. Due to this challenge the work happens in a drastically stretched out version of “real time”.

I honestly do not know what’s next following these forms of performance. If you experiment with drama being extremely brief, extremely long, then what can follow after that? What I can comment on is that if the goal is to produce performances that strive for that “reality effect” then aiming towards theatrical brevity could help.

Rosaline...Who is That!?

Many people are shocked and appalled when they are either told of or witness for themselves, through reading or seeing the play, Romeo's love stricken desire for not Juliet, but Rosaline in the beginning of Romeo and Juliet. This shock is due in fact to the focus of the play's main characters, Romeo and Juliet. However, Rosaline is a very imperative character, specifically to Romeo, because if it wasn’t for her there perhaps wouldn’t be a Romeo and Juliet! Why you might ask? Well if you didn’t already know, Romeo goes to the Capulet party because he knows Rosaline is going to be there. He wasn’t in pursuit of wanting to crash the party or to even meet some Capulet honeys. He wanted to see the initial love of his life. - Benvoilio: At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves...Romeo: I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, but to rejoice in splendor of mine own. (Romeo and Juliet Act 1: Scene 2)

Now you might ask what does Rosaline have to do with a theatrical abstraction, she is in the play Romeo and Juliet. Well just as it is astonishing knowing about Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline, it is also astounding to know that Rosaline is a character that was originally only referred to in Romeo and Juliet. So in laymen's term, she was originally an unseen character. Starting in the 1950's film and theatre directors began to have Rosaline's character physically appear. Franco Zeffirelli and Renato Castellini are credited for being the first film directors to have Rosaline appear on camera. Now Stofer states that dark matter refers to the invisible dimension of theater that escapes visual detection, even though its effects are felt everywhere in performance. (Dark Matter, Page 3) Although Rosaline is a character that isn't represented in a naturalistic detail, her dark matter inevitably plays a vital role in the production of Romeo and Juliet. She not only impacts Romeo's life, but Mercutio and Benvolio are affected as well. She even serves as the catalyst behind Mercutio's Queen Mab speech. If Romeo wasn't head over heels in love with her and rejected by her at the ball, would he have noticed Juliet? It is Romeo's love for her initially and decline of reciprocated love that affects Romeo and even gives Juliet a chance. Some directors choose to have Rosaline represented on stage which many of us witnessed with Ashley Adams (pictured above) playing Rosaline in Swine Palace's 2014 SummerFest Production of Romeo and Juliet. The audience was able to witness for themselves through Rosaline's decline to Romeo, that he wasn't in love with her, but in love with the idea of being in love. 

Now I am a firm believer that if you choose to represent something whether through artwork, film, or the theatre, it should be a true authentic presentation of it. I don’t care how ugly or disturbing the subject is. Beautifying something horrific to me is a contradiction to its being. Either go big or go home. If you don’t want to give an accurate depiction, then just leave it alone. This goes beyond just the Holocaust. This can be said for Slavery, 9/11, even the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  

A Spontaneous Theatrical Experience

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." -Lao Tzu

An example of a disturbance in the theatre world which brought about change in how theatre is typically performed would be the I Am Trayvon Martin protest that happened all over the country, but specifically on the campus of Albany State University on April 6th 2012. Albany State's Theatre Ensemble felt inclined to stand for justice and show our unwavering support for the I Am Trayvon Martin campaign. We went to our advisors and asked for funds so that we could rent a performance space at the Municipal Auditorium, perform several monologues and songs that spoke on the severity of injustice against youth, and raise money to donate to the Martin Family. We were devastated when our advisors informed us that this pursuit was declined by our department chair. So...we decided to take things into our own hands!

We met as an ensemble and planned to do a flashmob/protest performance in our cafeteria during its busiest lunch time hours. We wanted to make an impact on our fellow Golden Rams and wanted to do it at a time where we knew we would have their undivided attention. We got approval from Mr.Walker who was in charge of Food & Dining and at 11:45am we performed our show. The show consisted of several inspirational songs/dances and a re-enactment of the Trayvon Martin story. This turned out to be Albany State's first flashmob experience and also the beginning to iPerform Dinner Theatre, which is now an ongoing project that helps raise funds for the theatre program and allows students/community members the chance to eat a 3 course meal and watch a show at the same time. This spontaneous and courageous move also peaked awareness in our SGA and a week later Albany State participated in the Million Hoody March were over 700 students were involved. 

This theatrical disturbance was an example of Guerrilla Theatre. It gave us the opportunity to present a social and uncomfortable subject in a theatrical form that was devoid from the standard or normal way of presenting theatre that Albany State and the community of Albany, Georgia grew accustomed to seeing. R. G Davis says, "The motives, aspirations, and practice of U.S. theatre must be re- adapted in order to: teach, direct toward change, and be an example of change...The Guerrilla company must exemplify change as a group. The group formation-its cooperative relationships and corporate identity-must have a morality at its core." These were all entities that our ensemble embodied. He also says, "Ideally, the universities should be examples of socially committed theatre...It is our obligation to gather audiences and excite them into being provoked and confronted, and into returning!" This theatrical protest not only motivated our students but it set a new precedent for future performances. This performance disturbance is also example of theatre found in the ACT UP reading. For it is a form of theatre that can be done in the community or public areas and it faces immediate social issues.

I definitely agree that in order to change theatre we must become more aware of what are the needs, wants, and desires of our community. For they make up the audience that will either become repeat supporters of our theatre or take their money and invest it into other gratifying forms of entertainment. I'd love to say...LETS DO MORE PERFORMANCES IN ECCENTRIC LOCATIONS! But honestly, we have to do a better job at marketing our shows, show selections, and of course finding new and creative ways of presenting productions. One thing I'd like to see more of is technology infused into the theatrical experience. I know that this would of course mean that more money would have to be invested into the show, but I think it would be extremely appealing and would have audience members coming back more and more! If we could combine a strong and moving script with fantastic and authentic acting with technological experiences found at Universal Studios...then that would be one hell of a production. Now I know that you could experience this in NYC or in Chicago, but if we brought this kind of theatre to places like Baton Rouge it would make a huge impact on the theatre scene and the community!

-Amar