Much Ado About Nothing?

by Jamil Jude
Allen Lee Hughes Casting Fellow 09-10

Unlike most theatre people, I really hit my stride, and developed my love for theatre in college.  I was given the opportunity to be in a show produced by my college's Urban Theatre Comany.  The production was a huge success, and really opened my eyes to the possibilities that theatre offered.  Through my involvement, I produced multiple plays, began developing my own talents as a playwright/director, and gained a wider appreciation for everything theatrical.

As I grow as an artist, I am constantly faced with the same challenge that all artists face; what kind of art do I want to make?  For me, the answer is simple, I want to write/direct/produce "culturally relevant" art.  The next question that comes up is, "what does that mean?"  That question got me thinking, what does "culturally relevant" mean?  Does it mean the same to everyone in that culture?  What makes one play more relevant that the other.  Does putting a Black actor in a production make the play a "Black play?"  When you have Black actors in a production, does the production have to speak about the Black experience?  What makes the universal issues in Quality of Life more tangible to a wider audience than the universal issues that Fantasticks and Stick Fly will uncover?  The answers to these questions are very deep and multi-faceted but their depth should not halt the pursuit of their truths.

I've decided, in addition to my Casting Office updates, to start a blog series that investigates this question.  This blog series will extend the current conversations around plays and their effect on the Black community and other communities of color.  Using outside articles, interviews, and my own personal insight, I will attempt to navigate through the murky waters, and try to come out with a clearer definition of culturally relevant theatre.  The upcoming convenings here at Arena will also help answer some of these questions.  I hope to invite other Arena staff to add their own insights to this series as well.

I hope that, as loyal readers of this blog, that you too will enter into the discussion and offer up your opinions on the matter,  Theatre is a communal event; it is experienced by many people all at the same time.  It would be impossible to break down these issues by myself, so I encourage, and look forward to you support and involvement.

-Jamil Jude

Comments

[Amrita Mangus]

I'm glad that you're investigating these questions, Jamil, as they are questions that have floated in my mind for quite some time (as evidenced by my involvement in the Defining Diversity Convening this December. Check out the ongoing post on our sister blog, the New Play Blog: http://npdp.arenastage.org/). I often find that the phrase "culturally relevant" or term "diversity" needs to be expanded in the theater to encompass the many facets these subjects pertain to. It's not enough to have a few faces of color onstage and assume it's diverse and culturally relevant without analyzing the story, staging, and aesthetic composition behind the piece. In addition, doesn't diversity refer to age, gender, sexual orientation, regional background, political ideals, and economic status, yet those aspects are typically neglected or surpassed when discussing diversity in the theater? It's definitely something we have to define for ourselves without marginalizing our audiences. I'm thrilled that this season at Arena gives us the opportunity to explore these questions further.