"Race: It's Complicated!" A Conversation With The Actors

by Travis LeMont Ballenger, New Play Senior Producing Fellow

As you may know, there has been a ton of conversation about diversity recently. Most of this conversation has been behind closed doors and in private convenings. Now we want to take it all out. On January 4th at 7:00pm we'll have a conversation with the cast members from Stick Fly and The Fantasticks. Our topic: Race on stage. What does it mean to have a mixed race cast for a traditionally all white show? What is the effect of having an upper class Black family? Let's talk about all of it.

Join us at the Lincoln Theater and be a part of the conversation.

 

Comments

[Donatella]

I'm glad that Arena is hosting all of these convenings on diversity in the field, but I'd like to throw in my concerns about the lack of diversity that I see in students and faculty in doctoral theatre programs, and how does this affect the theatre scholarship that is being done and the plays that are being taught?

[Amrita]

I'm thrilled that we have another forum to discuss race and diversity, and engage the cast members from The Fantasticks and Stick Fly in the discussion. It's always interesting to hear an actor's perspective on the roles they're portraying and how it affects them internally and externally.

For all of you following the Defining Diversity dissemination, stay tuned for more materials (such as a detailed white paper and photographs from the convening) arriving in your friendly blogs, tweets, and facebook pages within the next few weeks!