by Janine Sobeck
Last Thursday the new group of Arena playclubbers met to discuss the Tony nominations for the "best" of Broadway. On the docket? Everyone around the table read Sarah Ruhl's new play In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play and the revival of Harburg/Saidy/Lane's Finian's Rainbow. For the third option, we decided to mix it up a little and let the group have the opportunity to pick the nomination that they most wanted to read. With the awards only days away, everyone was full of opinions of what worked, what didn't, and who we thought should win.
One of the most interesting aspects of the conversation revolved around the way playwrights and theatres represent people who are "different" from themselves - whether race, culture, religion, gender, or physical abilities. Revivals of classic plays and musicals can be fascinating insights into what was "acceptable" or "pc" in the era it was written, and incredible commentaries of how far (or how not far) our society has evolved. While reading this particular group of musicals and plays helped highlight how highly sensitive and conscious our society has become around discussions of race and (for the most part) gender, we couldn't help wonder what gaps the Arena play club will find 50 years from now in the plays that we currently consider "new."
Next month we'll be celebrating the 4th of July with "I'm Proud to Be an American: Marcus Gardley's America." Marcus, who's world premiere Every Tongue Confess will open the new Kogod Cradle, is a fascinating American voice with a unique perspective of our countries history and culture. So stay tuned....
