The Fox's Findings

I didn’t really know where to start with this blog. Upon reading Austin’ post, no theaters or performances immediately jumped to mind. So I started the only place I could think of:             Google provided me with some great jumping off points. First, I’ll say I was incredibly encouraged by American Theatre Magazine’s “ 14 Theatrical Plans toChange the World. ” Each of the 14 companies/training programs/outreach/theatre artists mentioned has a uniquely different approach to creating theatre for social change. Luis Alfaro and his adaptations of plays like Oedipus and Medea, which “brought the epic qualities of Greek tragedy to a Low Angles barrio and to the quiet life of an undocumented Mexican seamstress in Chicago”, particularly stuck me. Another group – Theatre of the Oppressed NYC – actually takes their performances out of theaters and performs instead in “a house of politics.” Using their “strong relations...

Ok so I’m choosing to riff! I feel like with the little experience I have with Phamaly Theatre Company back in Denver, it would be a missed opportunity not to discuss their work and their role in changing the way Denver theatergoers see performers with disability.             “Phamaly Theatre Company’s mission is to inspire people to re-envision disability through professional theatre.” “Phamaly Theatre Company’s vision is that every individual with a disability has the opportunity to participate in all aspects of high quality performing arts.” I love how brief and direct these statements are and yet they are full of lofty goals and potential. Perhaps exactly what a mission statement should be. They don’t tell you how they want you to “re-envision disability.” They are not laying out their opinions in easily digestible, catch phrases. But rather they place the onus squarely on their audiences. It is up to you,...

            Ok so this is not an easy week. I have found, when discussing race in theatre with my classmates, the conversation tends to have a circular feel to it. I would even venture to say that even the “tangential paths” Osi references in her prompts would end up leading to similar destinations. But enough philosophizing; time to get into the nitty gritty.             In my perfect world, in my dream of a theatre company, my monetarily successful theatre would have a full season that included plays that would represent, depict, and speak to every color on the race color wheel. This is naïve, maybe foolish. The social obstacles of our current society make this dream seem silly and perhaps even offensive in its “rose-colored glasses” view of a hypothetical future theatre. But if we don’t dare to have that dream, how can we even begin to tackle each, individual ba...