Thanks for the suggestions and support! Here's what we currently have planned:
1. A concert titled "Voices of the Children" on September 13. It will feature students from the four school districts impacted and contain music, dance, poetry and theatre as well as visual art. The concert should promote healing and positive hopes for the future. I'm hoping for some national media coverage.
2. The kids decided today to change the fall show from a comedy to something that promotes Social justice. I'm still reading scripts. I like the "Living Newspaper " idea a lot.
3. I have a proposal in for our musical. We're going to attempt to do Hairspray, only I'm inviting other troupes to send troupe members to audition for the "Negro Ensemble", Little Inez, Motormouth Maybelle and Seaweed. The roles usually played by Caucasian actors will be played by my African American students. The kids thought it might be significant for other troupes and audience members to feel what happens when their race is on the oppressed side. I realize this might be a tad controversial, but I think it would really have an impact.
I'm still working on ways to get my kids to our state festival. We discussed it again today in my Advanced Acting class. (Our first day back) They feel they "stick out in a sea of white" or are the "raisin in the rice" when they go to state events. I'm open for suggestions. I think these discussions NEED to happen. I told the kids I want SOMETHING positive to come from all this.
Five years ago, I offered a workshop at state on inclusion of minority students. Not one adult sponsor came. The students who did attend were the few students of color who were members of primarily white troupes. They shared with me how they feel alienated or reduced to "slave/servant"roles. Non traditional casting is NOT occurring in our schools. I saw Audra McDonald and John Cullum in 110 in the Shade and during the talk back all other teachers wanted to focus on was the non traditional casting. We need to evolve and lead our students to function in a diverse and unified 21st century. If they aren't seeing that though the arts, then where?
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Douglas Erwin
Ferguson. MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-24-2014 07:57
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Help: Theatre for Social Justice
How about The Way We Live Now, by Susan Sontag. It is her story turned into a play, and it is about AIDS, but mostly in a symbolic way. Very flexible casting. Also try Twilight, Los Angelesor others by Anna Deveare Smith. They are written as one- woman shows, but can accommodate large casts. Many of her shows are about civic unrest after city-wide problems after a racial incident. Good luck!
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Elisabeth Ledwell
Falmouth MA
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