Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre) — Page 12

@Songanddanceman2 said: "Ok as a GAY white man ( yes gays go through just as much as any person of color)"

I dare you to say those words to a person of color and not be laughed out of the room or subject to a physical altercation. Don't you dare compare the plight of a person of color to a gay person. You can hide the fact that you're gay wherever you go and to whomever you speak to. People of color have nowhere to hide. People of color are often judged before anyone ever meets them, before they ever speak a word, before anyone knows their background, etc. As a gay man, you will never be discriminated on paper, no one will follow you in  a convenience store because they assume you're stealing, no one will assume you're a thief, criminal, or a thug EVER. You will never have to worry about leaving your home because the police have no interest in protecting you. A person of color is often reticent to a voice because everyone else is so quick to tell them why they're wrong. I have so much more to say, but if you have not understood why you're wrong at this point, I don't know how else to demonstrate the incredibly abhorrent nature of your comment. So before you ever say that you have had  the same hardships as a person of color, I'd advise you to open your eyes to your immense privilege. One single black perspective is not representative of a collective experience. Your friend may have immense privilege that other people of color do not. Let's be reminded that Jane was the only one who actually spoke up and said something to Dominique. There may have been other audience members who shared the same sentiments, but did not speak up. We are not saying Jane is brooding, hateful, hooded person who belongs to the Ku Klux Klan. I am not. No one is. She is probably a perfectly kind older woman with bias as each and everyone one of us has, myself included. But the fact that Jane discounts Dominique's personal style of enjoying a play is to say that her experience is not valid. Yes, I understand everyone would like to enjoy a play their own way. But the moment you're in a theater, you have consented to a communal experience with many people who will have a vastly different experience than your own. You have to deal with it.

The very basic plea I am making to you all is to acknowledge that your fellow theatergoers may push your comfort zone due to the way they enjoy a performance. If someone kicks your seat, takes a seat that is rightly yours, or talks on their cellphone to their best friend during a performance -- please do address that behavior. But if they are paying attention, please consider that their experience is also valid.

Updated On: 12/20/15 at 01:38 AM

"You can hide the fact that you're gay wherever you go and to whomever you speak to.." It's called "passing" and some people of colour can do it too but it's a lie and how can you betray yourself and your history to that extent in this day and age surpasses understanding. You poor benighted soul.  Praying  for you again.

Ah, prayer and hysteria, 'tis the season.

So how can  "Jane" enjoy and become engaged silently with the show if her neighbor is vocalizing and drawing attention to herself? From what I get from you is cultural consideration only flows in one direction.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/23/africa-homophobia-uganda-anti-gay-law

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/lgbt-same-sex-marriage-homophobia-violence-world

http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/07/for-many-asian-lgbt-youth-homophobia-starts-at-home/

"And please, don't waste your time praying."

It is never a waste of time to ask that a lost soul such as yourself to find peace and understanding. I know you can't accept that. That is why u need to be prayed for.  Do I need help? Perhaps. But not in the manner u keep applying.

G*d Bless.

broadwaybelter said: "Hm, That could be possibly true since the default 'culture', or lack thereof, is almost always white. If allowing another culture to have a valid experience is deemed is having a one-flow consideration for culture, then so be it. Sure. I'll take that."

That's where the phrase "white supremacy" comes in, and I know just using it in the thread is going to set some into a panic but it is a deeply ingrained part of our society and something that needs to be discussed. Whether Morriseau is wrong or right (I'm still not sure what is to be gained by coming to a collective decision on that), she is still speaking from an experience that tells her that, just by being a certain color, her existence is loaded, or aberrant, or in some way not "neutral", an experience shared by most people who are visibly "different". It ties back into what DivaProf asks - what is acceptable, and why? Who, or what group of people, make that decision? I don't think these are particularly incendiary questions to consider.

Oh, this is ridiculous. Of course you can not decide a person is a racist because they asked another person of a different race to quiet down in a theater. 

If you deny this, you know damn well you are wrong. 

How many pages is this thread? twelve? not one person addressed my comment head on, and the reason why is clear.

That's all I need. I'm finished here. Again.

Updated On: 12/20/15 at 05:26 PM

"Yes, I understand everyone would like to enjoy a play their own way. But the moment you're in a theater, you have consented to a communal experience with many people who will have a vastly different experience than your own. You have to deal with it."

Exactly.

And that means if someone asks you to keep it down, you, I dunno, ****ing do it.

Compromise.

Updated On: 12/20/15 at 05:58 PM

I dare you to say those words to a person of color and not be laughed out of the room or subject to a physical altercation

I'm surprised no one's called you out on this comment. I suspect that most people of color can withstand a few silly remarks without getting violent.

WaltG2 said: "broadwaybelter said: "Look, I absolutely get it. There are appropriate moments to respond to a play and completely inappropriate moments. But we need to come to terms that different people will respond to moments they recognize. And as long it does not break the concentration of the performers, it should not be a problem."

Maybe if the only parties involved are you and the performer.

But this comment seems to forget that there are other audience members...

Here's a recent example: I saw "Gotta Dance" in Chicago last week. When Georgia Engel took center stage & opened her mouth to say her first line, the theater erupted in applause, like it was some kind of TV taping. 

Did it break her concentration? Probably not. She's a consummate professional & likely very used to such occurrences. But, being a consummate professional, she didn't repeat the line and I couldn't hear it over the applause. No idea what she said. Odds are that it was funny. As I doubt I'll see the show again (and it'll likely change between now and then if I did), I'll never know.

And you're telling me that's not a problem because it didn't affect the performers?

"

Entrance applause for stars is a time-honored theatrical tradition and not one that began with TV. If the line  you missed was important, that's the director's fault for not staging Engel's entrance properly. It isn't the fault of audience members who understand theatrical conventions better than you. (I say all of the above from a position of white privilege, of course.)

Updated On: 12/24/15 at 07:44 PM

@Kade.Ivy: When your life is full of these types 'anecdotal evidence' and 'buzzwords', they tend to be more than just a polemic. Of course, if you have never been subject to discriminatory behavior based on the race, then this would probably seem like a polemic.

@kdogg36: I was being mildly facetious to exemplify the sheer absurdity of songanddanceman2's comment. After a lifetime of these types of remarks, your blood pressure would probably go up, too.

@Jane2: I think you're still trying to make this argument too personal. I'm not sure what you mean by 'addressed the comment head on'? Can you clarify? You posed an argument. Others posted their responses as to why they disagree with you. What's more head on than that?

@VintageSnarker: No, no one put me in charge of theater. And certainly, no one requested for white people to be in charge of theater either.

@blactor: You're right. Ms. Morisseau certainly does have a certain amount of privilege. But the patron next to you is not going to care about that when they engage in this behavior.

@Kad: So, explain this to me, then; Ms. Morisseau's play Detroit '67 was produced both at the Public Theater and the Classical Theater of Harlem. Morisseau describes both audiences being wildly different. Quite obviously, the Public Theater audiences were  more reserved. At the Classical Theater of Harlem, the audience was more vocal during the performance. Both times the play was produced in NYC, it was at a legitimate theater, with people who paid to watch a performance. Should the audience at the Classical Black Theater of Harlem be told to shut the **** up because a couple of people might choose to watch the performance in silence? Why should it be any different at the Public? Again, theaters like Classical Theater of Harlem were created because they were not allowed the opportunity to be produced or for their audiences to be respected and feel comfortable in theaters like Playwrights Horizons.

@WaltG2: Chances are that Georgia's first line had nothing to do with plot progression or were essential to you enjoying the entire performance. But it clearly bothered you enough to come onto this message board and complain. Were you seething with discontent the entire performance? Did you find it less enjoyable? If you're concerned about hearing every single line in a musical, of all types of theater, then watch it at home on DVD. And let's recall Ms. Engel has a very distinctive voice, which, many would immediately recognize and wish to acknowledge. A musical of this nature lend itself pretty naturally to such an explosive response. If this had happened during John by Annie Baker, then that type of response would probably be inappropriate. And what do you say to people who laugh loudly over dialogue because of the humor of the situation? What about when someone constantly sneezes or coughs over dialogue that renders it inaudible?

Updated On: 12/25/15 at 06:31 PM

Oh please! This is getting ridiculous! What if someone sneezes and coughs? The times that happens I have always seen the person get up and leave as to not distract other audience members.

The Playwright was an entitled ass who decided to cry racism over a pretty stupid pereived "offence".

 If I go to a Revival Meeting I don't expect to be in an evironment for quiet meditiation.

The FLAW in your argument broadway belter is: Entitled Playwright was only asked to keep it down because she was  disturbing the people around her denying their rights to enjoy the show as they saw fit. No harm, no foul, no racism.

WaltG2 said: "GavestonPS said: "Entrance applause for stars is a time-honored theatrical tradition and not one that began with TV. If the line  you missed was important, that's the director's fault for not staging Engel's entrance properly. It isn't the fault of audience members who understand theatrical conventions better than you. (I say all of the above from a position of white privilege, of course.)"

Way to comment on something you know nothing about.

I didn't say she "entered". I said she changed position to say her first line. She was on stage from the start of the show, and, by that point, had already partaken in 1 song and 2 dances.

But, of course, you know more about the show than those who've actually seen it.

"

No, but I have seen hundreds of examples of what is usually called "entrance applause". And, yes, sometimes it occurs not on the entrance but on the star's first line or whenever the audience first notices the star. broadwaybelter answers this issue quite well above.

And though I haven't seen the show I can promise you the members of the audience who greeted Miss Engel with applause weren't conspiring to ruin your evening; they weren't in collusion at all. There was SOMETHING about that moment that made it seem equivalent to the star's entrance or they wouldn't have been applauding in the first place.

The next thing we know we'll be back to discussing how fragile BWW posters are so distracted by applause after musical numbers that they can't attend the live, lyric theater at all!

Updated On: 12/26/15 at 10:45 AM