Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre) — Page 9

BWW glitch bump.

For once and for all, white people did NOT invent the concept of race. Yes, I've heard such claims from African American Studies Departments, but the very few who say such things are mistakenly projecting their 20th- and 21st-century personal experience onto the entire world throughout history. (If the preceding statement makes me sound racist to some, so be it. I once heard a professor claim at length that racism was a byproduct of Caucasians' melanin deficiency. I'm not so PC I can't call nonsense when I see it.)

As I've already pointed out, the Japanese not only considered themselves superior to the Koreans and (at times) the Chinese, but they considered the first Europeans they saw to be oversized, foul-smelling barbarians, and kept them segregated on an island in Nagasaki harbor so as not to "contaminate" the superior Japanese. This construction of race survived until the 1870s or so, when Japan realized it couldn't stand up to American war ships. (See PACIFIC OVERTURES if you don't know the history.)

But even though the Japanese proceeded to emulate the industrialization of Western powers, they maintained a strong sense of racial superiority. Look at propaganda from WWII and you'll find the Japanese version is just as racist as the American.

I suspect you'll find the same sort of racism in Siamese history directed at Cambodians. The Aztecs thought nothing of enslaving other Meso-American peoples, etc. and so forth. Yes, the racial constructions that most Americans know were created largely by white Europeans, but that doesn't mean the process of stereotyping others is Caucasian property.

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As for the essay writer, I think she'd seem less obnoxious if she didn't announce her bona fides so often. Every theater she mentions in discussing her own work is award-winning, Tony-award winning, regionally renown, union not non-union, etc. and so forth. It hurts her argument when she accuses Jane of claiming privilege, racist or otherwise. YES, I understand that Danielle (a) is pointing out that she herself is no newcomer to the theater and really does know something about behavior in that setting; and (b) may feel defensive after a lifetime of being treated as a "infidel" among theatrical devotees (i.e., white people). Still, it doesn't help her sell her argument, in my view.

Kad said: "I think race motivates many interactions between people, consciously or otherwise.

Since I don't think "Jane" engaged in overt, conscious racism, that leaves the possibility she was unconsciously acting based on race. But how can I reasonably make an informed opinion on that without knowing more about "Jane"? And how do we engage this without also engaging the stereotype of "the loud black person"? "

I think the best thing to take from the essay is that everyone has a history behind them, and it's important to consider the possible history of a person when making choices in how to interact with them, particularly when it comes to things like this. A person who is visibly "different" is going to have a huge backlog of experiences relating specifically to the way they aren't white, or abled, or cisgendered, or this or that. That probably all sounds really obvious but to a lot of people it's not, or they don't self-assess their own viewpoints about others and engage in internalized racism. Maybe Jane was just having a bad day, or is easily distracted in the theater, which is entirely possible, or worst case scenario (the Lars von Trier special) maybe she thought she was being a Great Savior by giving a Poor Black free tickets, and then felt betrayed when Morriseau lived up to the stereotype she had in her head. The point, or so I figure it, isn't whether it's one or the other, because we don't know, but that there's a cultural weight that's going to shift how interactions are perceived, and it's better for all of us to be as aware of possible of how we're acting and reacting.

Updated On: 12/15/15 at 11:25 PM

Reall? You thought people here actually wondered? Wow.

Incase it's not clear, the overwhelming majority on this board do not care.

But, what evah u say!

@Sabrelady: I figured as much. White supremacy continues to rear its ugly head.

@Susanswerphone: Don't be too sure. This play, which is gorgeous btw, is in the same vein at August Wilson. I suspect Jane will be encircled by lots of audience members she does not enjoy.

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 12:32 AM

I think that, in America at least (and probably wider) Stupid Supremacy is much more powerful and insidious...

You do realize that you don't need to be a member of hateful organization to engage in white supremacy? White supremacy can be rooted in hate, but tends to be unconscious. By remaining complicit in certain social activity, you further reinforce that mindset.

What is White Supremacy?

http://soaw.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=482

I must admit, for theatre-going folks, who are supposed to progressive thinkers with open minds, you all are having a difficult time with at least trying to analyze what I'm talking about. This matter is a lot less personal than it seems. It's institutional, societal, and systemic.

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 02:38 PM

I know, I know. It was worth a try, though. I guess I'll settle for a couple of manhattans.

Especially if you're a literal-minded twat!

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 02:54 PM

Or someone with a sense of perspective beyond her own!

I know, rite? White people are the worst.

"White people are the worst."

So you're a self hating white.