SHUT DOWN SLAVE PLAY — Page 2

A more reasonable AA response to Slave Play from The Undefeated's Soraya McDonald. (Her piece includes spoilers). 

The subversive ‘Slave Play’ peels back the veneer of racial innocence in Northern whites

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I think it's worth actually reading the change.org text, which focuses mostly on what the petition writer views as queer black men being disrespectful to black women. This is what the petition itself reads:

This past Saturday I attended Slave Play for the 8pm showing. I wanted to verbalize that this was one of the most disrespectful displays of anti-Black sentiment disguised as art that I have ever seen. As a Black woman I was terribly offended and traumatized by the graphic imagery mixed with laughter from a predominantly white audience.

I feel that the play’s writer and director, even as Queer Black men, were viscous in their depictions of slavery, Black sexuality, and specifically targets Black women. Slavery and its pervasive consequences that still affect the descendants of US chattel slavery are not funny and I am extremely disappointed that all involved thought this was an appropriate tool to challenge that status quo on race relations.

While I understand the subjective nature of art, there should be a line that freedom of expression does not cross when it’s connected to human atrocities, especially ones that have not truly been atoned for. The only reason I didn’t leave, like a couple of others, is that I wanted to watch the play in it’s entirety to gain full context of the vision. I was sadly disappointed that the final scene would be so degrading to my psyche.

Art, in any form, can not and should not be separated from its historical context. Hearing the crack of the whip in conjunction with the imagery and white audience members laughing sends chills up my spine as I write this.

I am reaching out to the theater in hopes that this can be an opportunity for you to take a stand against this type of disrespect. Black women specifically continue to be used and misused in public discourse. Our voices remain stifled in the rigidity of our existence. Our bodies are used and discarded without anyone being accountable. Just like when I reached out to the author of the play, he openly accused me of lying and called me a lonely soul. I produced a copy of the ticket and he did not retract or amend his initial statement when I was calling for an explanation of his artistic vision in reaction to the outcry against the existence of this play.

I am looking for resolve in this matter. I am looking for someone in this disaster of a production to take our concerns seriously. This play needs to be shut down. The depictions in this play are counterproductive to progressive racial dialogue. I am deeply disappointed and disgusted that there was no check system in this process.

Personally, I think if you're on the side of censoring art, you're on the wrong side, but criticism is always (often) worth listening to.

But again I think the petioner went in there, got offended by one thing and was unable to let it go for the rest of the show. The point of the show is not to depict the real life of slavery. Its literally not, so first we need to get that out of our heads. Second, if the white audience is laughing that sounds like a problem with the audience, not the play. The playwright said himself this is a comedic play that is suppose to make the audience uncomfortable. So should you be surprised at laughing... probably not. As a black woman I see things all the time that that offend the very being of who I am...but only when they say they are something and prove themselves another. This play never says its an accurate depication of slavery and for that matter you can be offened but you cannot be mad at what it does. Because it never said it was that to begin with. (Hopefully I'm making sense

I had never heard of this play until this thread, but it has definitely peaked my interest in seeing and reading it.

The OP is all about pearl-clutching and faux outrage.

Jordan Catalano said: "Did the play get shut down yet? I woke up today and wondered if this thread did the trick overnight and stopped the show from transferring. I mean, it’s Broadwayworld so I’m guessing it did the trick."

You didn't hear?  Yes, it was in the same announcement this morning that Tootsie is closing, Be More Chill is running forever and all actors are now required to spend at least 15 minutes interacting with every fan at the stage door.

If anything this petition has made me aware of and interested in this production. Anyone calling this racist fails to see the purpose, but I assume most of the signatures on this petition saw "stop this racist play 'slave play' from making it to Broadway!!!" and signed it without doing any research for themselves. Hope the faux outrage leads to opportunity for the playwright, I would like to see this!

Having a black director and writer means nothing about the content.

So, the race of the writer and director of the play is irrelevant, but the race of the producers...is relevant?  How do you believe the play would have changed if the producers were black but the director and writer were the same?

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Yeah but seriously, did you see the play Troynow?  

I saw the play. Is it racist? No. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. Will it elicit a wide variety of opinions? Yes. But it’s not racist. It certainly explores racism and sexuality and psychology and how slavery has impacted society.

Yes I saw the show, the same night that Whoopi Goldberg left the show

troynow said: "Yes I saw the show, the same night that Whoopi Goldberg left the show"

Try again...?

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to people protesting a given play/musical is that most of them haven't seen it. Only getting up in arms based upon things that they heard. I remember when Scotsboro Boys was on Broadway and being picketed every performance. I had a brief discussion with one of them prior to seeing the show. I asked if he had seen it yet. However, he told me that based upon the fact that it's black actors in blackface he would't give the a penny. How can someone know a play is offensive without actually seeing it is something I'll never understand 

Keep in mind, that picketing shows is the perfect example of there's no such thing as bad press. Usually, when a show is full of protesters outside the theatre, their plan backfires. It gets people more interested in seeing it because they are curious to know what the protest is for in the first place. Goes to show you that in theatre, there's no such thing as bad press.