Slave Play coming to Broadway in September? — Page 6

poisonivy2 said: "If Bette Midler did this you guys would all think she was amazing and there was no problem with it."

we would? how come? say what you mean.

poisonivy2 said: "If Bette Midler did this you guys would all think she was amazing and there was no problem with it."

Yes. And we know why. It's the subtext of this thread that no one will openly discuss......racism.

This will be my last post in this thread, at least on this topic (for my own sanity, I try to limit the time I invest in each debate I have on this message board, particularly if it relates to sociopolitical issues):

I apologize if I've created the impression that I believe we should just forgive any and all behavior in the theatre. Believe me, I get angry about these kinds of things too sometimes. And yes, a lot of these people probably are just being rude and inconsiderate.

The larger message I'm trying to convey here though, is that there are deeper social factors at play here besides just people being rude. And I think Nottage and Harris' comments stem from a reaction to those deeper social factors. And the situation won't ever improve unless we get used to the idea that our standards for theatre etiquette are socially constructed by a historically exclusionary, and very specific, culture, predominately for a kind of art that has been tailored to that exclusionary culture. That doesn't mean we should throw them out the window. But we should acknowledge them as such. And when we acknowledge that there are other ways of engaging with theatre, and as we make space for other kinds of theatre, other kinds of experiences, and a broader variety of people in those experiences (and I don't just mean white vs. black, I really do mean a wide variety of cultures), I think we will find more constructive ways of getting on the same page about which behaviors are beneficial to which theatrical contexts. That won't happen in a day, and in the meantime I don't think we should just start letting anybody use their phones during any show. But the sooner we ease our grip on what we think is the "right" way to engage in theatre, the sooner we can all move in a more inclusive direction.

Have a great week, everybody!

JDonaghy4 said: "poisonivy2 said: "If Bette Midler did this you guys would all think she was amazing and there was no problem with it."

we would? how come? say what you mean."

Because shes white like the majority of theater goers. And "one of us" because she has such a huge fanbase that overlaps with the theater fanbase.

"If Bette Midler did this you guys would all think she was amazing and there was no problem with it."

iluvtheatertrash said: "Your continued assumption that we are racist over this is, simply put, idiotic. I have told COUNTLESS white audience members to put their damn phone away also."

its not an assumption. its a desperate attempt to put away the substance of what was being discussed by waving the racism card without any evidence or basis. of course, the irony here, is that the only people making statements and forming opinions solely based on race are the ones who claim to be so appalled at the very thought.

this is becoming a tale as old as time.

GeorgeandDot said: "I can't tell if you all subconsciously hate Harris because he's black or if it's because he's a successful young man, while none of you are."

Is anyone saying they hate Harris?

What I consciously hate is this kind of facile and fatuous analysis, regardless of what side of the issue one is on (and I did not take a strong position one way or the other on the issue). It doesn't engage any of the reasonable arguments people have adduced, and really just amounts to an ad hominem.

Updated On: 9/16/19 at 05:49 PM

From that W Magazine article on the incident:

As Harris said, "It’s not bad behavior to sing along during a musical if the spirit possess you to.”

I beg to differ!!

Alright, everybody. We have tried to let this conversation go as long as possible, as it is one that we think has significance and importance in the ever changing world of theatre, and has now been promoted by multiple accomplished writers.

However, when the discussion quickly veers into personal attacks, that is too far. We acknowledge that it is difficult to discuss topics of race (as many in this thread believe is at the root of this discussion) without someone being offended. That will always be part and parcel to the discussion of race.

If you think that race is an important factor in this conversation, you are welcome to discuss it, but you are not welcome to say that individuals are racist because they do not share your view, whichever view that might be. If you want to talk about systemic and/or cultural issues that lead to institutional racism, we welcome that. But, when it becomes personal, that is not something that we will allow on the boards.

This also goes for those who believe that they are being called racist. Returning serve and calling others racist in response is equally unacceptable. We recognize that discussing race will always be volatile, but we want to help facilitate that discussion, especially in a thread about a show that deals with race and gender power dynamics.

But, if individuals continue to go out of their way to make this and other threads on the show about personal attacks, those comments will be deleted, threads could be locked, and posters could be suspended.

So, in the spirit of healthy, intellectual debate, please keep the conversations passionate, but civil, moving forward.

StageStruckLad said: "I was one of the 900 or so theatergoers on Saturday night who was inconvenienced for about 45 minutes because (a) Telecharge sent an email and told us to get to the theatre early; and (b) Harris held the curtain for Rihanna. If she had been sitting near me and I had been distracted from watching the play because of her texting, I would have asked her to stop."

A seems to be your fault. But A is an important thing, since it is people like you who allow me to stroll in at 7:53 without there being a line, so thank you!

My only issue with B was that I was already nervous about the length of the show without an intermission. I was up in the mezz, so the Rihannaness of it all didn't impact me. I didn't know who was in the house until I drove home and looked it up, heh.

Mr. Harris is a great talent. I see many happy, successful years ahead for him. He is being challenged right now, but I (and others) stand behind the decisions he makes for "Slave Play".

Updated On: 9/16/19 at 07:17 PM