Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)- Page 3

#51Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

Doesn't matter the race of the person, anyone who decides the make it all about them inside the theatre is usually the most obnoxious one in the theatre. That applies whether it's the usual terrible manners we can't stand in the theatre, or that overly-reactive one in the crowd that always knows they're drawing attention, but doesn't care as long as they're having a great time. One of my friends, probably the whitest guy you'll ever meet, by the way, has long since stopped being my plus-one because of said attention. We know that actors get a kick out of it, because it's fun to see that in the audience, but for the paying crowds around you, it always the total opposite. (On a related note, congrats that the actor gesticulated towards your obnoxious behavior. That makes it all worth it'll doesn't it?)

#53Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

There's so much that's problematic with Kras' post, it's difficult to know where to start. So let's start at the very beginning.

"As theatre has been generally established as a cultural obligation for the old, white, and rich..." Really? All theatre? Including Asia, Africa, and Latin America? Are you speaking universally about the very intrinsic nature of theatre itself?

"Inclusivity" is a ridiculous and recently invented word that doesn't make any improvements on the pre-existing "inclusiveness" or the more accepted "inclusion," words that have served their purpose extremely well for ages and don't need to be replaced by people who are less interested in knowing their own language than they are in flapping their gums. As for the rest of this paragraph, perhaps you live in an Amish community but in urban centers, there's an ever-increasing wealth of diversity in the theatre, both in subject matter and artistic personnel.  (See the Public Theater, Trinity Rep, Pan Asian Rep, Ma-Yi Theater Company, National Asian American Theater Company, East West Players, Silk Road Rising, National Black Theatre, Black Spectrum, Black Moon, Black Ensemble Theatre, Karamu, Negro Ensemble, Penumbra, Repertorio Espanol, INTAR, Pregones, GALA, Native Voices, American Indian Theatre Ensemble  and hundreds more across the country). If you can't see it, then you aren't looking. Celebrate it, extend it, continue it, but don't pretend it doesn't exist.

"And let's cut the sh!t about the "She should be grateful for the free ticket" thing. Giving Morisseau a ticket does not mean Jane owns her now." Does being grateful now mean the same thing as being owned? Are manners, civility, and gratitude for gifts now included among the white man's hegemony?

#55Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

M. Kras said " Seeing Ms. Morisseau, a younger woman of colour who also happens to respond quite vocally and physically to the work she experiences, no doubt set off this entitlement."

I firmly disagree. In any theater, at any performance of any show, there will be people shushing others, asking them to be a little more quiet. Don't make this into anything about entitlement. I bet most of us here at one time or other, were bothered by others making what we think is too much noise.

#57Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

Ah, white fragility.

#59Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

Jane2 said: "Unless this  is another one of your "jokes", you must be kidding."

You should assume I'm always joking, I think. You'll be right more often than not.

#61Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

Both parties in this situation annoy me, and I see this in no way representative of any greater issue other than the fact that people are annoying everywhere.

#63Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

Kad said: "Both parties in this situation annoy me, and I see this in no way representative of any greater issue other than the fact that people are annoying everywhere. "

Boy, this sums up my feelings exactly 

#65Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

As a white person, I

#67Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

wonkit said: "The minute I see the word "micro aggression" my brain shuts down."

I need a trigger warning for micro-aggressions, too.

#69Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

haterobics said: "wonkit said: "The minute I see the word "micro aggression" my brain shuts down."

I need a trigger warning for micro-aggressions, too.

"

Me three.

#71Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

I work at an upscale private medical hotel for patients with pretty serious illnesses. Many of our guests are self-pay, and most of these are wealthy older people, but we also take a lot of patients who are very poor and stay with us on subsidies and financial aid. Many of the poorer patients are not white. And they look poor, white or not. And it's incredible the number of calls I get from distressed wealthy guests about "suspicious people" in the building who, surprise, turn out to be, say, the nice old (GUESS THE RACE) lady whose son has leukemia and was "loitering" in the kitchen. One guest even made such a repeated fuss about another guest (black, poor) "acting up" (approaching people and striking up conversations) that upper management stepped in and made him wear a lanyard with his patient ID on it around his neck. And the same guest that made the fuss was perfectly fine with the other, real troublesome-but-passably-WASPish guest who did exactly the same thing, but was constantly drunk and inappropriate.

Not that we had to tag her, of course. She was, you know, white.

#73Award Winning Playwright Almost Slaps a Theatre Patron (and what that apparently says about our theatre)

There are a plethora of reasons to write about race in the theatre. There are tons of legitimate issues regarding race in the theatre to be discussed.

I just don't see evidence of those issues in this anecdote. "Jane" seems somewhat bitchy and Dominique seems somewhat aggressive (putting her hand in the woman's face? quickly rising to the point where violence seems possible?).

Hijacking legitimate discussion because you had a confrontation that requires quite a bitch of stretching to justify as being racially-motivated isn't productive. It makes legitimate grievances look petty.