Continuing the Conversation - July 2017

Continuing the Conversation
July 30, 2017
Sandbox Theatre
Panelists: Rick Shiomi (Full Circle Theatre), Kory LaQuess Pullam (Blackout Improv and Underdog Theatre), Isabel Nelson (Transatlantic Love Affair)
Moderator: Becki Iverson
Attendance: ~30 (including panelists and bloggers)

• Becki: How do you think about representation when creating new work?
• Kory: it’s in the mission of his theater(s) so that’s what they do
• Rick: same
• Isabel: we’re figuring it out! Starting point is range of identities in the room.
• Becki: What’s one specific project you’re proud of?
• Kory: Prep at Pillsbury House Theatre
• A new 3-person play about black youth with PTSD from violence
• Cast, director, playwright, designers all worked together to create it
• Rick: Full Circle’s 365 Plays/365 Days
• Comes from 35 years working with mostly Asian American artists, new and rewarding experience to work with people from various backgrounds
• Isabel: TLA’s emilie/eurydice
• Featured biracial lesbian couple but didn’t make a “thing” about it, just let it be
• Becki: What are some actionable things, suggestions that theaters can use to be more inclusive?
• Rick: intentionality
• Many theaters start as a group of friends who are similar, resulting in a homogenous group of artists with a similar viewpoint
• Need to be intentional about expanding that
• But not everyone has to be all diverse all the time
• Kory: start with leadership or source, i.e., work with POC director and/or playwright
• If POC are behind the table they can bring a different perspective
• Not enough to have “token” cast members with no say in the creative process
• Intentionally bring in someone from outside your circle, collaborate
• Isabel: more voices makes the art better
• Art tries to speak to the universal experiences, more different perspectives make it more universal and nuanced storytelling
• Rick: the people behind the table are the gate-keepers
• In the past 20 years, the make-up of gate-keepers has not changed but they have changed
• e.g., Richard Cook at Park Square Theater who has consciously worked towards more diverse programming/artists in the past few years ,much different that 10 or 20 years ago
• Kory: also Ron Peluso at History Theatre
• Becki: What are some suggestions for theaters that are geographically situated in less diverse communities?
• Kory: ask what show you’re doing and why
• Putting a statement at the end of a casting notices that says “POC encouraged to audition” is not enough, lazy
• Put in other efforts, put up fliers, reach out to communities
• Rick: networks exist of Asian American artists, etc.
• Connect with someone in the network and they can reach out to the network
• Starts with intentionality but there has to be a leap to action
• Audience member: awkward Facebook messages say “I love your work, come work with us!”
• Don’t be discouraged if no response, keep trying, get the word out
• Isabel: trust needs to be built over time
• Some POC understandably cynical – why do you want us?
• Honor everyone’s voices and stories in rehearsal room
• Kit (blogger): what about inclusion of people with disabilities?
• Saw more of it in NYC than here
• Reach out to local organization VSA (http://vsamn.org/)
• Print newspaper ads in the past reached more people?
• Kory: Minnesota Playlist not known by all artists
• But can share on social media
• Isabel: TLA recently put ad on MN Playlist to expand collaboration w/POC
• Workshop format rather than audition
• Less intimidating, allows work to be seen
• Environment that hopefully provides some tools for participants' own work, not solely an audition for TLA
• Danielle (sandbox): work with high school kids, diverse, willing to try
• Becki: What are some bad habits you’ve seen?
• Kory: what are your intentions, why are you doing this play?
• Based on history of company, POC might not audition
• Tokenism (just need one POC, can be anyone/anything) = bad
• Consider language and role (“thug,” “gangster”)
• Isabel: a diverse cast still centering white narratives can also be problematic
• TLA’s recent show Promise Land had a diverse cast but the central characters were all played by white or white-passing individuals
• Consider the larger story you’re telling
• Becki: What have you not had the chance to do, an opportunity you see, if unlimited budget?
• Kory: a big cool musical drag show
• Rick: support New Native Theatre, doing great work and growing
• Isabel: give grants to POC-lead stories
• Dilemma: you have to prove yourself to get a grant, but how do you do the work without a grant?
• Big theaters that are integrating more diversity into their work get grants that might otherwise go to smaller companies that have been doing diverse work for years
• Becki: How do you cultivate diversity in the audience?
• Frank theater: audience is largely 55+ women
• Josh (nimbus): Guthrie, Park Square, etc. big ship to steer, takes time
• Smaller companies, grass roots, cheaper ticket prices draw in more diverse people
• Do work that interests diverse community
• Rick: takes time, ~10 years
• Reach out to organizations, offer free tickets to get desire audience
• e.g., JACL – he has to convince them that culture is important (rather than other issues like survival, financial)
• Kory: so much in theater needs to shift
• So called “golden age” – little competition with other forms of entertainment
• Rules are prohibitive to bringing new people to the theater
• Dress code, ticket cost, phone off, no talking
• Try to engage the audience and make them feel they’re part of the experience
• Create excitement in the room, a feeling of community
• To bring younger people to theater encourage engagement and direct participation
• Tweet seats, social media night
• Allow the use of phones - texting, tweeting - during performances
• Audience: that’s what theater used to be
• Invention of electricity, all lights on stage, create divide from audience, passive experience
• Invite audience to workshop, rehearsal, engage them in process
• Kory: Ten Thousand Things audience talks back
• Danielle: if the audience won’t come to you, go to the audience (TTT)
• Miscellaneous discussion:
• Josh: a culture of creators
• Anyone who has something to say, give them a way to say it
• Kory: tell the story you want to tell wherever you can tell it
• e.g., present 30 minute Medea, make it a party, free, music
• Rick: Mikado with Skylark one of his best experiences
• Original work full of stereotypes but they were willing to collaborate and make changes (in public domain)
• Kory: how do we tell those old stories better?
• Rick: possible in so many different ways
• Important to think about who is doing it
• In each project you can find a key, something that can be tweaked
• e.g., The King and I with BCT, cast Asian-American actor as Anna (historical person was Anglo-Indian, not British as usually portrayed)
• HS often do classics, encourage them to think in new ways
• Kit: how can we distinguish tokenism from inclusion
• Isabel: not enough to fill quote of x POC in cast
• How does their inclusion impact the story and challenge the audience?
• Be mindful of the story you’re telling and the world you’re creating
• Rick: give POC artistic power/presence
• Tokenism = small part with no say in storytelling
• Audience: we’re really talking about systematic racism and white supremacy
• Isabel: if audience is primarily older and white, chance to change the narrative
• Change minds of audience in the room about what stories are valuable