 |
 |
Oglethorpe University Theatre Presents Two
Controversial Plays Dealing with Racial Tension
Atlanta – Riding the momentum of some recent critical notice,
the theatre program at Oglethorpe University will close its 2002-03
season in early April with a pair of acclaimed but contentious plays
about the history of American race relations. Dutchman, by poet and
playwright Amiri Baraka, and Sally’s Rape, the Obie Award winning
piece by performance artist Robbie McCauley, both explore rocky and
sometimes violent relationships between white and black characters.
However, neither play embraces idealistic models of racial
discourse, a fact that may raise some eyebrows.
“They’re both about confrontation, but also about dialogue,”
notes Oglethorpe Assistant Director of Theatre Troy Dwyer.
“Confrontation is always fiery, and talking honestly about racial
difference isn’t as sunny and easy as our politically-correct age
might have us believe. The characters in both plays are dealing
with a lot of pent-up frustration, and that leads to the stepping-on
of some toes.”
However, Dwyer asserts that the plays were not chosen to get
audience members up-in-arms. “No, we see these pieces as vital
historical narratives, living, breathing testaments to oppression.
They need to be performed, especially in a city as diverse as
Atlanta, so all of us – white and black – can stay connected to our
own histories. It isn’t about inflaming differences. It’s about
recognizing with great care and honesty how we got here.”
“Dutchman,” which first premiered in 1964 at New York’s Cherry
Lane Theatre, established the reputation of poet Baraka (who was
then writing under his given name of LeRoi Jones) as a dramatist. A
Black Nationalist activist, Baraka was a controversial figure
throughout the 1960s due in part to his openly vehement anti-white
rhetoric. “Dutchman” tells the story of Clay, a young black man, as
he takes the NYC subway to a party. He strikes up a dangerous
flirtation with Lula, an eccentric white woman, and the two
alternately antagonize and romance one another … until the subway
ride becomes deadly. Clay is played by Darius Truly, 21, a senior
at Clark Atlanta University, and Lula is played by Jessie Dougherty,
22, an Oglethorpe senior who has performed with the Georgia
Shakespeare Festival.
“Sally’s Rape,” written a full 40 years later by Robbie McCauley,
also features one black and one white character – each reflections
of McCauley and her collaborator, the performance artist Jeannie
Hutchins. As the two women drink tea, they compare notes on
femininity, slavery, and rage, and slowly begin to channel the
ghosts of long-dead ancestors. They also take breaks to serve
cookies to the audience, and even stage a mock slave auction with
audience members as bidders.
Dwyer reflects on the rawness of the material. “At the end of
2002, “The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges” guide called Oglethorpe
Theatre ‘hot.” There’s been a lot of growth in the performing arts
at this college within the last decade, and as the Georgia
Shakespeare Festival has grown in popularity, so too has the theatre
training for our students. I think there’s been a natural growth of
repertoire too. As the students have become more challenging, so too
has our material. It’s true that neither of these pieces would be
mounted at most colleges, but as an educational institution, we have
a responsibility to encourage thought.”
“Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka and “Sally's Rape” by Robbie McCauley
Conant Performing Arts Center
April 2, 3, 4, 5, 2003 at 8:00 p.m.
$7.00 Admission
To reserve tickets, please call the Box Office at 404-504-1074 or
email us at
theatre@oglethorpe.edu
###
|
