Historically White Theatre

At the closing session of TCG’s Audience (R)Evolution convening in Kansas City last month, Rebecca Novick of California Shakespeare Theater made a comment in which she referred to her company (and many of the others represented in the room) as “historically white theatres.” Rebecca’s phrase (but see note below) nailed a powerful concept and provided a teachable moment for everyone for whom that approach to thinking about the topic of diversity was new.

Every once in a while, a new way of describing something opens up new ways of thinking about it. Diversity workshops often use the phrase “differently abled” instead of disabled to reframe thinking. One of the most powerful alternatives to that I ever heard was the phrase “temporarily able-bodied” to bring home the fact that eventually everyone‘s bodies give out.

Previously, I have used the phrase “conservators of the European aristocratic cultural tradition” (inelegant, I know) to highlight the relatively narrow niche arts organizations sometimes choose for themselves. (This is not the time to address the wisdom–or lack thereof–of that niche. This is simply about the power of re-imagining labels as a tool for more fully understanding situations.) HWT (or M–music–or D–dance, etc.) is far more direct and to the point.

The tendency to view the majority as the norm from which others deviate is a hindrance both to clear thinking and to relationship building. In the case of medicine, where male anatomy and biochemistry were long the standards from which females simply differed, it got in the way of health and healing.

It would be interesting to do a workshop in which the only “prompt” was, what does the phrase “historically white [fill in the blank discipline]” make you think of and how might those thoughts impact your work and your relationships with your communities?

Before I close, I should say that in an exchange with Rebecca she said that the phrase was not hers originally. While she wasn’t 100% sure, she thought it probably came from Carmen Morgan (about whom I have spoken before here) in her work with CST. At any rate, I thank whoever came up with it for stimulating valuable thinking.

Engage!

Doug