WOW this week has been interesting. Firstly, coming from Grinnell IA to Atlanta is truly a change within itself. It's so nice to see various groups of races, styles, shapes, and sizes in this eclectic city! That put me at ease as soon as we drove to our first meeting at 7 Stages in Little Five Points. This part of Atlanta was so colorful that it literally put a smile on my face just to drive through the neighborhood. When meeting some of the leaders of the theater organizations that we would be working with, it was truly inspiring that I was sat at a table of all women. It was refreshing to see women as leaders of theater organizations that help promote social change.
Another great part of this week was being able to go to the Center for Human and Civil Rights. The space was so carefully thought out that everything within the building had some sort of emotional effect for me. When I went in, I first entered the Disabilities Rights Movement exhibit which was rather small but rather powerful. Some words of the exhibit that stood out:
"...Not a problem to be fixed"
--I think it was enlightening to read that quote especially because it stopped my way of thinking that disabled bodies were something that needed fixing. I was subconsciously taking over an identity that wasn't mine and trying to find a solution without fully understanding that I am part of the problem by seeing it as a problem in he first place.
"...Pride as a tactic through the use of other Civil Rights groups in the 80's"
--I just find this interesting because it made me think of all the other activist groups that did this tactic only after the fact that they were told who they were was something to be ashamed of, or ridiculed over, or discriminated against. It's just interesting to think of one's identity being oppressed before they can (excuse my crazy metaphor) rise out of the ashes and re create themselves as something to be proud of.
**THEATER AS IDENTITY...WHAT DOES THAT MEAN/LOOK LIKE/THE PROCESS IN WHCIH IT TAKES TO ESTABLISH ONES IDENTITY AND THEN USED THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THEATER**
Another exhibit which was really great to see was the Martin Luther King Jr. Exhibit. What was so great about that exhibit was the intimacy and seclusion of noise making the exhibit feel sacred. What was so special about this exhibit as well was the fact that seeing MLK as this individual who had a personal life aside from being this iconic figure. His journey and fight for peace was only extended through his personal life which showed that he truly lived dedicating his life to peace. Some quotes that stood out during that exhibit for me:
"Make a career of humanity: commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights"
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
It was also super nice to see shows for the Atlanta Fringe Festival. What I can say that I enjoyed about the first three shows that I wasn't expecting was the true lack of scripts that each of them possessed, making them truly unique. Birds, Bees, and Other Four Letter Words was so interesting because I've never truly seen storytelling that seemed entertaining (other than Grinnell Mongz) that made me both laugh and almost brought me to tears through the actors timing, detail, and just general mental imagery that they painted in our minds. The other show, being an improv performance obviously meant that there was going to be no script, but what I respected about this improv group was that since they specialized in long form, there was this constant energy in the air that you could feel between all of them. It's as if they had a balloon in the air and had to make sure that it didn't hit the ground throughout the entire show. Finally, seeing the last show was so unique. While her story was so interesting filling me with so many questions, what wasn't explicitly said out of her mouth was enhanced through her art, music, and food!
When seeing the second set of shows, I was expecting to see more of a set script at least for the first two shows, Smokingun and Hip Hop in Wonderland. What was so interesting about those two performances was how much energy was fed off of each actor that was present on stage. Hip Hop in Wonderland was such a great example of theatre for entertainment. It was showmanship at its best with the characters, hip hop numbers and rap performances, as well as the transformation of spaces. I feel like I enjoyed that one the most because it took an idea and made it as creative as possible allowing the actors creativity to truly shine. When it came to the other show, Smokingun, I had a bit of a problem with how the message was conveyed through the choices of music, darkness, and use of characters. While the show did make me think, I don't think it made me think the way the show had intended, but it did have some captivating moments. Waking Pressure however, was flawless. This piece and the talk back truly gave artistic meaning to what it means to show human connection through movement and how it was so relatable outside of dance and reflected to the lives of individuals living their everyday lives. All in all, what I appreciate with new works like the ones we saw at the Fringe Festival is that they were uniquely and truly each company's own work allowing the artistic community to engage and ultimately to thrive because art is our life, it's our identity.
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