STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES MATTER

June 22, 2020

The Middlebury College Department of Theatre unequivocally asserts that BLACK LIVES MATTER. The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, among many others, are a horrific flashpoint bringing global focus to systemic racism and the state-sanctioned murder of Black people. We embrace the imperative for an intentional and ongoing effort to dismantle institutional racism and hold ourselves accountable in that pursuit.

We thank our students and alumni for stepping forward, in a moment when we did not, to demand this public statement of solidarity and a plan of action that addresses the systemic flaws of our practice. Today we commit to becoming intentional partners in the necessary transformation toward an anti-racist society through our individual and collective actions, pedagogy, and theatre-making.

Theatre, like many artistic disciplines, historically privileges the narratives, bodies, voices, and aesthetics of the dominant culture. As theatre makers and scholars, we recognize that we have perpetuated racism by centering whiteness and marginalizing BIPOC experiences. We must challenge our perceptions, re-dedicate our efforts, and bring these practices to an end.

The Department of Theatre is in the early stages of the work to decolonize our curriculum and infuse diversity into our production practices. These efforts have been too few, too individualized, and too easily sidetracked when we met with obstacles. We know we have fallen short, and for this we apologize to our students, and especially to BIPOC students, who have felt our mistakes most painfully.

We now commit ourselves as a united department to discontinue harmful practices and to create work that expresses the fullness of the human experience.

To that end:

We will create a standing Committee on Anti-Racism and Decolonization comprised of students, staff, and faculty.

All faculty and staff commit to annual and ongoing Implicit Bias, Equity, and Diversity training, including training particular to our discipline.

We will examine and revise all syllabi with the intention of decolonizing our curriculum as a department.

We recognize that our past production seasons have not prioritized BIPOC voices. We will build seasons that feature and elevate BIPOC experiences, playwrights, and actors.

We will transform our season selection process to include students and the Committee on Anti-Racism and Decolonization.

We acknowledge that race, gender, ability, and sexuality impact how individuals approach a role and are seen in that role. We will continue to educate ourselves and will adhere to best practices in casting. We commit to anti-racist casting and will continually interrogate and revise our casting processes.

We will engage in thoughtful dialogue in order to achieve responsible visual representation of our work. Students will be asked for consent before their images can be used in promotional materials.

This list is not exhaustive. The work ahead will require courage, diligence, and above all, ongoing collaboration among faculty, staff, and students.

We are eager to do better.

Michole Biancosino
Mirjam Brett
Jim Dougherty
Alex Draper
Mark Evancho
Cheryl Faraone
Robin Foster Cole
Claudio Medeiros
Allison Rimmer
Olga Sanchez Saltveit
Courtney Smith
Mira Veikley
Carol Wood
Dana Yeaton

Resources

The BIPOC Project: https://www.thebipocproject.org/
“Implicit Bias and Microaggression Awareness” SafeColleges course (needs a valid ID to access) https://middlebury.safecolleges.com/courses/details/F3783AA6-7634-11E8-BA72-18A4CB7F7112

“Resources for Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” League of Resident Theatres (LORT) http://lort.org/edi-resources

“Color-Conscious Casting: Three Questions to Ask” by Lavina Jadhwani (21 December 2014) https://howlround.com/color-conscious-casting
“‘But Do We Have the Actors for That?’: Some Principles of Practice for Staging Latinx Plays in a University Theatre Context” by Brian Herrera (March 2017) https://muse.jhu.edu/article/653164/pdf
“A Message from TAPS Chair, Dr. Patricia Ybarra” on Coalitional Casting https://www.brown.edu/academics/theatre-arts-performance-studies/news/2015-12/message-taps-chair-dr-patricia-ybarra
“Diversity in the Discipline” The Standing Conference of University Drama Departments (SCUDD) https://scudd.org.uk/activities-campaigns/diversity-in-the-discipline/
“Universities Can And Should Do Much More To Address Systemic Racism” by ’Funmi Olonisakin (12 June 2020) (needs registration to access) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/universities-can-and-should-do-much-more-address-systemic-racism
About the Jubilee https://jointhejubilee.org
“What If: The JUBILEE’s Vision of Unity and Action” (24 October 2018) https://howlround.com/what-if
Whiteness: https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/whiteness
What is White Supremacy: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/the-language-of-white-supremacy/542148/
Academics for Black Survival and Wellness, a weeklong course on anti-Black racism awareness started 6/19/2020, but other resources and videos on their page available, too: https://www.academics4blacklives.com

“Cultural Appropriation and the Arts”, James O. Young, 2010

UPCOMING EVENTS

Giants Have Us In Their Books by Jose Rivera

directed by Alex Draper

April 16 - 18

Poster for Theatre Dep. production of GIANTS HAVE US IN THEIR BOOKS by Jose Rivera

The Middlebury College Department of Theatre is proud to announce the return of its in-person performances with the presentation of GIANTS HAVE US IN THEIR BOOKS by José Rivera, directed by Alex Draper. In this evening of short plays, Rivera applies his “profuse and sometimes self-consciously fantastical stew of magical realism” to the creation of fables for grown-ups, resulting in “compelling, entertaining and provocative theatre” (San Francisco Examiner). The production will be presented live by a company of 14 actors before a limited in-person audience restricted to college students, faculty and staff, and streamed to the general public.

GIANTS HAVE US IN THEIR BOOKS will be streamed on Friday, April 16 at 7:30 P.M., Saturday, April 17 at 2:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M, and Sunday April 18 at 7:30 PM. Audience members are invited to join us for a live “Meet the Company” event following the Sunday show. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes with one intermission.

Click here for streaming information and registration.

MURIEL MIGUEL: A RETROSPECTIVE

Muriel Miguel (Kuna/Rappahannock), founder and Artistic Director of New York City's Spiderwoman Theater, shares the fascinating journey from her roots in Brooklyn to her landmark contributions to the contemporary feminist and Indigenous theatre movements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Experience her extraordinary life through stories, photos, and video from the last 60 years.

Headshot of Muriel Miguel

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

3:30-4:30pm EST on Zoom Go/Spiderwoman PW: 820978

FYSE 1570 "Native Presence & Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative"

Sponsored by Academic Outreach Endowment Grant

Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

directed by Olga Sanchez Saltveit

May 13-16 at 7:30 pm

Picture of the cast of EVERYBODY by Branden Jacobs-Jenkis

The Middlebury College Department of Theatre season continues with a lively production of EVERYBODY by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, "one of this country’s most original and illuminating writers” (NY Times).

This modern riff on the 15th century morality play Everyman follows "Everybody" as they travel toward life's greatest mystery. So many questions arise along the journey. Why leave now? What can Everybody bring? Who will come with them? When will they return? Middlebury College’s version, directed by new Theatre faculty Olga Sanchez Saltveit, is a site-specific trek in and around Wright Theatre, and a collaboration with the Department of Dance, featuring original choreography and performance by The Dance Company.

The production will be presented live by a company of 17 actors and 9 dancers before a limited in-person audience restricted to college students, faculty and staff. Its recording will be streamed to the general public.

EVERYBODY will then be streamed on Wednesday, May 19th through Friday, May 21st. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Please stay tuned for streaming registration.