At this time we are diligently preparing for our run at the 2012 DC Black Theater Festival. If you are a playwright, director, actor, producer, etc. you know full well the amount of preparation to mount a full-length stage play. If this is not your forte then let me tell you it is not for the faint at heart. Fundraising, marketing, promotions, rehearsals and even patron listings in the programs are sure to send one over the edge. However in the midst of all the craziness, an artist must never lose sight of their journey and its purpose. Why are we doing this production? What do we expect to gain? Am I in this just for notoriety and wealth? Should I leave this earth tomorrow what legacy does my art leave behind?
Recently we have come face to face with the Trayvon Martin murder. This event has caused a lot of heartbreak, sadness and anger. As you sit and watch news reports you can't help but ponder now what now? Is there something I can do to change things? In what way can I make a difference? As artists we have a a great opportunity to affect change. We can make statements and call attention to subjects in a way that's not only entertaining but thought provoking.
Last year, playwright Andre N. Jones penned a play called Dusting. It's a play about a society, a community, that sees some of its citizens as "disposable". Lives that are viewed as so worthless that they can be dusted away and never seen again. Little did Andre know that a year later Trayvon Martin would be gunned down and a movement would be started. Trayvon's life is not disposable and neither are the lives of countless other young people who are being dusted by the justice system, hate or their very own peers.
This summer Rise and Walk will be going on a journey with "Dusting". Where will it lead? Only God knows.
No comments:
Post a Comment