4 /17 Thoughts:
Remember the "When did you first become aware that you were White" questions. Possible to use that: reproduce answers (videotape interviews)?
Binary: Impossible to imagine black without white, and vice versa
"Contrast" as a motif/theme/strategy for entire piece.
Black woman plays Imoinda as White woman?
White man plays Oronooko as Black man?
Or take it further...
Create exercises which allow us to explore how we daily perform our White selves: walking, talking, dressing, etc. Would really help to have Black students involved, but I'm wondering if we should trade: whites perform blackness? more interested in Blacks performing Whiteness--but does that get into dangerous territory (isn't that the point); opens up the question for a Black person of trying to "be" White. But we White people are often trying to "be" Black, aren't we? Are we? It isn't the same thing AT ALL.
Performing "Redness"? Image of indians...
The really, really interesting thing to me is the ways in which the image of Africans or Indians really had very little (nothing?) to do with what these people were actually like. They were what White people needed them to be (shades of Sambo, or the deeply wise Indian, etc.). We still try to make people who are "different" (all others?) fit into a familiar category, stereotype, archetype, that we are familiar with. Historically, that meant one thing, but more recently it means trying to make them "human"; i.e., White.
Talking with David about the contradictory images of Romans that seem to be at play in these texts (virtuous/corrupt). I need to talk to Carol about this aspect, and it would be great to talk to her with David (Paul). Also David Mycoff. Discussion group with aim to develop ways of thinking about this stuff: Me, Carol, Michael (?), David Mycoff, David Paul, Don (?), Bev (?). Black people? Students (black & white)? Or keep it small...
Roger said to do a deconstruction project such as this, I really need a team or at least a dramaturg (Carol). But what about someone with some knowledge of post-modern performance? Julie? And what about someone involved in music? I need a music consultant, for sure.
REMEMBER ROGER'S ADVICE: KEEP IT SIMPLE. "DECONSTRUCTION" PROJECTS LIKE THIS CAN GET BIG AND OUT OF HAND (and I have that tendency anyway). Remember!!!!
Remember the "When did you first become aware that you were White" questions. Possible to use that: reproduce answers (videotape interviews)?
Binary: Impossible to imagine black without white, and vice versa
"Contrast" as a motif/theme/strategy for entire piece.
Black woman plays Imoinda as White woman?
White man plays Oronooko as Black man?
Or take it further...
Create exercises which allow us to explore how we daily perform our White selves: walking, talking, dressing, etc. Would really help to have Black students involved, but I'm wondering if we should trade: whites perform blackness? more interested in Blacks performing Whiteness--but does that get into dangerous territory (isn't that the point); opens up the question for a Black person of trying to "be" White. But we White people are often trying to "be" Black, aren't we? Are we? It isn't the same thing AT ALL.
Performing "Redness"? Image of indians...
The really, really interesting thing to me is the ways in which the image of Africans or Indians really had very little (nothing?) to do with what these people were actually like. They were what White people needed them to be (shades of Sambo, or the deeply wise Indian, etc.). We still try to make people who are "different" (all others?) fit into a familiar category, stereotype, archetype, that we are familiar with. Historically, that meant one thing, but more recently it means trying to make them "human"; i.e., White.
Talking with David about the contradictory images of Romans that seem to be at play in these texts (virtuous/corrupt). I need to talk to Carol about this aspect, and it would be great to talk to her with David (Paul). Also David Mycoff. Discussion group with aim to develop ways of thinking about this stuff: Me, Carol, Michael (?), David Mycoff, David Paul, Don (?), Bev (?). Black people? Students (black & white)? Or keep it small...
Roger said to do a deconstruction project such as this, I really need a team or at least a dramaturg (Carol). But what about someone with some knowledge of post-modern performance? Julie? And what about someone involved in music? I need a music consultant, for sure.
REMEMBER ROGER'S ADVICE: KEEP IT SIMPLE. "DECONSTRUCTION" PROJECTS LIKE THIS CAN GET BIG AND OUT OF HAND (and I have that tendency anyway). Remember!!!!
posted by Graham at 1:51 AM
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