A Case for Outrage: Is it just me?
The directive to “pay your dues” is often used as a weapon of exploitation and the manipulation of artists; code for “you’re not getting paid” by those who are paid and call the shots. Mainstream commercial theater and new “non-profit” models where “cutting edge” refers mostly to shredders where innovative, risk-taking work ends up, have become factories of fugazi; like chicken soup where there is no evidence of chicken.
My ear drums hurt from hearing actors and playwrights rationalize being uncompensated or unreciprocated without so much as barter for their services with these questionable “dues” at times elevated to “rite of passage” status. “Résumé builder” makes me laugh out loud when used on veteran artists, or cringe when reducing interns to photocopy robots and coffee runners. Open a window and get me a shovel.
I encourage students looking for internships (in any field) to ask for a written job description at the first interview. If this doesn’t scare off the interviewer, then here comes the hard part if one gets the internship: “Picking up your dry cleaning isn’t in my job description.” This might get you labeled as “difficult to work with” but it will keep your self-respect intact and your breath will never reek of ass. When you get the internship, insist on a contract that includes the job description. If requiring professionalism elicits a sour response, then decide if the price is worth the dividend.
Operating in a climate of manipulated economic scarcity (there is no lack of resources; they are simply hoarded and exploited by the elite) and nepotism, artists of color and women continue to be marginalized. The expectation is that we will be exceedingly grateful when one of our usual suspects, lowest common denominator celebrities elected to represent all of us, pops up on red carpet speaking neutral English and making perfunctory references to Latino “culture,” for example. (Last time I checked, there was more than one; and BTW, Africa and Asia aren’t countries, and First Nation peoples are not past tense.)
I must concede, however, that there seems to be a direct correlation with the exponentially growing number of Latino consumers, to the presence of our real accents in film and television. The correct pronunciation of our names is beginning to gain national acceptance. When tuning into cable, I recently heard the last name of boxer Alfredo Angulo correctly pronounced with special emphasis and repetition. Just a few years ago, that same Latina announcer might have been expected to pronounce it a little closer to: Alfreedough Ann Culo, to color within the lines of mainstream auditory pandering.
In 1899, the year following the Spanish American war, the U.S. military government changed the name Puerto Rico to Porto Rico to accommodate the average “American” pronunciation. It was changed back to Puerto Rico by the U.S. Congress in 1932. When will we take back San Pedro (San Pee-dro) Montaña (Mon-tah-na) Los Angeles (Loss An-jealous) and all the other names bent and trashed to accommodate and assimilate? Pagans have had to stomach Halloween for Samhain. Women have to spend more time decreasing the size of their voluptuous bodies than increasing their knowledge of ancestral matriarchal societies. Asians and Pacific Islanders have been mono-culturized back to the days when “Chinaman” was used with impunity as the broad stroke that slapped their faces. First Nation Peoples are reduced to feathers, braids and buckskin. Then came Bollywood, and I still hear the repugnant question, “feather or dot?” Most recently, Johnny Depp broke my heart with a feather. For those who don’t know, Tonto in Spanish means “fool.”
Racism and discrimination in commercialized theater (and all arts that are more product than soul) are nothing new, and certainly not past tense; the window dressing has simply improved. Those who despair for work and acceptance will use terms like “great strides” and “its getting better” accepting crumbs at the banquet for the dubious honor of being in the room.
When an anglo actor asks me how to “do a la-teeno accent” and I ask why she would think of taking a role away from a Latina actor, I get a blank look and am asked again. I explain the concept of creating a more even playing field, and the look is blank. I am then asked if a Cuban accent is different from a Puerto Rican accent. I step outside for air; I’m tired of having to educate people who suffer from willful ignorance. We need a 12-Step Program for that one. “Hello, my name is______ and I am an asshole.”
I’ve often witnessed theater folks demure in the face of racism or other forms of bigotry for fear of retaliation in a field where six degrees of separation is more like two degrees and a rumor. Theater revivals of crowd-pleasing plays and musicals replete with ethnic stereotypes sell seats. We are asked to put it in the “context of its time”, as we are petted and gazed at with pity. Poor things that we are, we just don’t understand the business or the good intentions. I smell sulphur. While we’re at it, why not revive Al Jolson and turn that into a musical? The plantation mentality prevails, with an increasing number of field slaves moving into the house. Politeness and submission pay off-especially if you are (or you produce) a product that can sell on a sound-bite or a single word or image. Wicked of me, I know.
If you are a person of color who indulges mainstream U.S. audiences’ need to fetishize and ghettoize, you’ll also have an easier time in the marketplace. You’re bound to fit into somebody’s season; after all, there’s always a need for at least one of us in the playbill to make producers and funders feel at ease and virtuous. Don’t go making trouble and ending up on a “blacklist.” It won’t matter how talented you are-if you’re “too much” of who you truly are you’ll be lucky to make it into the chorus.
Another term that makes me fidget is “emerging artist.” At the age of nearly sixty, I was told that offering a free performance keynote for a major corporation would be “good exposure” for me. I burst out laughing, had to explain why, named my fee and that was the end of an otherwise very polite conversation.
Years ago I was offered a free trip to the outskirts of Moscow in exchange for two weeks of giving free advice and workshops. I would be compensated by meeting other exploited artists for this “international exchange.” I asked the person offering this residency if they worked for free and without benefits, which of course, this person did not. They were, in fact, over compensated. The audacious response to me: “When would you ever get another chance to go to Moscow?” revealing the deeply predatory nature of the invitation. I was chosen with an expectation that I would say yes with a happy dance. How could someone like me ever be able to achieve such an opportunity on their own? When I said I knew what two weeks of my expertise and time were worth and gave my counter offer, I became persona non grata in perpetuity, all ties with me dissolved. I didn’t burn that bridge, it was blown up before I could even get there.
I understand that one has to devote time to education, craft and professional development. I also understand that some artists are slow burners and have to expect a wage that is commensurate with their level of craft and talent. However, if at fourteen, for example, you are a virtuoso, then you should be treated and compensated as one. Surgeons are not expected to carve around the pituitary for free, and plumbers don’t unclog the aftermath of a bacchanal for bottled water and a certificate of appreciation.
Mediocrity is the new black. We feel it, we think it, we know it, we say it, - venting over coffee with our trusted companions. We walk out of theaters feeling desolate and unsatisfied wishing we’d spent the ticket price on groceries instead. Sometimes we lie to ourselves and focus on the moments that worked, decoding in our heads because it never made it into our souls. We are especially susceptible when people whose opinion matters to us are bamboozled and sing praises of work that is derivative, classist, racist or simply a little too familiar. When audiences don’t see themselves represented very often, they will be happy with a platano or a collard green, no matter how vacuous the storyline, how bleached the tale. That dread fear of retaliation, of being labeled “difficult” “crazy” “angry” keeps too many artists from doing the work that truly lives in their souls and speaking out, becoming bystanders, or worse, accomplices to bigotry by exclusion, dumbing down and artistic cowardice.
I am insulted by the concept of “colorblind” casting. Why would anyone wish to be blind to that which should be welcomed, embraced, celebrated? I do believe it should always be the best person for the job, but the search needs to be wide and deep, not hinge on a “name” or cronyism. And please, no more Mickey Rooney having Breakfast at Tiffany’s-we have our 21st Century versions. Racism isn’t being cured; the symptoms are masked by spin doctors.
Anyone who is awake can see it, feel it. As a fair skinned Latina/Roma, I often see the shift once I say my name correctly pronounced. I’m a double agent; I pass by default (I have NEVER wanted or chosen to ) until I open my mouth. I very quickly move from colleague to charity case as the conversation turns. “Oh, where are you from?” and the subsequent response when I say “the Bronx”. “No, I mean, where are you from?” I won’t let them off the hook; they have to ask. I learn a great deal about the person by how they ask and respond. I’m always amazed at how many cannot pronounce my name and ask me if I have a “nickname.” I gave into a nickname in my younger years, but since then I don’t abbreviate any part of myself for anyone. Want to know me and have interaction beyond this fleeting moment? Easy start: make the effort to pronounce my name correctly. As a society, do we really need spineless diversity officers to teach everyone how to walk on eggs? Personally, I have yet to meet one with any real moxie who has been able to keep the job past two years - and I’ve met quite a few.
On a recent visit to NYC, I was in a theater district restaurant. It came up that I am Roma on my father’s side. The waiter, an actor, stuck out the palm of his hand. I was so excited, thinking he was asking to slap him five; a fellow gitano, perhaps? I quickly realized he was asking me to read his palm. I rolled with it, and left him breathless with the accuracy. I don’t read palms; I read people. Is there any wonder how he might depict a Roma character? The worst part is, he’d most likely get away with it.
The claws of bigotry dig into bone, and a smarmy paternalism makes the boo-boo of the woo-woo go away. “Oh, you’re Porto Rican? I love tacos!” Ah, the glow of self- satisfaction and feeling of camaraderie. Those of us surrounded by a standing ovation audience when we’re the only ones sitting are plagued with self-doubt. That feeling that “this is crap” makes us think we’re bitter or jealous. A bad case of sour grapes. So we check in with ourselves again and come to our senses. “No, that really was crap.” When we dare to express it aloud, we find the others who see it too and we feel less alone. However, it needs to be said OUT LOUD where it can be heard by those producing it. Oh, oh. I just heard my phone stop ringing.
When those who have achieved balance on a stable upward rung, abuse their positions with exclusionary or polite “insider” club behavior, they contribute to a climate of fear and mediocrity. How many ways can you spin Medea? We can now rap Shakespeare. Old news. Regurgitation is also competing as the new black . The television series “Smash” made time stop somewhere between character shoes and Doc Martins. Is that the world we still live in, some iconic nightmare of a Great White Way of long ago complete with casting couch?
The insular, the covetous, the petty, self-serving and scared. The ones who can’t get the union card because they can’t get the audition. The ones who refuse to sell out, who take the risk of writing edgy, intimate, gritty, intelligent plays but won’t play along. The actors who won’t play to the stereotype. The ones who play to the middle, they get along just fine. Safe, confusing, nonsensical plays. Class riots over wine and cheese. Trite and polite. When we laud what is okay, we degrade what is excellent. Always staying with who you know and what you know and doing what you’ve always done, will die out with your audiences. They’re loyal, not immortal.
To the keepers of the measuring cup I say: shove your pie. I’ll bake my own. Thankfully the ranks of those who are self-producing are growing. We’re starting our own theaters, producing our own and each other’s work, sharing resources, information, networking, finding international venues, re-framing where theater can happen and diversifying its purpose in the service of humanity beyond entertainment.
Will the visionaries of today become the gatekeepers of tomorrow? Class will forever be an issue in a capitalist nation-unless we embrace what we intuitively knew as children: everything tastes better when we share and there is more than enough to go around. Stand up to bullies. Take heart, fill our quivers with Action, not the passivity of “Hope.” Maintain our humor and sense of wonder, activating both in life and art; care more about people than profits, and then, perhaps soulful, inspiring, life-giving work will become the new black.
_________
Special thanks to Charlotte Meehan, Keli Garrett and Leah Poller for their feedback during the writing of this blog entry.
The directive to “pay your dues” is often used as a weapon of exploitation and the manipulation of artists; code for “you’re not getting paid” by those who are paid and call the shots. Mainstream commercial theater and new “non-profit” models where “cutting edge” refers mostly to shredders where innovative, risk-taking work ends up, have become factories of fugazi; like chicken soup where there is no evidence of chicken.
My ear drums hurt from hearing actors and playwrights rationalize being uncompensated or unreciprocated without so much as barter for their services with these questionable “dues” at times elevated to “rite of passage” status. “Résumé builder” makes me laugh out loud when used on veteran artists, or cringe when reducing interns to photocopy robots and coffee runners. Open a window and get me a shovel.
I encourage students looking for internships (in any field) to ask for a written job description at the first interview. If this doesn’t scare off the interviewer, then here comes the hard part if one gets the internship: “Picking up your dry cleaning isn’t in my job description.” This might get you labeled as “difficult to work with” but it will keep your self-respect intact and your breath will never reek of ass. When you get the internship, insist on a contract that includes the job description. If requiring professionalism elicits a sour response, then decide if the price is worth the dividend.
Operating in a climate of manipulated economic scarcity (there is no lack of resources; they are simply hoarded and exploited by the elite) and nepotism, artists of color and women continue to be marginalized. The expectation is that we will be exceedingly grateful when one of our usual suspects, lowest common denominator celebrities elected to represent all of us, pops up on red carpet speaking neutral English and making perfunctory references to Latino “culture,” for example. (Last time I checked, there was more than one; and BTW, Africa and Asia aren’t countries, and First Nation peoples are not past tense.)
I must concede, however, that there seems to be a direct correlation with the exponentially growing number of Latino consumers, to the presence of our real accents in film and television. The correct pronunciation of our names is beginning to gain national acceptance. When tuning into cable, I recently heard the last name of boxer Alfredo Angulo correctly pronounced with special emphasis and repetition. Just a few years ago, that same Latina announcer might have been expected to pronounce it a little closer to: Alfreedough Ann Culo, to color within the lines of mainstream auditory pandering.
In 1899, the year following the Spanish American war, the U.S. military government changed the name Puerto Rico to Porto Rico to accommodate the average “American” pronunciation. It was changed back to Puerto Rico by the U.S. Congress in 1932. When will we take back San Pedro (San Pee-dro) Montaña (Mon-tah-na) Los Angeles (Loss An-jealous) and all the other names bent and trashed to accommodate and assimilate? Pagans have had to stomach Halloween for Samhain. Women have to spend more time decreasing the size of their voluptuous bodies than increasing their knowledge of ancestral matriarchal societies. Asians and Pacific Islanders have been mono-culturized back to the days when “Chinaman” was used with impunity as the broad stroke that slapped their faces. First Nation Peoples are reduced to feathers, braids and buckskin. Then came Bollywood, and I still hear the repugnant question, “feather or dot?” Most recently, Johnny Depp broke my heart with a feather. For those who don’t know, Tonto in Spanish means “fool.”
Racism and discrimination in commercialized theater (and all arts that are more product than soul) are nothing new, and certainly not past tense; the window dressing has simply improved. Those who despair for work and acceptance will use terms like “great strides” and “its getting better” accepting crumbs at the banquet for the dubious honor of being in the room.
When an anglo actor asks me how to “do a la-teeno accent” and I ask why she would think of taking a role away from a Latina actor, I get a blank look and am asked again. I explain the concept of creating a more even playing field, and the look is blank. I am then asked if a Cuban accent is different from a Puerto Rican accent. I step outside for air; I’m tired of having to educate people who suffer from willful ignorance. We need a 12-Step Program for that one. “Hello, my name is______ and I am an asshole.”
I’ve often witnessed theater folks demure in the face of racism or other forms of bigotry for fear of retaliation in a field where six degrees of separation is more like two degrees and a rumor. Theater revivals of crowd-pleasing plays and musicals replete with ethnic stereotypes sell seats. We are asked to put it in the “context of its time”, as we are petted and gazed at with pity. Poor things that we are, we just don’t understand the business or the good intentions. I smell sulphur. While we’re at it, why not revive Al Jolson and turn that into a musical? The plantation mentality prevails, with an increasing number of field slaves moving into the house. Politeness and submission pay off-especially if you are (or you produce) a product that can sell on a sound-bite or a single word or image. Wicked of me, I know.
If you are a person of color who indulges mainstream U.S. audiences’ need to fetishize and ghettoize, you’ll also have an easier time in the marketplace. You’re bound to fit into somebody’s season; after all, there’s always a need for at least one of us in the playbill to make producers and funders feel at ease and virtuous. Don’t go making trouble and ending up on a “blacklist.” It won’t matter how talented you are-if you’re “too much” of who you truly are you’ll be lucky to make it into the chorus.
Another term that makes me fidget is “emerging artist.” At the age of nearly sixty, I was told that offering a free performance keynote for a major corporation would be “good exposure” for me. I burst out laughing, had to explain why, named my fee and that was the end of an otherwise very polite conversation.
Years ago I was offered a free trip to the outskirts of Moscow in exchange for two weeks of giving free advice and workshops. I would be compensated by meeting other exploited artists for this “international exchange.” I asked the person offering this residency if they worked for free and without benefits, which of course, this person did not. They were, in fact, over compensated. The audacious response to me: “When would you ever get another chance to go to Moscow?” revealing the deeply predatory nature of the invitation. I was chosen with an expectation that I would say yes with a happy dance. How could someone like me ever be able to achieve such an opportunity on their own? When I said I knew what two weeks of my expertise and time were worth and gave my counter offer, I became persona non grata in perpetuity, all ties with me dissolved. I didn’t burn that bridge, it was blown up before I could even get there.
I understand that one has to devote time to education, craft and professional development. I also understand that some artists are slow burners and have to expect a wage that is commensurate with their level of craft and talent. However, if at fourteen, for example, you are a virtuoso, then you should be treated and compensated as one. Surgeons are not expected to carve around the pituitary for free, and plumbers don’t unclog the aftermath of a bacchanal for bottled water and a certificate of appreciation.
Mediocrity is the new black. We feel it, we think it, we know it, we say it, - venting over coffee with our trusted companions. We walk out of theaters feeling desolate and unsatisfied wishing we’d spent the ticket price on groceries instead. Sometimes we lie to ourselves and focus on the moments that worked, decoding in our heads because it never made it into our souls. We are especially susceptible when people whose opinion matters to us are bamboozled and sing praises of work that is derivative, classist, racist or simply a little too familiar. When audiences don’t see themselves represented very often, they will be happy with a platano or a collard green, no matter how vacuous the storyline, how bleached the tale. That dread fear of retaliation, of being labeled “difficult” “crazy” “angry” keeps too many artists from doing the work that truly lives in their souls and speaking out, becoming bystanders, or worse, accomplices to bigotry by exclusion, dumbing down and artistic cowardice.
I am insulted by the concept of “colorblind” casting. Why would anyone wish to be blind to that which should be welcomed, embraced, celebrated? I do believe it should always be the best person for the job, but the search needs to be wide and deep, not hinge on a “name” or cronyism. And please, no more Mickey Rooney having Breakfast at Tiffany’s-we have our 21st Century versions. Racism isn’t being cured; the symptoms are masked by spin doctors.
Anyone who is awake can see it, feel it. As a fair skinned Latina/Roma, I often see the shift once I say my name correctly pronounced. I’m a double agent; I pass by default (I have NEVER wanted or chosen to ) until I open my mouth. I very quickly move from colleague to charity case as the conversation turns. “Oh, where are you from?” and the subsequent response when I say “the Bronx”. “No, I mean, where are you from?” I won’t let them off the hook; they have to ask. I learn a great deal about the person by how they ask and respond. I’m always amazed at how many cannot pronounce my name and ask me if I have a “nickname.” I gave into a nickname in my younger years, but since then I don’t abbreviate any part of myself for anyone. Want to know me and have interaction beyond this fleeting moment? Easy start: make the effort to pronounce my name correctly. As a society, do we really need spineless diversity officers to teach everyone how to walk on eggs? Personally, I have yet to meet one with any real moxie who has been able to keep the job past two years - and I’ve met quite a few.
On a recent visit to NYC, I was in a theater district restaurant. It came up that I am Roma on my father’s side. The waiter, an actor, stuck out the palm of his hand. I was so excited, thinking he was asking to slap him five; a fellow gitano, perhaps? I quickly realized he was asking me to read his palm. I rolled with it, and left him breathless with the accuracy. I don’t read palms; I read people. Is there any wonder how he might depict a Roma character? The worst part is, he’d most likely get away with it.
The claws of bigotry dig into bone, and a smarmy paternalism makes the boo-boo of the woo-woo go away. “Oh, you’re Porto Rican? I love tacos!” Ah, the glow of self- satisfaction and feeling of camaraderie. Those of us surrounded by a standing ovation audience when we’re the only ones sitting are plagued with self-doubt. That feeling that “this is crap” makes us think we’re bitter or jealous. A bad case of sour grapes. So we check in with ourselves again and come to our senses. “No, that really was crap.” When we dare to express it aloud, we find the others who see it too and we feel less alone. However, it needs to be said OUT LOUD where it can be heard by those producing it. Oh, oh. I just heard my phone stop ringing.
When those who have achieved balance on a stable upward rung, abuse their positions with exclusionary or polite “insider” club behavior, they contribute to a climate of fear and mediocrity. How many ways can you spin Medea? We can now rap Shakespeare. Old news. Regurgitation is also competing as the new black . The television series “Smash” made time stop somewhere between character shoes and Doc Martins. Is that the world we still live in, some iconic nightmare of a Great White Way of long ago complete with casting couch?
The insular, the covetous, the petty, self-serving and scared. The ones who can’t get the union card because they can’t get the audition. The ones who refuse to sell out, who take the risk of writing edgy, intimate, gritty, intelligent plays but won’t play along. The actors who won’t play to the stereotype. The ones who play to the middle, they get along just fine. Safe, confusing, nonsensical plays. Class riots over wine and cheese. Trite and polite. When we laud what is okay, we degrade what is excellent. Always staying with who you know and what you know and doing what you’ve always done, will die out with your audiences. They’re loyal, not immortal.
To the keepers of the measuring cup I say: shove your pie. I’ll bake my own. Thankfully the ranks of those who are self-producing are growing. We’re starting our own theaters, producing our own and each other’s work, sharing resources, information, networking, finding international venues, re-framing where theater can happen and diversifying its purpose in the service of humanity beyond entertainment.
Will the visionaries of today become the gatekeepers of tomorrow? Class will forever be an issue in a capitalist nation-unless we embrace what we intuitively knew as children: everything tastes better when we share and there is more than enough to go around. Stand up to bullies. Take heart, fill our quivers with Action, not the passivity of “Hope.” Maintain our humor and sense of wonder, activating both in life and art; care more about people than profits, and then, perhaps soulful, inspiring, life-giving work will become the new black.
_________
Special thanks to Charlotte Meehan, Keli Garrett and Leah Poller for their feedback during the writing of this blog entry.
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