Regional Theatre Research Articles

THE ROLE OF THEATER IN ENHANCING CULTURAL IDENTITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The impact of theater on Middle Eastern cultural identity formation and enhancement is the focus of this research. This study delves into how theater has played a significant role in reflecting, building, and negotiating cultural identities in different Middle Eastern societies through an extensive examination of current theatrical plays. Case studies of well-known theatrical productions and interviews with creatives involved in making these plays are all part of the qualitative methodology used in this study. To round out the analysis, secondary sources are examined to shed light on the political and historical factors that shaped the region's theatrical expression. The research points to the theater in the Middle East performing arts as a place for cultural preservation and education, a platform for political commentary, and a reflection of social issues. This study sheds light on concrete instances where theater has directly impacted public discourse and helped people reconnect with their cultural heritage. These instances primarily occur in nations undergoing social transition or conflict. Topics and styles of theatrical expression are frequently influenced by the difficulties encountered by regional theater practitioners, such as censorship and inadequate funding. Despite all these obstacles, the conclusion argues that theater is still an essential part of Middle Eastern culture, providing a potent arena for affirming and reimagining cultural identities. The study emphasizes the importance of cultural policy, giving the arts, and theater in particular, more credit for their positive effects on social cohesiveness and cultural identity.

Acoustic properties of two emblematic theaters in Algeria: The case of the National Theater of Algiers TNA and the Regional Theater of Bejaia TRB

In this paper, the acoustics of multi-purpose colonial theaters in Algeria, those of Algiers and Bejaia, are studied to evaluate their acoustic conditions (suitability for music and speech) in view of their architecture’s evolution. To do, acoustics measurements were performed inside them according to the ISO 3382-1 Standard in unoccupied conditions. The average values of acoustic parameters (EDT, T30, C80, and D50) are reported in frequency domain from 125 to 4 kHz. Furthermore, maps of spatial distribution of T30, C80 at the frequency of 1 kHz, and STI are reported. Results show that the Algiers theater is the more appropriate venue for multipurpose performances (with a fairly low RT of 1.5 s in average mid-frequencies), whereas the Bejaia theater is only suitable for musical performances (with a high RT of 2.5 s in average mid-frequencies).

Совершенствование условий институционального обеспечения функционирования и развития сферы туристских и рекреационных услуг

Institutional support for the processes of functioning and development of the sphere of tourism and recreational services involves the rapid adaptation of both legislative, regulatory acts, and practices of interaction between participants. In this case, it is necessary to consider the results of not only economic but also social development. The study assessed the constituent entities of the Russian Federation by the share of the tourism sector: in providing employment to the region's population, in the number of visitors to regional theaters and museums per 1000 people, in the structure of regional investments in fixed capital, in the gross added value of the region, in the regional structure of tax revenues. The regions were distributed according to the influence of tourism on the socio-economic development of the region. Based on testing of the methodological approach, proposals have been developed to improve the conditions for institutional support for the sphere of tourism and recreational services.

Stage Repertoire of the Soviet Regional Theater During the Period of Late Socialism

Relevance. Addressing the repertoire policy of theaters is relevant due to the fact that the study of the repertoire allows us to trace not only the main directions of artistic processes, but also the specifics of social changes of the era being studied.Purpose of the study: to study the specifics of the process of formation and implementation of the stage repertoire of theaters in the Urals in the political and ideological conditions of «developed socialism».Objectives. To achieve the research goal, the following tasks were formulated: to characterize the general principles of the formation of the stage repertoire and the practical mechanism for its compilation; study the themes and genre structure of the repertoire plans of regional theaters in the late Soviet period.Methodology. The methodological basis of the study was a systemic-historical approach, which allows us to study repertory policy as a system functioning in the socio-political environment of the era of late socialism.Results. The stage repertoire was an expression of the creative search of theater groups, carried out in conditions of compromise with the official policy of the state, the ruling party and the natural course of the artistic and aesthetic process. From the point of view of ideology and adherence to party guidelines, «mature ideological and artistic» and «box office» works stood out in the repertoire plans of theaters. The leading place was occupied by the plays of modern Soviet playwrights. The national orientation of the theaters of the multinational Urals was manifested in the embodiment of the works of national playwrights on the stages. A feature of the era was the introduction of plays for children and youth into the repertoire of not only theaters specializing in youth audiences, but also opera and drama groups.Conclusion. The repertoire of the Ural theaters was represented by a variety of works and was built taking into account the requirements of the era. The implementation of the repertoire policy of theaters contributed to the involvement of various socio-demographic groups of the population in the theatrical process, the expansion and complexity of the cultural space of the era under study.

Театральна діяльність на Буковині в умовах Другої світової війни (1941-1944 рр.)

The purpose of the study is to analyze the conditions of theater activities in Bukovyna during the German-Soviet war, based on the available sources and existing developments of theater history researchers. The methodology of the study is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, system and the use of methods of analysis and synthesis, problem-chronological, biographical, historical-genetic ones. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography, the state of theatre activities during World War II, specifically the period of the German-Soviet campaign in 1941-1944, of the Romanian theater in Bukovyna was comprehensively analyzed. Conclusions. Thus, during the German-Soviet war, the theatrical activities remained an important component of the cultural space of Chernivtsi, a means of citizens' education. Despite the restoration of the National Theater, theater troupes from various cities in Romania, mainly Bucharest and Iași, presented their activities in the city and the region. The repertoire of the theaters included both world classics and Romanian drama, as well as plays on historical and patriotic topics. The theater faced the task of eliminating the 1940-1941 gap in cultural ties. Sometimes theatrical events carried some propaganda that was considered acceptable in wartime conditions. There was a practice of theatre tours in the cities of Bukovyna and Northern Bessarabia, which took place in 1942-1943. During the war, the fates of Romanian actors and actors of the Chernivtsi Ukrainian Regional Theater were different. Some actors were arrested by the Soviet authorities at the beginning of the German-Soviet war and in its final period.

Västanå Teater's 1996 Hamlet

Abstract Hamlet opens on a question – ‘Who's there?’ – asked by a sentinel of Elsinore Castle. In the Swedish regional theatre company Västanå Teater's 1996 adaptation of the play, the question kept returning, and it became symbolic of the production's focus on the uncertain and seemingly mysterious movements of political power. This article explores how changes to plot and text worked together with various forms of stylisation to present a society in which strict hierarchies of class, age and gender operated in tenson with Machiavellian corruption and theatrical seeming. Borrowing localised aesthetic expressions from several traditions and cultures (Norwegian/Nordic, Icelandic, East-Asian, Italian/European), the production adapted Hamlet to speak to local concerns, while simultaneously highlighting themes and issues present in the play.

The Efficiency of the Performing Arts: Evidence from Data Envelopment Analysis for Russian Theaters

This article addresses the problem of efficiency measurement in the performing arts by investigating the highly heterogeneous Russian theater market. We adopt data envelopment analysis and explore efficiency drivers, focusing on two groups of public theaters, classical academic and leading regional theaters. The scope of programming, observed through touring and new productions, is shown to have a negative impact on efficiency. The implications highlight the importance of accounting for the sector’s heterogeneity for more accurate and meaningful measurements of efficiency. The results can inform decisions on programming and resource allocation to optimize both artistic and financial goals.

Shaw in America (Bernard Shaw on the American Stage: A Chronicle of Premieres and Notable Revivals)

Shaw in America (Bernard Shaw on the American Stage: A Chronicle of Premieres and Notable Revivals)

The Folks at Home by R. Eric Thomas, and: Dream House by Eliana Pipes (review)

Reviewed by: The Folks at Home by R. Eric Thomas, and: Dream House by Eliana Pipes Natka Bianchini THE FOLKS AT HOME. By R. Eric Thomas. Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb. Baltimore Center Stage, The Pearlstone Theatre, Baltimore. March 27, 2022. DREAM HOUSE. By Eliana Pipes. Directed by Laurie Woolery. Baltimore Center Stage, The Head Theatre, Baltimore. April 28, 2022. In the spring of 2022, Baltimore Center Stage staged back-to-back world premieres of plays written by BIPOC playwrights and featuring multiracial casts and creative teams. Thematically, both pieces centered on the idea of home and what home ownership represents for American families, particularly when applying the lens of race and class to this persistently problematic cornerstone of the American dream. While the productions were not explicitly linked in Center Stage’s promotional materials, the resonance between them was clear and consonant with former Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra’s mission to transform Baltimore Center Stage into a space of radical inclusivity, committed to equity and social justice. First up in this pairing was The Folks at Home by Baltimore native R. Eric Thomas. Thomas is an author, humorist, and writer for stage and screen, who first came to prominence through his hilarious weekly column “Eric Reads the News” published by Elle magazine. His career as a playwright is taking off: in the spring of 2022 he had three major world premieres in quick succession at three different regional theatres, all showcasing his trademark wit and humor. Click for larger view View full resolution Christopher Sears (Brandon), E. Faye Butler (Pamela), Eugene Lee (Vernon), and Jane Kaczmarek (Maureen) in The Folks at Home. Photo: Jill Fannon. The Folks at Home is Thomas’s homage to one of entertainment’s most durable genres—the TV [End Page 97] sitcom. The play is set in the present day, in a Baltimore rowhouse owned by an interracial, married couple, Brandon and Roger Littlefield (Christopher Sears and Brandon E. Burton), who fall on hard times after Roger is laid off from his job as a receptionist at a real estate company. Brandon tends bar at a local seafood joint, but his income alone isn’t enough to keep them afloat, and the play’s conflict centers around how he can convince his husband to list their home for sale and move to a more affordable rental. Into this familiar premise walk Vernon and Pamela Harrison (Eugene Lee and E. Faye Butler, both stellar), Roger’s parents, and Maureen Littlefield (Jane Kaczmarek, wonderfully zany), Brandon’s mother, all of whom are in need of a place to crash. Like their sons, all three aging parents are struggling financially: Vernon and Pamela’s house is in foreclosure, while Maureen, who aspires to work as a greeter at Walmart, has just been evicted by her landlord. Thomas handles this setup with his typical zingers: BRANDON: Look, I’m trying to build something with you. ROGER: We did build something. We have a home. And we filled it with old people. ROGER: We built a nursing home. Once they manage to pay the overdue cable bill, the television in the Littlefield home is switched on—and stays on in the background. The audience at the Center Stage production heard snippets of The Jeffersons, Family Matters, and The Cosby Show between scenes. The aural linkages between the quippy one-liners of Thomas’s play, and the inter-generational television sitcoms on which those jokes are based, were clear. Layered within the comedy, however, was Thomas’s more nuanced exploration of race and class in twenty-first century America. Despite achieving the American dream’s promise of homeownership, Roger and Brandon are still living paycheck to paycheck. Vernon and Pamela both work, but it took just one medical catastrophe (there is an oblique reference to cancer, and the hospital having them on a payment plan) to put them out on the street. In one particularly poignant scene, Pamela talks with her son on the back patio one evening, telling him: “Your father and I are going to have to work til we die, but who isn’t?” I appreciated Thomas’s focus here on economics, while the fact of Brandon...

The Cuban Vote by Carmen Pelaez (review)

Reviewed by: The Cuban Vote by Carmen Pelaez Horacio Sierra THE CUBAN VOTE. By Carmen Pelaez. Directed by Loretta Greco. Colony Theater, Miami New Drama, Miami Beach. April 22, 2022. Carmen Pelaez’s The Cuban Vote demonstrated just how vital regional theatre is and how well it is able to reflect the realities of local communities and the sociopolitical discourses they sustain. Inspired in equal measure by the international attention Miami’s Cuban American community garners every election cycle, William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and the snappy writing of Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, Pelaez’s play buzzed with urgent energy and left the audience pealing with laughter at jokes that lampooned the three-ring circus that is Miami’s political scene. But just as the retort “Fidel Castro is dead”—delivered deadpan by the play’s main character, Carolina Clarens (Carmen Pelaez) when she was being interviewed by a right-wing, Spanish-language radio host—sent shudders through the audience, The Cuban Vote takes everyone to task for the political mayhem of the last twenty years. Liberals, conservatives, candidates, political consultants, mainstream media, social media, naïve Cuban Americans nostalgic for pre-Castro community, cynical Cuban Americans who are “over the whole Castro thing,” and every disengaged Miamian in between are all held to account. Carolina is an intelligent and wonky candidate for mayor of Miami-Dade county. Despite having managed the office of a former mayor, who also happens to have been her father, Carolina is faltering in the polls. With a skeleton crew consisting of her seen-it-all mother, Ofelia (Evelyn Perez), and social media influencer sister, Blanca (Marcela Paguaga), the campaign needs help. Blanca’s boyfriend, the obnoxiously charming bitcoin bro Benji Carbonell (Kristian Bikic), is eager to wed Blanca. But Blanca [End Page 87] has informed Benji that her mother won’t consent to the marriage until Carolina is elected mayor. Benji calls in a favor from a Miami native, Alex Mesa (Andhy Mendez), who has made a name for himself in Washington, DC as a slick political consultant. Benji pays Alex’s salary to ensure Carolina wins her campaign and Benji can marry Blanca. After Alex convinces another formidable candidate not to enter the race, he realizes how unlikable Carolina is. To offer voters a clear contrast between Carolina’s governing prowess and the clueless schmucks who usually dominate Miami’s political scene, he recruits a drunk viejo sitting at a bar, the scene-stealing Gilberto Ruiz (Jonathan Nichols-Navarro), to run for office. Gilberto—a character clearly inspired by the Christopher Sly lark at the beginning of Taming of the Shrew—believes he has what it takes to be mayor. The play soon amps up the didacticism as it serves up a cautionary tale with which we are all too familiar: experience, merit, and know-how are often overshadowed by superficial showmanship. Especially in a city as flashy as Miami. Click for larger view View full resolution Andhy Mendez (Alex Mesa), Carmen Pelaez (Carolina Clarens), and Kristian Bikic (Benji Carbonell) in The Cuban Vote. Photo: Stian Roenning. Pelaez’s keen appreciation for the local vernacular of Miami’s Cuban American community not only makes for great jokes, it also underscores regional theatre’s ability to offer representation to communities that are often excluded from Broadway and from canonical theatre that is deemed to be representative of the American experience. As The Cuban Vote makes clear, political machinations, ambitious individuals, and falling in love, may be universal, but the way in which these themes are expressed have more power when the audience feels a visceral connection to them. For example, a popular meme riffs on how Hispanic communities will take someone’s insecurity (big nose, skinny, red-headed) and make it a loving nickname (narizón, flaco, peliroja, respectively). The double-edged sword of such nicknames is on display in The Cuban Vote when Gilberto continually disparages Carolina by calling her “la gorda” (the fat woman) during interviews. In response to a debate question about climate change and rising sea levels, Gilberto’s anti-intellectualism is subsumed by his callousness: “Let the seas rise. I float! [To Carolina] Especially...

Senegalese Stagecraft: Decolonizing Theater-Making in Francophone Africa by Brian Valente-Quinn

Senegalese Stagecraft: Decolonizing Theater-Making in Francophone Africa by Brian Valente-Quinn

The impact of the war in Ukraine on the democratic development of the Republic of Moldova

The subject of the "military intervention of the Russian Federation in Ukraine" is possibly one of the most discussed topics over the last half-year, and its consequences will undoubtedly have medium- and long-term consequences for regional theatres in Europe, the roles of the EU and NATO, frozen conflicts in the territories of the former Soviet states, the world economy, the extent to which the US will engage in Europe's security issues. Despite the above, the military aggression of the Russian Federation on Ukraine also had uncertain effects, changing in a way the radical relations between Brussels and Moscow and drew the attention of the EU states to the situation in the region, playing an important role in the process of obtaining the status of candidate for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.

English Theatrical Anecdotes, 1660–1800

English Theatrical Anecdotes, 1660–1800

Simplicity of Form: a tale of two cathedrals and interiors lost?: Hamilton Founders Memorial Theatre (1962) and St Joseph's Catholic Church Morrinsville (1964)

St Joseph's Catholic Church, Morrinsville, was designed in 1958-62 by Doug Angus of Angus, Flood & Griffiths of Hamilton. Built in 1964-65, the design was radical, had simplicity in form both externally and internally. The simple external upturned parabola defied the level of innovation and detailing, creating both the exterior and interior form with the use of pre-stressed concrete ribs, and pre-cast panels between. The parabolic form was 49' 6" in height, designed by engineer Thomas Flood. The 8,000 sqft church accommodated 600 people. It was said to be New Zealand's largest single-pour concrete roof of the time. The Modernist interior was of a grand scale with the specially-designed fittings - only seen by parishioners. And this was part of its demise. The scale was for a cathedral not small-town New Zealand. Regionally significant in terms of architecture and engineering technology, an iconic Waikato church, and the work of an important Modernist architect and engineer, yet it was demolished in 2014. In the Waikato, at the same time as the church was being designed, the new regional theatre and "town hall" was on the drawing board of architect Aubrey de Lisle, of White, de Lisle and Jenkins of Hamilton. The Founders Memorial Theatre opened in November 1962, inspired by Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, which was the first civic theatre built in Great Britain after World War Two. The 1,249-seat theatre, built a decade before Christchurch Town Hall, has hosted international performers of note to local theatre and music productions within its "gently sloping wood panelled confines." Jazz great Louis Armstrong arrived for shows on 20 March 1963, but due to payment issues he almost didn't play at all. From Louis Armstrong to Cilla Black in 1965, to the home of the Finns, the theatre for over 60 years has been the focus of many from the new teenagers of the 1960s to classical music and the performance of the young ballet students. Closed in 2016 from lack of maintenance and ongoing strengthening, with the Hotere mural removed for the new Waikato Theatre, the interior now only used in the dark for police exercises as its fate awaits. Two very different cultural interiors – a cathedral for faith and a "cathedral" for performance – a church and a theatre.

Rediscovering the Poetic Genius of María Irene Fornés

Rediscovering the Poetic Genius of María Irene Fornés Erin Joy Schmidt (bio) I feel we are constantly threatened by death, every second, every instant, it's there. And every moment something rescues us. Something rescues us from death every moment of our lives. For every moment we live we have to thank something. We have to be grateful to something that fights for us and saves us. —Fefu and Her Friends, p. 52 I first encountered María Irene Fornés's Fefu and Her Friends in 1997, exactly twenty years after its 1977 off-Broadway premiere. At the time I was a college freshman, and, quite frankly, was not quite sure what to make of it. I was utterly intrigued by the irreverence of Fornés's dialogue. "Do you think about genitals all the time?" asks Emma as she is gardening with Fefu. At age 19, I was not yet able to grasp the depth and invention of the human condition that Fornés exposed with her dialogue. My play library and theatrical vocabulary was limited to playwrights of the popular realm. I had not yet dug into genres beyond realism and naturalism. What I wasn't aware of at that time but what is not lost on me now is that a seed of curiosity was planted for Fornés in that first read. On the surface, the play seems like a simple relationship play written in the same vein as other popular 1970s kitchen-sink dramedies. The play centers on Fefu Beckman and seven of her friends who gather at her New England country home to rehearse a program for an educational society fundraiser in the late 1930s. Yet as the dialogue unfolds, it becomes clear how profound and nuanced the plot and these women really are. Weaving together the lives of these housewives and philanthropists, Fornés delves into themes of conformity, patriarchal oppression, and the feminine mystique without compromising the unique yet familiar relationships among the women. Writing about a production of Fefu and Her Friends at the American Conservatory Theatre in April 2022, theatre critic Jim Munson observed: "The other thing that makes this play's reputation is Fornés' writing style, which is grounded in realism, but occasionally includes poetry and other flights of fancy. This is also what makes the work so hard to describe." Although the play was intriguing to this young woman, a deeper understanding would only come with age (fig. 1). After that first encounter, it would take another twenty-five years for me to engage with Fefu and Her Friends. During the next decade, I received my MFA in acting, worked as an AEA actor in regional theatres throughout the East Coast, and taught performance at several colleges. I was introduced to all manner of plays and playwrights with, as would be expected, the most offerings from the theatrical canon of "well-made plays." Fornés's name would come up among the other surrealists, but more as a nod to her oddness than her brilliance. Now as a theatre professor and stage director at Providence College, our theatre department's play-selection committee was searching for plays to produce during our season dedicated to women in the theatre. As a member of the committee, I was tasked with proposing plays that would be a good fit for the theme and that offer something I would be interested in directing. I remembered that strange yet poignant play I read so many years ago, and decided to read it again and investigate if it might be a good vehicle for our students, remembering little more than the fact that it was written by a woman and featured an all-female-identifying cast of characters. As I began to dig into the text, I was enthralled by the way that Fornés crafted a plot that was driven by women who were confronting their issues, not hiding from them, in contrast to the women of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Williams, whose words surrounded [End Page 149] Click for larger view View full resolution Fig 1. Undergraduate Madelyn Rich (Emma) performs a monologue as other cast members look on...

Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner and Broadway’s Birthday Candles: Interviews with Playwright Noah Haidle and Director Vivienne Benesch

American playwright Noah Haidle has been outspoken in his appreciation for the work of Thornton Wilder. His Birthday Candles borrows reverently and openly from Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner (Collected Plays 61–79) and its intriguing device of watching actors age onstage without the use of elaborate costumes, makeup, or special effects. Inevitably, the performers must depend upon assiduous technique and genuine charisma to carry out the illusion.Birthday Candles, a Detroit Public Theatre commission, had its world premiere in the spring of 2018. At the helm was Vivienne Benesch, who also directed Roundabout Theatre Company’s production at Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre (10 April–29 May 2022). The play’s setting is Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Haidle was born and raised. The main character, Ernestine Ashworth, is having a lifetime of birthdays, from seventeen to one hundred and seven: ninety years’ worth in ninety minutes. From her first line of text to the final blackout, the actor playing Ernestine does not leave the stage.The New York premiere featured a six-actor ensemble headlined by stage and screen star Debra Messing. On the play’s opening night, Enrico Colantoni played Kenneth, Crystal Finn played Joan/Alex/Beth, Susannah Flood played Alice/Madeline/Ernie, John Earl Jelks played Matt/William, and Christopher Livingston played Billy/John (Fig. 1). Kate Hopgood composed original music for the production. The sets were designed by Christine Jones, the lighting by Jen Schriever, the sound by John Gromada, the costumes by Toni-Leslie James, the hair and wigs by Matthew B. Armentrout, and the makeup by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche.On 2 May 2022, Terryl W. Hallquist, Performance Editor of the Thornton Wilder Journal, asked if I would be interested in interviewing Haidle. By chance, two members of the cast of Birthday Candles, Finn and Flood, were my schoolmates from Brown University’s MFA Acting Program. I attended the performance on 11 May. After the show, I asked Finn how I could get a copy of the script. The next day, she sent me a PDF of a rehearsal draft dated 7 January 2022. She also shared Haidle’s personal email with me. Without her generosity, the following interviews might never have occurred.In truth, they almost did not. At that time, Haidle was in the process of moving across the country. When I spoke to him on 20 May, he and his wife and son were between homes. Despite this, I found him to be affable and ebullient. In hindsight, I believe his admiration for Wilder prevailed. Haidle is a graduate of Princeton University and the Juilliard School. His plays have been produced in New York on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters, and worldwide. In addition to his work in the theater, he is also a screenwriter. *My discussion with Haidle was jocular, absorbing, and inspirational—so much so that I sought to expand this piece with a contribution from his director, Vivienne Benesch. We spoke on 23 June 2022, after Birthday Candles had closed on Broadway. She was bright and amiable, the epitome of graciousness.A graduate of Brown University and NYU’s MFA Acting Program, Benesch has had a successful career on the stage, earning an Obie Award for her performance in Lee Blessing’s Going to St. Ives. In 2017, she received the Zelda Fichandler Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. She is currently the artistic director of North Carolina’s PlayMakers Repertory Company.

A Tale of Two Productions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many theatre companies began experimenting with new technologies and ways to bring their work to audiences. As theatres have resumed in-person performances, they are exploring how these new techniques can be incorporated into their productions. Recently one leading regional theatre company produced two versions of A Christmas Carol in parallel - one presented on stage, and the other entirely in virtual reality. They used virtual production tools including real-time motion capture, virtual humans, game engine rendering, and a new platform for multi-user VR experiences. We discuss the process, challenges, and creative decisions behind these shows, with an eye towards informing future theatrical productions.

Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper are Gloop: An Evening of Spectacularly Unhinged Drag from Two Portland Favorites by Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper

Reviewed by: Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper are Gloop: An Evening of Spectacularly Unhinged Drag from Two Portland Favorites by Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper Kate Bredeson CARLA ROSSI AND PEPPER PEPPER ARE GLOOP: AN EVENING OF SPECTACULARLY UNHINGED DRAG FROM TWO PORTLAND FAVORITES. By Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper. Portland Center Stage, Portland, Oregon. February 21, 2022. Click for larger view View full resolution Pepper Pepper and Carla Rossi in GLOOP at Portland Center Stage. Carla Rossi and Pepper Pepper’s GLOOP uses white women’s wellness as a way to serve a scathing indictment of liberal racism. In GLOOP, Rossi and Pepper sang, smoked, and stripped their way through campy cabaret hits as they paired off and rode into the decrepit sunset with their rubber chicken baby, leaving in their wake a harsh reflection of their audience. Rossi, “The Ghost of White Privilege from Lake Oswego,” and Pepper, who turns “tragic into magic and trauma into drama,” are beloved icons of Portland drag. Rossi, who is Anthony Hudson, is a playwright (Looking for Tiger Lily, Clown Down: Failed to Mount), performer, and artist known for eviscerating whiteness through drag and clowning. Pepper, also known as Kaj-anne Pepper, works across disciplines in video, drag, installation, dance, and theatre; Pepper’s recent performance Diva Practice uses technology to research drag and audience complicity. Both find dark humor in garbage and excess. In GLOOP, Rossi’s electric face winced and judged through the layers of white makeup, Tiffany-blue lipstick, and black-winged eyelids. Pepper’s elastic expressions—bedecked by a jeweled eyepatch—and precise physical exaggeration evoked Lucille Ball. Together, the pair accomplished their imperative to “gatekeep, girlboss, gaslight” in a deft and very funny condemnation of the theatre and whiteness empires in Oregon, a state built on racial exclusion, and, more broadly, the United States, with its foundations and ongoing guiding principles of white supremacy and oppression. That Rossi and Pepper performed this evisceration [End Page 376] on the stage of the city’s biggest regional theatre—on the set of its then-current production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch—made the critique sizzle with more precision and danger. Click for larger view View full resolution Carla Rossi, Pepper Pepper, and their chicken baby in GLOOP at Portland Center Stage. Rossi and Pepper sauntered onstage wearing matching parachute jumpsuits and Pendleton-esque rip-off Native American ponchos (“ancestral prayer blankets”) ubiquitous to boho Portlanders. With buoyant blond locks and padded hips, they arrived dazed and in wonder at the dilapidated Chili’s restaurant sign from the Hedwig set. Tossing their hats into the air à la Mary Tyler Moore, they careened about the stage with their luggage, noting that “this doesn’t feel like Sedona,” where they were supposed to end up for their wellness seminar. Turns out that their driver, Ralph, died, and now they were stranded with their crystals and wheatgrass/LSD elixirs. “Here we are, just two selfish white women getting high,” Rossi exclaimed. Looking around the messy set, she asked, “Is this Tulum?” Pepper noted, “GLOOP is a lifestyle. GLOOP is a brand. GLOOP is a modality. GLOOP is Glamorous Ladies of Opulent Persuasion.” Rossi pointed to her stomach to highlight where her jade egg was right at this moment. The pair astutely sent up white-women wellness influencers who preach personal enlightenment over community care. GLOOP’s episodic structure created an alternately relaxing and on-edge mood. Amid a flurry of side-splitting audience laughter toward the beginning, Rossi announced: “There is a ghost in this room that we need to acknowledge, and it’s called racism.” The audience went silent. Rossi and Pepper gaped. Pepper turned to Rossi, pointing at the audience and said, “Oh Oh Oh they did it, they did the thing,” meaning the way white people go silent when someone brings up racism. Rossi launched into a monologue about arts administration, accountability, and land acknowledgments. Pronouncing acknowledgment with a French accent, with emphasis on ment, she delivered a garbled land acknowledgment composed of recognizable phrases from those of Portland arts and academic organizations. Rossi stumbled over the phrases “sacred ancestral traditional unceded stolen Native Aboriginal past tense lands,” “the...

The Price

The Price

Our Town, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas, Texas

<i>Our Town</i>, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas, Texas