Comments on: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee http://dctheatrescene.com/2007/10/25/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/ Washington DC's Liveliest Theater Website Thu, 24 May 2012 13:49:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: lorraine http://dctheatrescene.com/2007/10/25/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/comment-page-1/#comment-1860 lorraine Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:37:23 +0000 http://dctheatrescene.com/2007/10/25/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/#comment-1860 Editor’s note: Lou Bellamy, founder of Penumbra Theatre Company, has responded to the questions raised here. Penumbra’s production of redshirts, co-produced with Round House Theatre, is currently playing at Round House Theatre/Silver Spring until Nov 11. --------------------------------- Mr. Bellamy writes: I invite you to visit Penumbra Theatre's website (penumbratheatre.org). I think you'll find substantive comment that speaks to your concerns. A quick look at our season will demonstrate that the plays, the people, the talent are out there. It is the artistic directors in the various theaters who make choices about artistic teams, about plays. They are the ones who are presenting a vision of what they believe the world to be. Those who are sophisticated and aware of black images that do not conform to the stereotype will present complicated and thoughtful portrayals, those who are not, cannot. My feeling is that African Americans must be responsible for the creation and maintenance of their own images, stories, and iconography. Only then, do we have a chance at truthful, complicated and loving portrayals. Keep the faith. Penumbra Theatre St. Paul, Minn http://penumbratheatre.org ---------------------------------- Debbie Minter Jackson, reviewing redshirts for DCTS, says “it’s not usual to see that kind of youthful playful carousing among young black men on stage without a stereotyped “hood” threatening undertone, so this is quite refreshing to see.“ Mr. Bellamy returns to Washington in March to direct the staged reading of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Kennedy Center, part of the 10 play cycle August Wilson's 20th Century . Editor’s note: Lou Bellamy, founder of Penumbra Theatre Company, has responded to the questions raised here. Penumbra’s production of redshirts, co-produced with Round House Theatre, is currently playing at Round House Theatre/Silver Spring until Nov 11.

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Mr. Bellamy writes:

I invite you to visit Penumbra Theatre’s website (penumbratheatre.org). I think you’ll find substantive comment that speaks to your concerns. A quick look at our season will demonstrate that the plays, the people, the talent are out there.

It is the artistic directors in the various theaters who make choices about artistic teams, about plays. They are the ones who are presenting a vision of what they believe the world to be. Those who are sophisticated and aware of black images that do not conform to the stereotype will present complicated and thoughtful portrayals, those who are not, cannot.

My feeling is that African Americans must be responsible for the creation and maintenance of their own images, stories, and iconography. Only then, do we have a chance at truthful, complicated and loving portrayals. Keep the faith.

Penumbra Theatre
St. Paul, Minn
http://penumbratheatre.org

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Debbie Minter Jackson, reviewing redshirts for DCTS, says “it’s not usual to see that kind of youthful playful carousing among young black men on stage without a stereotyped “hood” threatening undertone, so this is quite refreshing to see.“

Mr. Bellamy returns to Washington in March to direct the staged reading of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Kennedy Center, part of the 10 play cycle August Wilson’s 20th Century .

]]> By: kim defour http://dctheatrescene.com/2007/10/25/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/comment-page-1/#comment-1845 kim defour Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:57:08 +0000 http://dctheatrescene.com/2007/10/25/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/#comment-1845 I just returned from the play with my son (14 years old and at a top private school in Washington)and 3 members of our book club and their parents. The tickets were $86.00 each. One question my son asked was why the black male character portrayed all the negative stereotypes? Out of Jail or whatever, baggy jean pants hanging down, gay acting partner of the child with two fathers. The others while possibly stereotyped, Asian-- smart etc. were more positively portrayed. As Black parents we are bombarded with negative stereotypes of Black males. It would have been great to have spent upwards of $750 to see something positive about a Black male for a change. Many more of them are doing the right thing than not. Unfortanately only the negative gets all the press coverage. I just returned from the play with my son (14 years old and at a top private school in Washington)and 3 members of our book club and their parents. The tickets were $86.00 each. One question my son asked was why the black male character portrayed all the negative stereotypes? Out of Jail or whatever, baggy jean pants hanging down, gay acting partner of the child with two fathers. The others while possibly stereotyped, Asian– smart etc. were more positively portrayed. As Black parents we are bombarded with negative stereotypes of Black males. It would have been great to have spent upwards of $750 to see something positive about a Black male for a change. Many more of them are doing the right thing than not. Unfortanately only the negative gets all the press coverage.

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