Written by: Camille Pugliese, Associate Editor
*TW: This essay discusses themes that center around topics of trauma which include mention of PTSD and sexual violence. There is explicit mention of material that includes the memory of sexual abuse and childhood sexual assualt but will not go into detail regarding this form of violence.
Why must shows be accompanied by a trigger warning? Kathy Ferolito began this conversation as a staff writer for The Grappler in 2015 in an article titled “Trigger Warning: A World Without Trigger Warnings?” Ferolito argues for a more comprehensive discussion of trigger warnings when it came to productions at TTS, so I want to continue this conversation within the context of TTS’s disability audit. Comprehensive trigger warnings are an important step toward making TTS a more accessible place for the entire student population.
On the most basic level, a trigger warning is defined as “a stated warning that the content of the immediately following text, video, etc., may cause distressing psychological or physiological reactions, especially in people who have previously experienced a related trauma.” You might wonder how this relates to principles of accessibility and creating accessible spaces. Disability justice advocates and scholars have rallied for accessible theatre spaces. In an essay titled “Making Spaces Accessible is an Act of Love for Our Communities,” Leah Lakshmi writes, “ When you work to make spaces accessible, and then more accessible, know that you can come from a deep, profound place of love ... When they are there, they show our bodies that we belong.” Everyone belongs in a theatre. Everyone has the right to feel safe and welcomed. No one should have to witness the worst moments of their lives acted out upon a stage. Complex trauma and PTSD are medical diagnoses, so we must have our practices informed by this idea. We need to love our audiences.
Content warnings often function in ways similar to trigger warnings. A content warning will express certain themes or elements present in the play. A common example is signs and postings in the programs which will say, “This play contains x,y, and z” where the person crafting the warning will fill in what is relevant. Warnings for haze and strobe lights are often seen as medically important content warnings. Knowing that there are specific elements of the play that may result in adverse medical responses is important. Why aren’t physical responses to trauma treated in the same way? Trigger warnings, like content warnings, are medically necessary. The most common content warning we see that isn’t related to technical elements is to warn audiences of ‘mature content.’ This fails in so many ways-- it does not account for the multitude of ways that people of all different ages express their maturity. A content warning in this manner is a lazy way of providing access. We need full and complete warnings.
Inside and outside of the classroom, I’ve become accustomed to hearing professors, industry professionals, and even people in my hometown’s Facebook group reiterate the tired phrase that ‘life doesn’t come with a trigger warning.’ I can’t say they’re wrong, but life also doesn’t come with mobility assistive tech, audio descriptions, and sign interpreters. People use these devices because they are medically necessary and provide an important form of safety. Trigger warnings undeniably act in the same way. Our stages and theatres shouldn’t be hazardous places. These are ways we provide accommodations to everyone in our community. In the wake of the pandemic, there has been an increased number of virtual performances to make theatre more widely accessible. Many theatres continue to do reduced student pricing and ‘pay what you can’ models of ticket selling. This is how we ensure that everyone in our community has access to theatre. There are countless ways we can continue to make our art accessible.
Trigger warnings are an issue of access, not an aesthetic argument. I do not want to hear that it will ‘spoil’ the show. We won’t experience the story until we are in our seats. We won’t know what happens until it unfolds before us on the stage. Trigger warnings should only take up a sliver of what happens. When we use a trigger warning we are providing a glimpse at the content, not the overall context. Theatre still has magic within it. It allows all people to engage in the work we create. In The Grappler’s 2015 article, Ferolito writes, “When we ignore the audience’s relationship to the art and solely focus on performance and aesthetics, we lose a crucial component of what keeps theatre alive.” When we don’t provide basic levels of access, we isolate members of our audience. As an institution that thrives because of its incredible community, isolation is unacceptable. Trigger warnings allow audiences to engage in our work at the level where they are most comfortable. Why shouldn’t we allow our audiences to engage on their own terms?
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Last year, while still in the Zoom universe, I was the stage manager on a studio production of The Gap by Emma Goidal. The play follows a theatremaker, Lee, as she tries to understand her sister Nicole’s assertion that she was abducted by aliens and has become one. This play shows the experience of trauma and how it affects all aspects of a person’s life--this play can be deeply trigger warning. Ultimately, Lee learns that her sister has been experiencing a trauma response to being sexually assaulted as a child. This realization does not come until the last quarter of the play, but it is clearly alluded to through the play. In one of the final scenes, Nicole recounts the moments of the assault in harrowing detail. Not including a trigger warning was never an option, and I am still thankful that everyone realized this. Our trigger warning went as followed: “This play deals with topics including sexual abuse, childhood sexual assualt, and ongoing personal trauma. Please reach out to stage manager, (name and phone number) for a more comprehensive explanation of the story.” The trigger warning did not mention who was assaulted or in what matter, but was specific enough to raise whatever red flags needed to be raised.
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During The Gap, it was important that anyone who wanted a further explanation of the triggers had someone to guide them through exactly where the most triggering moments landed within the play. For many, the initial trigger warning was enough for people to decide not to see the performance at all. It is imperative we take care of our community. I wanted to make sure that anyone who came to see The Gap knew of the trigger warnings. While this was a Zoom play, this went out wherever the play was advertised instead of the usual sign in front of the theatre door. Going forward, we need specific trigger warnings, and points of contact for potential audience members to communicate their access needs for their specific performance. Anyone can decide not to see a play after seeing a trigger warning. I actually encourage this. We need to make sure everyone sees the trigger warnings.
I am open to a discussion on the ways that theatre is meant to challenge our ways of thinking and open our minds to new perspectives and ways of seeing the world. I acknowledge that this is often uncomfortable. Uncomfort is different from a relapse of trauma. We must not let anyone be alienated by their trauma. Not in theatre and especially not at The Theatre School. The conversation started seven years ago and we must still continue it today. We have to look out for all members of our community. Specific and visible trigger warnings are how we can do this.
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