by Rebecca Galkin, Part Time Staff Writer
Due to rocky relations between Cuba and the United States and recent changes with U.S security from the Trump administration, Ludi Teatro, a Cuban theatre company, is canceling their production of The Mirror. This play was slotted as the opening production for Destinos, the first Chicago International Latino Theatre Festival. The company was unable to obtain the Visas for their actors. Thus, The Mirrors’ October-run at Steppenwolf ended before it opened.
I learned of this development while reading the Chicago Tribune’s Theatre Loop for my “Introduction for the Production Process” class, a course focused on the process of creating theatre in the Chicago (and national) theatre community. One of our assignments for the class is to read the news each week and understand the world (specifically the theatre-world) with all of its constant craziness.
After doing my homework this particular week, I was not only shocked and disgusted with this development, but I was ashamed. It felt completely un-American to me, while also being a painful reminder of our nation’s history of discrimination. For a few brief moments after reading this article, I sat in shock.
In class, I shared my feelings, expecting my peers to experience the same passion. While my classmates were disheartened and angry, they did not share my surprise. For today’s youth, the United State’s contentious relationship with Cuba is practically archaic, since no one remembers the stressful Cuban-Missile crisis. Furthermore, Trump’s blatant racism towards the Latinx community is no longer shocking as well.
Interestingly, this experience welds perfectly into another recent disbelief. After the election of Donald Trump, I’ve noticed a lot of people use statements like “I can’t believe this is happening!” or “I’m shocked!” to express their aversion to the changes in our political climate. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, disbelief is defined as “mental rejection of something as untrue.” While people are usually well-intentioned while using statements of disbelief, what is the effect our words have?
This notion has been “in the air” for a while now. Saturday Night Live’s cold open “Election Night,” which aired on November 13, 2016, focuses on the ignorance and disbelief of White Americans in light of the election. It featured Dave Chappelle and SNL ensemble members in an apartment watching the election unfold. At the beginning of the night, the white characters were sitting on the edge of their seats with excitement for the first female president to take office.
Sitting on the couch, Dave Chappelle, later joined by Chris Rock, patiently waited for the election to turn south. Of course, we know now Chapelle’s instincts were correct. The white characters sat dejected, truly horrified that America could be so hateful and elect a man like Donald Trump.
What was so poignant about this sketch is that to many Americans, specifically people of color, the concept that America is racist or prejudiced isn’t “news,” it’s a prolonged reality. Though the Trump administration is truly miserable and violence-triggering compared to other presidential administrations, a racist, old, white man in office is the common prototype for American presidents.
I can’t pretend I’m secluded from this ignorance; I was just as shocked as the SNL ensemble members in the sketch when Donald Trump was elected. I realized in class this week, my passion and anger is valid and real, but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The election of Donald Trump and the cancellation of The Mirror aren’t isolated incidents–and shouldn’t be treated as such. It’s my job as a racially privileged person to not reject the experiences of my fellow Americans, which I can do easily with shock. If I fall into a pattern of disbelief, how does this impact those around me? Does it devalue their experiences? Yes.
As much as I interact with my peers in my classes, I don’t know a whole lot about people’s individual history. What if someone in my class is Cuban? Would they share the same reaction to the cancellation of The Mirror as me? Probably not, because they’ve had to personally confront the United State’s relationship with Cuba in a much more intimate way than me. Most likely, this Tribune article wouldn’t be very surprising.
There is a wonderful sentiment from C.G Jung on disbelief that reads, “I have gradually learned to be cautious even in disbelief.” As a student and a theatre-maker, it’s imperative that I re-examine my lense and check my privilege in regards to my shock towards the news. As a nation, if we want to prevent more cancellations of productions like The Mirror and change our political climate, we need to start by accepting each other’s stories and experiences.
References
-Greene, Morgan. “Ludi Teatro Premiere Part of Latino Theater Festival Cancelled.” Chicagotribune.com. October 10, 2017. Accessed October 15, 2017. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-ent-ludi-teatro-cancelled-latino-festival-20171010-story.html.
-Television, Saturday Night Live sketch. United States: NBC, 2016. November 13, 2016. Accessed October 15, 2017. https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/election-night/3424956.
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