THEATRE DANCE PERFORMANCE STUDIES SCHOOL OF NOVEMBER 5 13, 2010 AMI BLACK ENOUGH YET? CLINTONJOHNSTON

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1 cspac_111310_front:layout 1 SCHOOL OF 10/25/10 8:53 AM THEATRE DANCE PERFORMANCE STUDIES Page 1 NOVEMBER 5 13, 2010 AMI BLACK ENOUGH YET? by CLINTONJOHNSTON

2 PROGRAM NOTES Race = What? Number Eight It s All Made Up. There is no such thing as race beyond what we insist on acknowledging. Human beings exist with a variety of heights, weights, melanin distributions, and facial characteristics. Beyond these surface level, cosmetic variations, there is no significant physiological difference between Africans, Cubans, Dutch, Chinese, Samoans it s all made up. from Am I Black Enough, Yet? by Clinton Johnston What is race? Is it a socially constructed concept that everyone holds onto or is it a legitimate way of describing one s physical traits? How do the stereotypical views that some Americans have affect how we treat each other? Everyone has their own unique definition of what race is, whether it is a consideration of similar bodily traits or speech patterns. In our society, racial terms tend to incorporate not only shared corporeal features, but other factors such as shared mannerisms, styles of clothing and backgrounds. Regardless of how we define race, however, the fact remains that the differences among our physical characteristics can and often still do play a large role in how we treat one another. So what produces these so-called racial differences? What accounts for the variation in our physical appearance? Strikingly, very little. Specific results of the Human Genome Project, a study dedicated to observing and understanding the genetic makeup of human beings, revealed that: Roughly 99.9 percent of the DNA of every person on the planet is identical. Human variation, in height, skin color, and so forth, is actually determined by a tiny fraction of the human genome race is a cultural construct characteristics generally associated with race, such as skin color, account for no more than 0.01 [percent] of our genetic make-up. 1 In other words, our outward appearance is only a small part of who we are as individuals but some people don t always think that way. A terrific example of how a person can be superficially categorized due to his or her biological characteristics lies in the story of Yoon Jung Park, an Asian-American female who discovered that her status as Asian meant different things to different people. While chronicling her experience as a naturalized American, Park brings up some important questions to ask when thinking about how race is defined: There is no essential Korean, Korean American or Asian American identity I used to be a Korean, then I became a Korean American. Now I m also an Asian American. At the same time, I m very different from most of the other Asian 14

3 PROGRAM NOTES Americans I ve encountered over the years What are the component parts of an Asian American? Must we all eat Asian foods? Speak an Asian language? Hold to certain Asian values or traditions? Is there a perfect balance of Asian and American in an Asian American? 2 These questions are important for people of all cultures to ask themselves, to discover what it really means to classify an individual as Asian-American, African- American whatever the identification may be. Park s contemporary outlook on what race means shows us how racial terms evolve over time, and moreover, how race is often used as a synonym for ethnicity. The subject of ethnicity opens up even more uncertainties, for example: How does culture complicate racial identities? What does it mean to be of the same culture, but not of the same race and vice versa? In Am I Black Enough, Yet?, Clinton Johnston presents a scene that describes two characters who are similar in most ways they attend the same school, they share the same friends and they grew up in the same neighborhood. These two girls ran the same streets together, and communicate using the same lingo and dialect. These characters are a part of the same world, they have the same urban style they share a culture. The only clear distinction between the two girls is their racial appearance: one girl is identified as white and the other as black. By dramatizing how these girls can share a culture without being of the same race, the playwright shows that there are commonalities that individuals share that are much more significant than shared features. In other words, people are people, and the way they appear externally shouldn t be how they re defined. A person s culture is what really makes him or her special and unique one s distinctive experiences, customs and social behaviors. The attempt to acknowledge these distinctive experiences and customs can often be satisfied by using the term ethnicity instead of race. Referencing one s ethnicity can be a more accurate way of distinguishing an individual since it is a description that may reference cultural traits or traditions. However, the nuances of ethnicity also highlight interpretive challenges. For instance, in another scene from Am I Black Enough, Yet?, an African-American character, Ty, can t accept his African-English roommate, Oba, as a black man because he doesn t fit America s stereotypical definition of that race. Describing a person as black certainly isn t the same as describing him or her as Nigerian or Jamaican or Ethiopian, since the former is a racial description and the others denote a specific nationality or cultural heritage. Yet, like the character Ty, we tend to blend the definitions of race, ethnicity and culture which can lead to generalizations being made about a specific group. To make things worse, we each have our own American view of what being of a different race or ethnicity means, and sometimes those views come along with certain preconceived notions about that set of people. In Ty s case, he s already reached a Am I Black Enough, Yet? 15

4 PROGRAM NOTES conclusion on how Oba is supposed to act, talk and feel as a stereotypical American black man, but he doesn t accept that Oba has his own African/English culture outside of that category. Like all of us, Ty has his own definition of what a person s race is and by classifying his peers in his own superficial way, he comes to the wrong conclusions about who they really are as people. Am I Black Enough, Yet? is a play that, among other things, really challenges its audiences definition of what race is. Our own experiences with race-related issues shape how we define the term, and as a result, affect how we view others of the same biological categories. There are so many different ethnicities and cultures in this world that classifying people by their outward appearance can become problematic. By examining the different ways Americans tend to view those of one specific race, maybe we can come to terms with what the word means to us, and possibly learn to examine individuals by their character instead of their external appearance. Corina Riviere, Dramaturg 1 Jones, Richard A. Race and Revisability. Journal of Black Studies (2005): Park, Yoon Jung. An Asian American Outside: Crossing Color Lines in the United States and Africa. Amerasia Journal (2000): ARTS (2787)

5 cspac_110510_black enough:layout 1 10/25/10 8:46 AM SCHOOL OF Page 19 THEATRE DANCE PERFORMANCE STUDIES UM SCHOOL OF THEATRE, DANCE, AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES Daniel MacLean Wagner, Producing Director AMI BLACK ENOUGH YET? Director Scot Reese Scenic Designer Jeremy W. Foil* Lighting Designer Jonathan Dillard Costume Designer Laree Lentz Sound Designer Greg Mack Dramaturg Corina Riviere *Member United Scenic Artists by CLINTONJOHNSTON november 5 13, 2010 robert & arlene kogod theatre CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 19

6 CAST Jamar Brown Juliette Ebert Alexis Fortiz Jason Phillips Erica Philpot Kiara Tinch John Wahl Baakari Wilder UNDERSTUDIES Elletinya Dodd Justin Fair Atif Myers Ilan Najee Michael Strassner Kim Travers Adriyah Young TIME Present Day There will be one 15-minute intermission ARTS (2787)

7 PRODUCTION STAFF ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AND DESIGNERS Assistant Directors Assistant Lighting Designers Assistant Costume Designers Armando Batista, Yadeedya Mellman Kristina Herne, Sarah Tundermann Larissa Bregenzer, Chelsea Kerl PRODUCTION AND STAGE MANAGEMENT Theatre Production Coordinator Cary Gillett Stage Manager Will Voorhies Assistant Stage Managers Devorah Gabai, Julia Narrow COSTUMES Costume Shop Manager Costume Shop Supervisor Drapers Dressers Hair and makeup Stephanie Shaw Susan Chiang Lisa Burgess, Susan Chiang, Emily Hoem Olivia Brann, Gracie Jones, Ruth Anne Watkins Ariel Myren ELECTRICS Assistant Manager of Electrics Electrics Coordinator Master Electrician Light Board Operator Laura MacAdam Jeff Reckeweg Teal Hinga Katie Finnegan PROPERTIES Properties Master Overhire Properties Crew Properties Construction Crew Tim Jones Andrea Moore, Pam Weiner Madison Bahr, Collin Baker, Theresa Buechler, Devorah Gabai, Pam Hsu, Alexander Leidy, Sarah Nowak Am I Black Enough, Yet? 21

8 PRODUCTION STAFF PAINTS Scenic Charge Artist Paint Crew SCENE SHOP Technical Director Scene Shop Supervisor Overhire Set Construction Crew Set Construction Crew Ann Chismar Su-Chen Ava Kuo, Joycelyn Daniels, Daniel Dobrosielski, Bobby Hunter, Clare Jackson, Gracie Jones, Daniel Riker, Caroline Soble, Ary Widdes, Lu Yu Rick Weinard Steve Cosby Lex Davis, Chris Insley Sara Atwood, Jason Cox, Alexis Fortiz, Seth Greene, Teal Hinga, Drew Kim, Alex Miletich, Julia Narrow, Shane O Loughlin, Michael Strassner SOUND Audio Shop Manager Audio Coordinator Sound Board Operator Sound Technician Kristine Eckerman James O Connell Elizabeth Mann Sarah Juliano RUN CREW Stage Operations Manager Run Crew Bill Brandwein Drew Blau, Billy Geltzeiler 22

9 DIRECTOR AND DESIGNERS BIOGRAPHIES Jonathan Dillard (lighting designer), third-year MFA candidate in lighting design. Kogod: Am I Black Enough, Yet? (lighting designer) (Thesis Production), Anton in Show Business, Between Trains (assistant lighting designer). Kay Theatre: The Bluest Eye (lighting designer), James Joyce s The Dead (assistant lighting designer), The Winter s Tale (assistant lighting designer). Other UM productions: Shadowboxer (assistant lighting designer), La finta giardiniera (lighting designer), L elisir d amore (lighting designer). Outside productions: Glass Menagerie (assistant lighting designer), One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest (assistant lighting designer). Jeremy W. Foil (scenic designer) is based in New York City and Las Vegas. Recent designs include Trumpery, Camelot, The Glass Menagerie, Lyle the Crocodile, Parallel Lives and Thoroughly Modern Millie. University of Maryland designs include Marisol, Urinetown the Musical (with Scot Reese) and The Piano Lesson. Associate and assistant work includes Broadway: Lombardi and Glory Days; Off-Broadway: Play Dead, Vanities the Musical, Opus; National Tours: In the Heights, Bring it On, The Pajama Game and Backyardigans Live. Regional: Baby It s You!, Minsky s TV: Whitney Cummings, Money Shot, Eddie Griffin: You Can Tell Em I Said It!, Scream Awards 2010 and The Onion News Network. Master of Fine Arts University of Maryland 2008 Member United Scenic Artists. For more information visit Laree Lentz (costume designer), second-year MFA costume design. The Studio 2ndstage: Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven (costume designer). North Carolina Shakespeare Festival: The Tempest (associate costume designer). Kay Theatre: The Bluest Eye (costume designer), Maryland Dance Ensemble: Unmoored (costume co-design with Lisa Burgess), Ilan Antonette Najee (Woman #8), Junior Theatre Major, The Bluest Eye (UMD Production Spring 2010), Kreativity Troupe. Scot Reese (director) is a professor in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Professional theatre credits include productions from Los Angeles to New York. Television credits include daytime dramas, situation comedies, variety specials, commercials and an Emmy Award for individual achievement in performance. This summer Scot served as a panelist on the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Project. He is a moderator for the Kennedy Center s Explore the Arts Series and interviewed the cast members of Mary Poppins. Recent directing credits include the world premieres of Blues Journey at the Kennedy Center, 24/7 365 at Theatre of the First Amendment, as well as Barefoot in the Park (with Laura Linney and Eric Stoltz) for LA Theatre Works. Am I Black Enough, Yet? 23

10 DIRECTOR AND DESIGNERS BIOGRAPHIES Corina Riviere (dramaturg), senior theatre major. ASIENCE Theater Group Co-Founder and Vice President. UM productions: Cafritz Foundation Theatre, M. Butterfly (producer and production manager), Metamorphoses (production manager). Outside productions: The Weirwolf (producer), Fringe Festival: How the Money Goes (production manager and assistant stage manager), Centerstage: Ma Rainey s Black Bottom (assistant dramaturg). CSPAC Electrics Shop Crew Member since ARTS (2787)

11 ACTOR AND PRODUCTION STAFF BIOGRAPHIES Armando Batista (assistant director), first-year MFA performance. Professional credits: Grace or the Art of Climbing, Concrete Dinosaur, Our Lady of 121st, Take Me Out. Collegiate theater credits: Jitney, The Alchemist, Fuente Ovejuna, Macbeth, Osiris Redux. Solo performance credit: M.A.C.H.O? Education: BA in theater, Temple University. Larissa Bregenzer (assistant costume designer), first-year MFA costume design. Kogod Theatre: Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter (costume designer). Kay Theatre: Fall Maryland Dance Ensemble 2010 (costume designer). Jamar Brown (ensemble), senior theatre performance major. Kay Theatre: James Joyce s The Dead (Mr. Browne), To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (Various), The Ash Girl (Puppeteer). Kogod: The Colored Museum (Miss Roj; Son). Other UM productions: Rudolph Pugliese Memorial Service (Soloist). Juliette Ebert (ensemble), junior theatre performance major, Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship. Kay Theatre: James Joyce s The Dead (Lily). Kogod Theatre: Hotel Cassiopeia (understudy). Fresh Produce: The Many Women of Troy (Polyxena). Board member of UTAS and member of Weekday Players. Justin Fair (understudy), senior theatre and art studio major, Stringer Foundation Performing Arts Scholarship. UM productions: The Measure of our Lives (Will Rogers). Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy: The Black Monologues (Monologist). UM Shakespeare Players: Julius Caesar (graphic designer), Scenes from Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio, Sir Toby Belch, guest director), Othello (Iago). Other UM productions: Head Publicist: The Lab: An Experiment in Grand Guignol, La Dispute, Keepers of Shoppe, Alice s Adventures in Wonderland, Lebensraum. Alexis Fortiz (ensemble), junior theater performance and elementary education double major, Maryland State Senatorial and Delegate Scholarship Recipient. Kay Theater: The Bluest Eye (Darlene/Woman #2). Dance Theater: Spring Maryland Dance Ensemble 2010 (wardrobe crew). Other UM productions: Arlene (ensemble), Kreativity s Behind Closed Doors (ensemble). Devorah Gabai (assistant stage manager), senior theatre tech and design and English literature double major. Other UM productions: How the Money Goes (stage manager), M. Butterfly (stage manager). Devorah has worked for the CSPAC Prop Shop since Am I Black Enough, Yet? 25

12 ACTOR AND PRODUCTION STAFF BIOGRAPHIES Chelsea Kerl (assistant costume designer), senior costume/dramatic literature student, Smith Family Excellence in Theatre Award Recipient. Kay Theatre: Enchanted April (assistant costume designer). Other UM productions: Bash, M. Butterfly, Parados, The Pillowman, Spotlight. Outside productions: Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending. Yedeedya Mellman (assistant director), junior theatre production major. Kogod Theatre: Gilgamesh (assistant director). Atif Myers (understudy) is a senior history major at the University of Maryland. He is a stand-up comedian who has performed in venues all across America, most notably the Gotham Comedy Club and Broadway Comedy Club in New York City, The Helium in Philadelphia, The Ottobar and Baltimore Comedy Factory in Baltimore. This is also Atif s first acting role. Julia Narrow (assistant stage manager), sophomore theatre and anthropology double major. Outside productions: Beauty and the Beast (wardrobe), Tommy (assistant stage manager), A New Brain (lighting). Jason Phillips (ensemble), senior theatre performance and communication major. Kay Theatre: James Joyce s The Dead (Michael), To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (ensemble). Kogod Theatre: Hotel Cassiopeia (pharmacist/corkmaker). Erica Philpot (ensemble), sophomore theatre performance major. Smith Family Excellence in Theatre Award Recipient. Kay Theatre: The Bluest Eye (Woman #3). Outside productions: The Wiz (Glinda), Once on This Island (Erzulie), Ragtime (Haitian immigrant, person of Harlem, Ragtime band member). Kiara Tinch (ensemble), junior theatre performance and government and politics major, Mulitz-Gudelsky Family Scholarship Recipient. Kay Theatre: The Bluest Eye (Maureen Peal) and The Winter s Tale (spotlight operator). Kogod Theatre: Anna in the Tropics (Marela), Gilgamesh (electrician). Other UM productions: Weekday Players Bash (assistant costume designer) and Original Works (Spring 2009). Sarah Tundermann (assistant lighting designer), first-year lighting design MFA candidate. This is her first production at the University of Maryland. Outside design work includes: Emerging Identities (Workshop, NYC), Julian (Dixon Place, NYC), Mrs. California (Smith College, MA) and Mojo Mickybo (59E59, NYC). 26

13 ACTOR AND PRODUCTION STAFF BIOGRAPHIES Will Voorhies (stage manager), junior theatre production major. DC Fringe: Genesis (stage manager). UM productions: Gilgamesh (assistant stage manager), Spring 2010 Shared Grad Concert (assistant stage manager), James Joyce s The Dead (light board operator) and The Winter s Tale (crew). John Wahl (ensemble), junior theatre major, Maryland Distinguished Scholar, Dean s Scholar. Dance Theatre: American, African (European). Kogod Theatre: Gilgamesh (assistant master electrician), Hotel Cassiopeia (light board operator), Anna in the Tropics (assistant master electrician). Kay Theatre: James Joyce s The Dead (Freddy Malins (u/s), Mr. Browne (u/s), Bartell D Arcy (u/s)). Other UM productions: M. Butterfly (lighting designer). Outside productions: American, African (European). Baakari Wilder (ensemble), senior theatre performance major. Kay Theatre: The Bluest Eye (Cholly). Outside productions: Bamboozled (Actor, Tap Dancer), Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk (Uncle-Huck-A-Buck, Tap Dancer). Adriyah Young (understudy), sophomore theatre performance major, first performance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. Previous work includes Yellow Brick Road dancer in The Wiz. Am I Black Enough, Yet? 27

14 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The director would like to dedicate this production to the memory of his dear friend and mentor Karen Greyson. The lighting design of this production, under the supervision of Brian MacDevitt, is in partial fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of the production is strictly prohibited ARTS (2787)