I'm just going to begin with a description of the project. Please note that we are always seeking community members who would like to participate, and we would also like to have two more performers in the group. Feel free to forward this URL to anyone you think might be interested.
We are always interested in your thoughts! Please comment here as much as you'd like, even if you aren't actively participating in rehearsals or in-person conversations. We only ask that you be civil and respectful to everyone participating and reading the blog. But a good part of the point of this is to have a public discussion about the topic with as many people as possible.
Here is the description I've sent out to various people to spark interest in the project. We have begun working, and will be adding more information very soon.
The extension of marriage rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities is a current issue around which there is significant public debate. In 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California elections, amending the state constitution to define marriage as valid only for heterosexual couples; this led to a court case questioning the federal constitutionality of that amendment. This month some Democrats in the U. S. House of Representatives have proposed legislation aimed at repealing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which established the federal definition of marriage as being “between one man and one woman.” Inspired by a conversation in class after Proposition 8 passed, I began to think about how a community-based theatre project might help us discuss our understanding of the value of marriage as an institution: What does it mean to be married? Why does the term itself carry such weight for some people, and why do some find it important to reserve that term for straight couples? How is marriage generally represented in dramatic literature, film, etc.? What are different cultural perspectives on marriage and weddings?
In order to approach these issues, we are planning to begin working on a community-based theatre project this fall, to be performed as a Studio Theatre production at UofL in Spring 2010. We envision the final project to be a performance that combines scenes about marriage from dramatic literature, interviews with community members, and other types of research (historical, economic, sociological, etc.) into the cultural significance of marriage throughout history and around the world. You might think of this as a sort of live and local version of programs like “This American Life” or “Radiolab,” but which includes theatrical evidence along with documentary evidence.
Right now we are seeking two groups of people.
First, we need four or five more performers who are interested in being part of the ensemble that will be building and performing the piece. This semester, these people will meet around once a week for an hour or two, depending on participants’ schedules. Responsibilities will include:
• commitment to attending all meetings;
• collecting and discussing material;
• conducting outside research and interviews;
• collaborating to shape the material into a performance.
In the spring, the group will have a regular rehearsal schedule for four or five weeks leading up to production.
Second, we need a group of people from the UofL and Louisville communities who are interested in participating in a public discussion on the general topic of marriage. Although participants should understand that the producers of the project are in favor of extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples, we hope to gather people across lines of difference to join this group. We are interested in working with people who span different political perspectives, religious beliefs, ages, genders, races, nationalities, sexualities, occupations and economic backgrounds. Participants should be able to commit to one or more of the following:
• Attending public readings of scenes and other materials on the topic of marriage and actively participating in a discussion of what is read;
• Being interviewed by performers and giving feedback on how the interview material is used in the final performance, or helping us find people whom we might interview;
• Attending and observing (at minimum) one or two rehearsals in the spring, and offering feedback;
• Participating in written conversations about the cultural value of marriage and about the process of building and rehearsing this project on a public blog.
While the ultimate outcome of this project will be a live stage performance, our interest is in engaging as many people as possible in ongoing arts-based civic dialogue about the cultural value of marriage, with the hope that the process of conversation will yield greater understanding of the different perspectives people have on this complex issue.
If you'd like to comment or participate but don't feel comfortable doing so publicly, we'd be glad for you to send us a private email through this blog.
Thank you again for your interest, and look for much more here soon!
