Movers and Shakers

Southern Rep is a non-profit regional theatre organization in New Orleans, whose core values can be summed up as professionalism, outreach, education, opportunity and sustainability. Because I can only speak from my experience under this company (Eclipsed), much of what I am going to discuss will be from a very limited perspective. For more detailed information, visit www.southernrep.com

Professionalism:

The company is dedicated to operating under the specific outline of the Actor’s Equity Association. Throughout the rehearsal process we followed the all working requirements and ensured that actors were not over/underworked. However, there was also freedom for spontaneous artistic engagement and all decisions were made with the full awareness, compliance and participation of all individuals concerned. The production of Eclipsed was (as far as I know) the first of its kind in the company to feature an all-black, all-female cast and director. The director in particular, Malika Oyetimein, was a delightful mixture of smooth, jazzy charm and terrifying gravitas. She was never afraid to push boundaries and demand more within the very clear terms of engagement. It was a true delight working with her because she proved to me that black, African women have a strong voice in the theatre world which can be heard if presented with clarity of direction and unwavering purpose. I am therefore inclined to believe that Malika’s modus operandi was reflective of Southern Rep’s progressive, inclusive operational standard.

Outreach:

Southern Rep makes an active effort to include members of the community on all levels of theatre making. Outreach forms a large chunk of their mission, and they continually strive to make theatre a community event by ensuring that the plays being chosen, rehearsed, and attended are largely participated in by members of their New Orleans community. They recently launched ‘The Community Table’, which is a forum through which members of the community can have a say in the decision making around season selections. “By increasing the number of “seats” at our theatre-making table, we start to cultivate and grow the long term community relationships that recognize and embrace distinctions and partnerships in the design and execution of our art form.” Another favorite of mine is the Lagniappe Performance Series. This features up-and-coming local artists, who are invited to perform before performances and are thus afforded a wider scope of experience, network and recognition. They also have a volunteer program through which individuals can volunteer to take part in different production aspects of their process.

Education:

Following the line of community outreach, this theatre also has a healthy number of arts education programs. Their “School To Stage Pipeline” gives theatre opportunities to children aged 4-18, enabling them to participate in and get conversant with theatre behind, on, and in front of the stage. Southern Rep offers summer camps, after school programs, acting classes for teens and adults, as well as a student matinee program, all of which are founded on a dedication to inclusivity, diversity and social change. A particularly exciting program that they have is “Yo Nola”. “Southern Rep’s YONOLA is a free, weekly in-school intensive for underserved and low-income children in the Tremé-Lafitte neighborhood of New Orleans.” During this program, they invite theatre professionals to teach fifth graders the ins and outs of creating professional theatre, and the course culminates in original student driven productions. This focus on the youth is very close to my heart as a product of a third world country. I have seen the impact of youth programs such as these back home, and I do not doubt for a second that the children who are involved will grow in confidence, self-esteem and self-identity.

Opportunity:

Southern Rep is well-known for its dedication to the production of new works by new playwrights. Their artistic vision is geared towards providing opportunities for development and exposure of contemporary plays that more accurately represent our time. Here, I am reminded of a conversation we had in class concerning Theatre Baton Rouge’s upcoming production of Gideon’s Knot. Dr. Fletcher mentioned that there always has to be a give-and-take; therefore, Theatre Baton Rouge was only able to put on Gideon’s Knot because they are also putting on a production of Mama Mia during the summer. In a similar fashion, Eclipsed was preceded by a double-bill of Tennessee Williams’ Death Of Queens and The Two Character Play. I am not proposing that these are sub-par plays, but rather making the observation that the success of an unconventional play will sometimes depend on the production of a canonized author to maintain community engagement. Also, I had never heard of these two Tennessee Williams plays before, and I believe that this serves as proof of Southern Rep’s desire to push the envelope even when staging traditional playwrights.

There are also phenomenal opportunities provided through the 4-D play development program. The goal of this is to develop three new full-length plays every season. In addition to this, the theatre provides The Ruby Prize (In honor of Ruby Bridges), which is a bi-annual $10,000 prize to a woman playwright of color in the community.

Just as a side-note, Ruby Bridges "was the first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis in 1960." Here is some history about Ruby Bridges.

Sustainability:

“Southern Rep knows that New Orleans’ legacy is only as strong as our arts community is, and we are committed to protecting and encouraging the livelihoods of our city’s creatives.” I am not familiar with the financial intricacies of the company, but I can vouch for a very strong community presence surrounding the one production I had the opportunity to take part in. The interwoven threads between the community and the organization create networks through which (I believe) some operational costs can be subsidized. On Sunday (27^th April) during our talk-back for example, it was revealed that one of the ladies who stayed behind was an experienced costume designer. My fellow cast-mate spoke with her at length afterwards: contacts were exchanged, and new connection was sparked. Such connections do not by any means imply that practitioners will work for free, but rather that their skills will add to the melting pot of learning, change and growth that is already in progress. This model is sustainable because it does not create art atop a pedestal but on the ground. Intertwining roots are created through an on-going dialogue as well as continuously open channels of communication with wonderfully diverse individuals who have a lot to offer. Like a giant oak tree, Southern Rep provides shade and protection to those unable to fend for themselves and continues to thrive because it opens itself up to be a haven for many.

SOURCES:

"Movers and Shakers": Phrase coined by Nomathamsanqa Mlhakaza

Southern Rep Community Table
Southern Rep Yo Nola
Southern Rep Impact
Biography Ruby Bridges
Wiki Ruby Bridges