As We Strive To Be More Inclusive In Theatre And Specifically On Broadway, We Also Need To Have The Discussion

As we strive to be more inclusive in theatre and specifically on Broadway, we also need to have the discussion on how much it is appropriate to but actors through. 

Stories about bigotry and the history of it are very important, and in a space like Broadway where you are performing the show over and over, for eight shows a week for a year or more, that can be incredibly taxing. And yes, they are professionals, and part of being professional is being able to hold up a healthy divide between performance and real life, but let me ask you this: If you were doing a show where you were playing a character who got called ugly all throughout the show, would you as the actor be able to go home every night feeling perfectly fine and not having taken those comments to heart? Probably not. And just being called ugly is of course no where near the same level as experiencing racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, etc.

One example of this is the taunting scene in West Side Story, (trigger warning for mentions of sexual assault) a show that is already about gang fighting between one with white members, the Jets, and one who’s members are from Puerto Rico, the Sharks. In the scene if you haven’t seen it, Anita, who is Latina, is pinned down and sexually harassed by members of the Jets. As you can imagine, it’s incredibly hard to watch. And if you are in the very large group of people who have survived sexual assault, especially a woman, ESPECIALLY a woman of color, it can be extremely triggering to see, let alone perform. In fact, Rita Moreno, who played Anita, found the scene incredibly hard to do, as it brought back her own memories of sexual assault. And that was in the movie. I can only imagine how horrible it would be to do eight nights a week in front of over a thousand people.

Clearly, good and accurate representation in theatre and all forms of art does not mean stories that are always about the oppression of whichever group you are trying to represent. It’s about finding that balance between those stories, which are important, and stories that show members of disenfranchised communities not having to face bigotry constantly. And while we work to find that balance, we must remember that just because the bigot is someone playing a character does not mean that the bigotry isn’t real to the person on the receiving end. 

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TIP for any fellow disabled folks who have cats ❣️ if you got chronic fatigue or back pain or POTS where you cant bend down easily or even if you're able bodied and just feeling sick get one of these shits ↓↓↓

An image of an Arm and Hammer sifting pan litter box. The product has two stacked black plastic litter boxes, and a white plastic pan on top with small holes on the bottom to strain out clean litter like a sieve.
An image of an Arm and Hammer sifting pan litter box. The product has two stacked black plastic litter boxes, and a white plastic pan on top with small holes on the bottom to strain out clean litter like a sieve.

It's got one huge sifter so after your cat(s) use it you just grab it, shake it side to side a little, dump the poop into a bag, put the now clean litter in a fresh box (this one gives you two litter boxes for this reason) and pour the clean litter in the box on top of the pan. You can put the second box under it to keep it out of the way for when you switch over again.

This Arm and Hammer one was only 15 bucks on amazon and it's so much easier to clean. It is heavy to lift up the full pan and dump the cleaned litter into the second box so keep that in mind, but it's so much faster and less arduous than shoveling the caked up cat shit for 10 minutes and having your back screaming in pain, numb feet, and a head rush from bending over 😭 i didn't know these existed until now so that's why I'm talking about it anyway if you see this you should pet your cat for me maybe give em a kiss on their stupid little forehead 🤎🐈🐈‍⬛

6 months ago
っ˕ ◟͈ აྀི

っ˕ ◟͈ აྀི

1 year ago

Help Me Get New Mobility Aids!!!

Happy Disability Pride Month! I initially wasnt going to make a post to try to get new mobility aids/tools, but I really need them, so what the hell.

I am a multiply disabled Black lesbian and I have been without proper supportive mobility since the start of the pandemic. I had many of my things broken or thrown away during this time period, and I thought I could go without but its been so long and I really cant anymore.

I need smart/ergonomic forearm crutches because regular forearm crutches wreck my fragile hypermobile wrists, I need braces for both legs and ankles, a shower bench and detachable showerhead. All of this combined is a bit over $550.

Help Me Get New Mobility Aids!!!
Help Me Get New Mobility Aids!!!

I REALLY need this, esp the crutches! My mobility and bodily autonomy would be GREATLY increased If I was able to get these items. I

CA: $sleepyhen

VN: wildwotko

Dm for P@ypal

TLDR?: Disabled Black Lesbian needs new mobility aids for increased mobility and autonomy.

2 years ago

dismantle the idea that you should love your body because "it works". bodies that don't work deserve love too. disabled and chronically ill bodies are just as deserving of love as abled bodies.

4 years ago

Creativity and joy should not be seen as a distraction or as a bad thing WHOMST THE HELL-

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

the next person who tries to tell me   “you just need to do X to cure your chronic illness!”   is going to get beaten to death with a binder of my entire compiled medical history

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sonny-ray-of-goth - Sunflower grunge
Sunflower grunge

I love all things frog, mushroom, rainbow high… I have Ehlers danlos syndrome and use both a rollator and a cane. Enby that is bad at making friends but likes to have them. I adore many cartoons but haven’t seen even more.

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