Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury

Directed by Caitlin Lopez

Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.

TIME

NOW

SETTING

Ohio University

DATES

April 11 - 13 &  17 - 20 @ 8pm. April 20 @ 2pm. The Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater Stage, Kantner Hall, 19 South College Street, Athens, OH 45701

Talk-back after the shows on Saturday 4/13 & Thursday 4/17.

There will be NO intermission.

CONTENT ADVISORY

We Are Proud to Present… deals with themes of racial prejudice and genocide. This production also contains violent language, racial epithets, physical violence, and simulated gunshots.

SYNOPSIS

A group of actors gather to tell the little-known story of the first genocide of the 20th century. We Are Proud to Present … follows a group of idealistic actors they test the limits of empathy as their own stories, subjectivities, assumptions and prejudices catalyze their theatrical process. Eventually the full force of a horrific past crashes into the good intentions of the present, and what seemed a faraway place and time comes all too close to home.

DRAMATURGICAL NOTE

Take a moment to ask yourself, how can theatre activate its audience? For Jackie Sibblies Drury, metatheatricality serves as the driving force that challenges you as the audience of We Are Proud to Present…. The play operates within what we commonly recognize as a dramatic performance, but as a work of theatre that knows its theatre. While many plays never acknowledge themselves as fictions, illusions, or drama, We Are Proud to Present… breaks down the characteristics of what we recognize as theatre and allows outside reality to usurp the internal theatrical narrative. This, in turn, repurposes our role as audience from outside spectator to internal complicit participant.

Drury consistently highlights theatricality to confront her audience. In We Are Proud to Present…, she implements metatheatrical tactics such as the ‘play within a play’ and the ‘heightened awareness of the presence of audience’. Drury moves between segments of ‘process’ and ‘presentation’. In ‘process’, she protects the audience behind the ‘fourth wall.’ This allows us to relax as outside viewers of a story. We observe as the characters of We Are Proud to Present… contend with a plight. They are naïve yet endearing but their goal is to pull off a representation of genocide. The banter between these characters gives a humorous tone to their attempts, but conflicts with the gravity and seriousness of their topic. Encased in the ‘play within a play’ structure, they create distance between themselves, their audience, and the history they are telling. As the play continues, we cannot help but wonder, “how far will the joke go?” Ask yourself, is there a tinge of guilt that comes with each well-timed laugh?

A shift in focus upends the complacency we feel as the story moves into moments of ‘presentation’. As the actors fight for a tangible narrative, the audience feels the impending realization of a not-so-unfamiliar story. Drury’s metatheatre allows her to engage with complex perspectives that serve to indict us, the audience. Previously, as outside watchers, we served the function of witness in this private space made solely for us and our viewing pleasure. We had a place as insiders, able to laugh because of our knowledge that the problems of the characters are just those –the problems of the characters. As a collective, we join the actors as they work on ‘solving these problems’ and a sense of togetherness bonds us. However, the ‘problems’ the actors face do not become real until they are real. As they successfully and unsuccessfully grasp what they believe to be the reality of this genocide, we begin to feel the danger of such ‘presentation’. We’re confronted with a confusion of what is ‘process’ and what is ‘presentation’—what is theatre and what is reality. Ultimately, our previous role is upended, and we discover that we’re willing participants in this action. When the play concludes, we’re left to reflect upon what we’ve discovered about our role in this story—left to reconcile in this metatheatrical space.

Clarissa Rai, Dramaturg

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We, Vibrancy Theater and The School of Theater, acknowledge that, from the time of Ohio University’s founding in 1804, it has occupied the traditional homelands of the Shawnee people, as well as the Wahzhazhe (who are also known as the Osage), who lived in Southeast Ohio before them. As the first federally legislated public university in the United States of America, Ohio University was an integral part of the U.S.’s westward expansion and empire building. 

Our Mission 

Uplifting and broadcasting the Black, Indigenous and People of Color in theatre at Ohio University and beyond.

Create a playground for student theater-artists.

Vibrancy Theater generates a space for Black, Indigenous, Students of Color to develop artistic leadership skills. 

Our Vision

Through conscious, inclusive, and ethical staging of new and re-imagined classics, we aim to explore major themes of humanity that challenge the dominant narrative. Vibrancy Theater hopes to build community with other marginalized groups through explicit Anti- Racist procedures/practices in efforts to share a myriad of unique and culturally relevant theater that is reflective of the world we live in and of the world we’ve been dreaming of. We promote BIPOC playwrights, actors, designers, stage managers and directors in order to give students of color and black students an authentic outlet for creative expression. 

A Note from Vibrancy Theater

“I think that as scary as complicity in a system of oppression, I think that investment and openness is beautiful in theatre…” – Jackie Sibblies Drury

With each production, Vibrancy Theater demands to challenge the dominant narrative. Our commitment to explicit Anti-Racist procedures and practices requires art that activates. As such, We Are Proud to Present… makes a point to call upon its audience to act upon the conversation that begins with the journey of its narrative. Specifically, Vibrancy Theater selected this play due to the current state of debate in the United States about race, history, genocide, and colonial (make that post-colonial) expansion throughout the world. We Are Proud to Present… begs us to question the stories we take as fact and encourages us as creatives and audiences to develop empathy for the unfamiliar. While the events depicted in We Are Proud to Present… took place in the twentieth century, today, we still feel their ramifications.

Two million civilians in Gaza are suffering hunger, displacement, and risk of death on an unprecedented scale. Their appalling situation is the responsibility of all parties to the conflict. Vibrancy Theater invites you to not only witness We Are Proud to Present… but recognize the part we each play in the atrocities of the world. This production supports Doctors Without Borders, so please be more than a witness. Act.

Donate Here: 

Visit Us: https://www.vibrancytheater.com

Donate to Vibrancy Theater: 

Executive Leadership

Alina Nichol Rosado: Co-Artistic Director

Felipe Luz: Co-Artistic Director

Annaka Guerrero: Co-Executive Producer

Clarissa Rai: Co-Executive Producer

Leilani Stillwagon: Co-Coordinator of Community Outreach and Engagement

Kekoa Huihui: Co-Coordinator of Community Outreach & Engagement

Aisha Mahon: Leadership Liason

Vibrancy Theater Founders

Founding Faculty Mentor: Charles Smith, Distinguished Professor of Playwriting

Co-founding Artistic Directors: Janai Lashon and Keshawn Mellon

Co-founding Executive Directors: Roberto Di Donato and Ri Moodie

Founding Scribe: Daniela Chaparro 

Co-founding Community Outreach Coordinators: Rhys Carr and Taylor Roberts

Co-founding Social Media Consultants: Kaleb Jackson and Laurettia Weakly

For Your Information

FIRE NOTICE

Illuminated signs above each door indicate
emergency exits. Please check for the nearest
exit. In the event of an emergency, you will be
notified by theater personnel and assisted in
the evacuation of the building.

SEATING POLICY 

Everyone must have a ticket. Sorry, no
children in arms or on laps. Patrons who
leave the theater during the performance
will be reseated at the discretion of house
management. Those who become disruptive
will be asked to leave the theater.

ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

The Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater is
fully accessible to those with mobility issues.
When booking tickets, please let our Box
Office know if you require a ticket that will
accommodate a wheelchair. Please call Ledger
Free, Director of Audience Services, at 917-
733-0081 if you need any assistance during
your visit. We are here to help you!