What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1203486
African-Americans in nearly 50 U.S. cities. History tells us that Jackson's ambition is not without dangerous consequences. In interviews about his work, Ramirez has pointed out that Jackson's situation has echoes in today's world. "Many of the people in this country still struggle when cultural icons make declarations that seem 'too political' for the personas they've created as artists or athletes," he notes. "We see so many things in the play that show us how far we've come, but also how far we haven't come from some of these same issues," says Singleton. "Some of these things we're talking about on stage are still things that, unfortunately, are still happening today. In some ways, we're not where we should be. There's still work to do." Work that includes theater companies like T2 producing diverse plays written and performed by — and about — under-represented members of our community, he says. "I believe in the diversity of the theater — that's why I created [the Connecticut theater company] Collective Conscious," says Singleton. "I'm not the director who wants to just direct plays and that's it. I care about the social aspects of a play. I care about what happens when an audience member sees a play, and then goes back out into the world. "That's why this play is so beautiful — an audience member might see it and say, 'These things are still happening in 2020. What can I do? How can I use my influence, my privilege, my station in life? How can I use them to make the world a better place?' I always care about what happens after an audience views a play. I want it to hit them in such a way that they think about it. We pepper this whole play with things that, potentially, people can relate to in their own lives, that are happening today in 2020 — so people can leave seeing themselves on stage. "I also think it's important for people in this area to see themselves on stage, to see people who look like them up there," Singleton adds. "I think it's important for black theatergoers and patrons to come to this space and say, 'I can look up to Shon,' or for a young black boy coming to this space and saying, 'I want to be an actor, and Shon has inspired me to do that,' or 'I want to be a director and the things that Dexter is doing are inspiring me.' It's about that legacy, and laying that groundwork that T2 is doing with this play — it's building future generations of theatergoers and artists and people that are socially conscious." Go to: facebook.com/BestBranson Like The Best of Branson on Facebook for a chance to win some Really Great Prizes! This week's prize: New contest each week! facebook.com/BestBranson LIKE our Facebook page before 11:59 pm this Tuesday, Jan. 28, to be entered to win... A $20 gift certificAte to Bric's BelgiAn WAffle House in ozark, Mo 40 WHAT'S UP! JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2020 Royale Continued From Page 4 COVER STORY Kim Powers' clean, visually stunning set design nimbly serves the plot of the show with its outsized mirrors around the perimeter and large graphic banners that give a real sense of the trajectory of Jackson's career. (Photo by Wesley Hitt)