美国国家公共电台 NPR--When a regional theater got millions to remake itself, it focused on racial healing

When a regional theater got millions to remake itself, it focused on racial healing

Transcript¹

Recovering from the worst days of the pandemic has been daunting² for America's 1,800 regional theaters. But some, thanks to philanthropic help, are using this moment as an opportunity for reinvention.

Take, for example, Penumbra³ Theatre in St. Paul, Minn., which is grounded in a historically African-American neighborhood with aesthetic⁴ roots in the Black Arts Movement. Since Penumbra started staging plays in the early 1970s, it's developed a national reputation for growing Black talent that's changed theater worldwide.

"I remember August Wilson telling me stories right here in the hall that turned out to be plays," said Lou Bellamy, the theater's founding artistic⁵ director. For years, Penumbra was Wilson's home theater; it was where the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright⁶ developed works that are now considered masterpieces, including some set in his native Pittsburgh.

Yet the theater was constantly running short of money. "We've mortgaged our house many times to make payroll," Bellamy said.

But last year, Penumbra's fortunes changed. The scrappy company, first created with the assistance of federal funds from the 1973 federal Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, received an unexpected $5 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's foundation, on top of a $2.5 million grant from the Ford⁷ Foundation as part of its "cultural treasure" initiative.

"It was shocking," said Sarah Bellamy, who took over from her father as Penumbra's artistic director in 2017. "It was like a green light from the universe that we were on the right path."

The funds will allow them to hire more staff and commission more plays. But it also helps Sarah Bellamy move forward to achieve her dream; to transform Penumbra, which is located only a few miles from where George Floyd was killed by a police officer, into a center for racial healing; an organization that creates programming that promotes wellness, equity⁸ and the arts.

"You really need all three of those things in order for it to be fully⁹ realized," she said.

The first original play Penumbra developed in the wake of this philanthropic windfall was Weathering by Harrison David Rivers. Rivers has another play, the bandaged place, premiering off-Broadway this fall.

Weathering is a term used in public health to describe how discrimination and marginalization affect physical well-being¹⁰ and long-term mortality. It was coined as part of a University of Michigan study that looked at fertility issues and high-risk pregnancy¹¹ rates for Black versus¹² white women. Rivers first learned about it in a 2018 New York Times article.

"It made me incredibly sad, and I remember reading it and crying and thinking, if I'm having this kind of emotional response to these lived experiences, these terrors, there's probably a play here."

Rivers wasn't certain if a male-identified person was right to take on the topic. But Bellamy convinced him to do it. "Sarah . . . beautifully said to me, 'I know you and I know the kind of writer you are and if you have been struck by this material, if you feel a pull, than we will 100 percent explore this pull," he said. "She gave me her blessing¹³."

The dynamic, emotionally-fluid production has received strong reviews in local papers. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune called it "a buoyant blast of joy."

The play takes audiences — and the cast — from the grip of grief to the release of laughter. It's an emotional show. To counter that, Penumbra gave the entire artistic team for Weathering, including the actors, playwright and crew, a wellness stipend¹⁴ on the first day of rehearsal¹⁵. It could afford to do that, thanks to the grants it received.

"I wasn't expecting it," director Colette Robert told NPR. "There are institutions that retroactively do something like that if something comes up – but the forward thinking to be like, 'Hey, this is kind of a heavy show, treat yourself throughout the process' was just really extraordinary."

To be a well-resourced theater that lives by its politics also means that Penumbra paid a number of birthing professionals, people of color who are midwives and doulas, to lend their expertise¹⁶ to the production. Some were brought on before the play was even written.

"Not because we wanted the show to feel more authentic¹⁷, or for character development," said Sarah Bellamy. "We wanted the artists who are shepherding this piece into being to know the sacred work they were entering into, illuminating¹⁸ an issue that is killing¹⁹ people."

Communicating a visceral sense of the stakes of this play fell in part to certified²⁰ nurse midwife Jennifer Almanza, who works at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

"These connections between community theaters and institutions like Regions Hospital, they're new," she said. "I'd say they wouldn't have been possible even three years ago. That in and of itself is bringing about racial healing."

In this together

Surviving as a theater isn't just about money. One of the things that helped keep Penumbra alive during its lean years was the Twin Cities' vibrant²¹ and diverse arts ecosystem²², Sarah Bellamy said. "There's a lot of sense of scarcity²³ in regional theater," she said. "And that competitive mentality²⁴ will kill everything."

But theaters in the Twin Cities share talent and resources, which allows everyone to grow, Bellamy said. She credits the famous Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis for nourishing a robust²⁵ audience that benefits the entire community.

The Children's Theare Company "is so many kids in Minnesota's first introduction to theater," she said. "If that didn't exist, would we have the audiences that we do here, generation after generation? If the Guthrie [Theater] hadn't been founded here, would these other organizations have the ability to thrive?"

Looking back to move forward

When Penumbra first started, it offered free childcare — a still-radical idea that more theaters are beginning to experiment with today. Now it's using new resources to develop programming for kids that will complement²⁶ what their grownups see on stage. Back in the day, Penumbra also allowed anyone in the community to walk into rehearsals²⁷. Theater artist Daniel Alexander Jones loved that aspect when he developed new plays with Penumbra in the 1990s.

"Some of the best dramaturgical advice I've ever gotten was from 7, 8, 9-year-old girls who were like, 'She shouldn't do that,'" he said, laughing, during a Zoom²⁸ interview. It's that kind of investment and trust in a community that is so important in the theater world, he said.

"What does it mean to value your own?" he asked. "It means you're not going to have that major brand label. Somebody didn't give it a five star review. Someone didn't vet²⁹ it and produce it six times. It may be messy. It may be bloody³⁰. It may not yet have found its full footing. And for me, when I look back at the most vivid, exciting and life-changing art, it is invariably the art that is wild and alive like that."

Wild and alive art will survive, Jones said. It will outlive TikTok. We just have to find it. And each other.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

3 penumbra   

n.（日蚀）半影部

参考例句：

• This includes the continuous survey of umbra and penumbra of the sunspot.这包括对太阳黑子本影和半影持续的观测。
• A penumbra of doubt surrounds the incident.疑惑的阴影笼罩着该事件。

4 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

5 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

6 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

7 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

8 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

11 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

12 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

13 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

14 stipend   

n.薪贴；奖学金；养老金

参考例句：

• The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
• This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。

15 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

16 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

17 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

18 illuminating   

a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的

参考例句：

• We didn't find the examples he used particularly illuminating. 我们觉得他采用的那些例证启发性不是特别大。
• I found his talk most illuminating. 我觉得他的话很有启发性。

19 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

20 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

21 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

22 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

23 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

24 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

25 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

26 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

27 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

29 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

30 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。