PORT TOWNSEND — An interactive theater event meant to raise consciousness about the subtle aspects of racism will be performed this week in Port Townsend.
The short play “Access” intended to open a dialogue on racism and white privilege. It will be performed Thursday at 7 p.m. at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.
Admission is free.
“We do not have a teaching agenda; we aren’t telling people what to do,” said Marc Weinblatt, who is organizing the event.
“We just want to make people aware of what they are saying and their impact on others.”
The play is being presented under the auspices of the Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble, and uses audience stories, struggles and ideas to be brought to life through physical imagery and improvisation.
The audience will be invited onstage to actively explore solutions to questions raised and engage in role-playing exercises that will turn them into what Weinblatt calls “spec-actors.”
As a “white progressive” community, Port Townsend is thought to be removed from blatant racism, Weinblatt said, but added that race is still an issue.
“There are a lot of things that happen below the surface that have an impact on people of color,” he said.
“We want to create a dialogue so white people can have an idea of what happens when people say these things.”
One of the most common examples is the statement, usually by a white person, that he or she “doesn’t see you as black,” pretending a certain colorblindness.
This is offensive, Weinblatt said, because it denies unique qualities.
“I have a Japanese American friend who says, ‘If one more of my friends tells me they don’t see me as Japanese, I’m going to kill them,’” he said.
Weinblatt said “Access” evolved from other performances, including one last year that explored what it feels like to be part of a multiracial family.
Weinblatt said that elements of racism are “embedded in everybody.”
He said that white people as well as those of color can learn from this self-examination and that it is possible for those who are the objects of hurtful statements can educate speakers without shaming them.
Weinblatt said he isn’t aiming for perfection. “I just want to help make the world a little better,” he said.
“Even in progressive, socially conscious Port Townsend, there is so much more we can do to make this a safe and healthy community for all peopl.”
“A lot of people of color aren’t comfortable in rural environments because they stand out.”
His goal for Port Townsend is to turn it into a place where people of color can live without being singled out.
“I want it to be known that Port Townsend ‘gets it’ when it comes to race,” he said.
For more information on this event or Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble call 360-344-3435.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
