Artists Rep to Offer Three Events on RACE

Race, by David Mamet, is a play that begs for community discussion beyond the confines of the production. While Artists Rep cannot offer post-talkbacks or events for Race, per a contract stipulation from the playwright, Artists Rep has have worked to provide a variety of free and open opportunities for lively dialogue on the themes of the play.

The play: Race, by David Mamet

When it comes to race, is justice blind? In this complicated world acknowledging prejudice is an ugly venture into discomfort. In Race, three lawyers (two black, one white) take on a case that gets under their skin and exposes a minefield of deep divisions, resentments and bigotry. Mamet’s rapid-fire dialogue, gripping plot and blunt language, thoroughly stripped of polite social convention and rife with provocative humor, is a searing portrait of American discrimination. Playwright David Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Academy Award-nominated writer. Sirector Tamara Fisch makes her Artists Rep debut with this production.

Artists Rep offers the following community opportunities:

Iraqi Artists on Race

Monday, March 19 @ 6:30pm in the Morrison Theatre

In partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art

Free and open to the public

Artists Rep and the MA Program in Critical Theory and Creative Research at PNCA host an evening with 5 female Iraqi artists—writers, directors, actors. Join a discussion on race, performance, writing, and gender equality with these voices from the Middle East. Attendees will talk about David Mamet’s play, Race, and how their perspective on the show is shaped by their culture, gender, performance experience, and any language barriers. 

Forum: Race, Society, and the Law

Sunday, March 25 @ 6pm in the Alder Lobby

In partnership with the August Wilson Red Door Project

Free and open to the public

Racial injustice is one of America’s greatest disgraces. Acknowledging one’s own bigotry, and the institutionalized bigotry of our society, is uncomfortable, at best.  On Sunday, March 25 at 6pm, join Artists Rep in discussing how racial issues affect our society and the Portland community. The panel will be moderated by August Wilson Red Door Project co-founder Lesli Mones and include the Honorable Donald Letourneau, Lewis & Clark Law School professor John Parry, ACLU of Oregon board member Fred Neal, Executive Director of the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation Sharon Gary-Smith, and The Skanner news editor Lisa Loving. 

Deconstructing RACE: A Discussion with Walidah Imarisha

Monday, March 26 @ 7pm in the Morrison Theatre

In partnership with the August Wilson Red Door Project

Free and open to the public

The August Wilson Red Door Project hosts an evening with writer/artist/lecturer Walidah Imarisha. The evening will explore the historical and current political landscapes that help shape the themes of the show. Walidah Imarisha taught in Portland State University’s Black studies department, where she created classes about the history of the Black Panther Party, race and the history of prisons, Hurricane Katrina, and hip hop as literature. She has facilitated writing workshops for schools, community centers, youth detention facilities, and women’s prisons. Imarisha was a founding editor of AWOL, a national political hip hop magazine and toured as part of the poetry duo Good Sista/Bad Sista. She has been featured on several hip hop CDs and filmed and codirected Finding Common Ground in New Orleans, a documentary about Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.

For more information about these events contact Torrie McDonald, Education Outreach Coordinator, at tmcdonald@artistsrep.org or by calling 503-241-9807 ext 103

Online Talkback: Red Door Project hosts a blog for  discussion about Race

The August Wilson Red Door Project is a community programming partner for Race. This organization’s mission is to be a social change agent, using the arts as a catalyst for creating a lasting, positive change in the racial ecology of Portland by partnering with arts organizations and venues around Portland to promote high-quality art, theatre, and musical events that showcase the works of people of color. Another key commitment is to offer professionally facilitated community conversations to provide Portlanders with opportunities for transformational dialogue about issues of race. The Red Door Project also offers a blog for online discussions about plays and arts events that involve the topics of color and race in Portland. This is the Race talkback page on the Red Door Project’s website.

Group Art Installation in the Morrison Lobby for Race

As part of an ongoing effort to bring play-driven visual art work to the Morrison Lobby, a special installation for Race was curated by Open Door Gallery’s Bobby Fouther. This group show features the works of over a dozen local African American artists, with more than 30 pieces, on the theme of race.

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