GALVANIZE: ...Of Current Happenings On DC Stages

Dear Beautiful Theatricals,

There is something truly remarkable happening on the stages of DC Theatre right now. Truthfully, not too long ago it would have been VERY difficult to imagine. And you are responsible for it.

Right now......,

at the Kennedy Center we have a majority Filipino company of actors telling a story centered around Filipino culture: THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON;

at Ford's Theatre there is the all Black company of SHOUT SISTER SHOUT centered around the music and life of Sister Rosetta Tharpe;

at The Olney Theatre Center is the majority South Asian company of Actors in A NICE INDIAN BOY centered around an Indian family;

at Imagination Stage is the all Black company of THE HULA HOOPIN' QUEEN centered around some hula hoopin' young Black girls in Harlem;

at Studio Theatre is the majority Black company of CLYDE'S centered around the happenings of the diverse workers in a diner owned by a Black woman;

at Signature Theatre is an all Asian company of PACIFIC OVERTURES, incorporating Kabuki theatre and centered around Japanese culture as well as historical events in and around 1853 Japan.

And these are just a few. There are more. So please forgive for those omissions.

But the point being, representation matters. REPRESENTATION. MATTERS. And part of the victory is that we have artists who, and for some possibly for the first time in their careers, are able to be a part of telling stories where their culture is at the center and they aren't a marginalized character whose sole purpose is to support the white main character. Washington stages did not always look like this.

And while this is a moment to acknowledge and celebrate this, make no mistake that the work is unending and it must continue.

So keep on with your good works. You continue to inspire and you continue to make the world take notice of your shine.

OCOMOGOSIAY!!

As always,
In Comedy & Tragedy,
Galvanize Admin
✊🏾❤🖤💚💛🎭

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