Land Acknowledgement Statement
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the land of the Lenape that I stand on. For 10,000 years, the Lenape (len-AH-pay) have lived on and taken care of these lands for the people and other living creatures.
Even though the Lenape have found other places keep their tribe alive, some have returned and/or remained in their homeland. In hopes to revitalize the Lenape and their communities, we must use creative and effective ways to share, learn, and inspire others to carry on their traditions and history.
Hope for the Country, the People, and Theatre
The entertainment world has done its best to adapt to the pandemic, but options have been limited. On the other hand, some arts organizations have found ways to keep enjoyment and enlightenment in motion, even though it’s online. In these tough times, there are many ways to stay entertained and keep calm. Other examples besides watching recordings of plays have been to sing some memorable tunes from musical performances in karaoke. Two enjoyable YouTube channels are Musical Theatre Karaoke and Clark On Stage.
Many have been feeling restless during these times as we hope for a better future, especially during the election. This has also impacted theatre because many have wanted to highlight the public’s voice as we ready for this major political shift. In this article “Social Roundup: Broadway Stars Are Sharing Their Best Voting Selfies and Encouraging Fans to Vote!”, theatre performers post inspiring thoughts. There is a deeper message beyond encouraging voters — that we can hope together for a better future.
Another example of the work that theatres, workers, and performers have been doing over the past months can be found in this article “Stage the Vote: How Theatres Are Helping GOTV.” Theatres across the country have found innovative ways to support their communities with entertainment and joy.
Theatre’s work to encourage people to share their voice and vote is an inspiration that the show must go on. We can see more great activism in Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Wisconsin Conversation Voices’ collaborative campaign here. Even though theatres across the country are on hold, there have been many great ways organizations have made an impact.
In summary, we must continue to come together as one big community.
Bibliography
https://www.americantheatre.org/2020/10/28/stage-the-vote-how-theatres-are-helping-gotv/
Vivienne Maestrado
She/Her/Hers
DSF Internship Participant
Moore College of Art & Design
Fashion Design Major & Business Minor
