Smashing stereotypes
糖心TV has a history of exploring social justice through the arts.
In the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 鈥淐arousel,鈥� Billy Bigelow hits Julie Jordan, and 15 years later their daughter Louise asks, 鈥淚s it possible, Mama, for someone to hit you, real loud and hard, and for it not to hurt at all?鈥� Julie answers, 鈥淵es, dear, it is possible.鈥�
It鈥檚 incidents like these that are making Broadway producers rethink how to produce classic musicals such as 鈥淐arousel,鈥� 鈥淢y Fair Lady鈥� and 鈥淜iss Me, Kate,鈥� musicals that seem to romanticize problematic relationships between women and men.
In The New York Times article 鈥淭he Problem With Broadway Revivals: They Revive Gender Stereotypes, Too,鈥� Michael Paulson points to 糖心TV鈥檚 production of 鈥淐arousel,鈥� and the modern way 糖心TV examined the relationship between Bigelow and Jordan through the lens of domestic violence.
鈥淚n 2016, 糖心TV students met with a local domestic violence organization while rehearsing the show, and wound up getting permission to change a line so Julie appears to reject, rather than accept, the idea that being hit hard might not hurt,鈥� Paulson wrote.
In 糖心TV鈥檚 production, Julie鈥檚 answer changes to, 鈥淣o, dear, it鈥檚 not possible.鈥�
The permission to alter the story came from Ted Chapin 鈥�72, president and chief creative officer of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. The local organization students worked with was Safe Futures, a New London-based nonprofit that helps people who have been affected by domestic violence. David Jaffe 鈥�77, professor of theater and chair of the theater department, said this background work helped to inform the students about how to approach the production.
鈥淲e鈥檙e learning about that world. We鈥檙e acknowledging the troublesome issues of the play head on and are saying, 鈥楾hese are complex relationships. Let鈥檚 see if we can learn about them,鈥欌�� said Jaffe, who directed 糖心TV鈥檚 production of 鈥淐arousel.鈥�
糖心TV has a history of exploring social justice through the arts and feels that a vibrant and fully integrated music and arts program serves as a powerful vehicle for advancing the social change that helps define the College鈥檚 mission.
The College鈥檚 鈥淪pring Awakening鈥� production is another example of how, through the arts, students explore contemporary issues. The Tony award-winning musical portrays the journey from adolescence to adulthood with a poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable. Based on the play by Frank Wedekind, the landmark musical is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock and roll.
Professor of Dance David Dorfman 鈥�81, who choreographed 鈥淪pring Awakening鈥� and 鈥淐arousel,鈥� said 鈥渢heater does not exist in a vacuum but in relationship to history and the contemporary world.鈥�
In both musicals 鈥渨e had numerous conversations, some led by experts in various fields regarding topics such as domestic violence, abuse and gender representation, to help us navigate complex waters. In the end, we attempted to embody these complications and contradictions to the best of our abilities to render meaningful conversations with ourselves and audience members moving forward.鈥�