Zarek Williams

February 23rd, 2020

RCO 390-04
Supporting Fieldwork Evidence #2

Observations from the Field

For my fieldwork evidence, I had the opportunity to go and watch a play that was curated by
UNCG’s drama department. The show I went to go view was William Shakespeare’s “The
Tempest”. My observations are based on the audience prior to the start of the show, and then it
led to the actual performance.

Everyone is sitting in the middle aisle, close A lot of the viewers of the show sat in the
to the front of the stage. middle section of seats. These seats are
usually the best to watch the show.

Everyone seems to know eachother; chatting
with everyone they see.
A lot of the people that came in the show
arrived in groups and all the groups knew
eachother. I saw multiple groups just chatting
with eachother like they’ve known one
another for a while.

No black actors (or any performers of color) There was a lack of diversity in this play,
have appeared on stage. having only 2 Black male performers 1 Asian
woman performing, and 1 LatinX performer.

There were little to no Black people in the There were about 6 or so black people
crowd watching the play. watching the play, including the ushers.
Granted, the show opened about 4 days prior,
but it was something I still noticed.

1. In this fieldwork assignment, I was less surprised because I already know how the
department runs and works. I was surprised how intrigued I was to the performance.
Before I went to see the show, I had a friend telling me about it and how she was
confused by some things that were happening throughout the show. Based on her
discussion with me, I had an already predetermined mindset on how I might feel. Though
 I was very confused by some of the choices made in the show, I really enjoyed the show
and the little quirks that the cast was doing.

2. Like the previous questions, I already know how UNCG’s drama department works, so
confirming the ideas and beliefs I had were easy. From what I saw, the show consisted of
two Black actors (which were male), one actress of Asian descent, and one person of
LatinX descent. Though the drama department has a wide is very diverse, they still only
cast four actors of color in a twenty-four cast assemble.

3. It connects to my research because of the lack of opportunities for Black actors. Out of a
cast of twenty-four people, you only cast two black actors which are also male. The
department has many talented Black actors and performers, but they always seem to
overlook us.

4. This process makes me more curious about the director’s choices in casting and why no
one else is speaking up on this problem. When I go on auditions, I always wonder what
the directors are thinking about during my audition or after my audition. Since being on
UNCG’s campus, I have a more dier need because I want to know are they not casting me
because I am not good enough and/or not ready for a role, or because I am not what they
are looking for (in terms of race and ethnicity)?

5. Me being who I am has definitely shaped me. Before anyone knows my name, the sound
of my voice, or my favorite color, they know that I am Black. Being myself, I have seen,
and experienced, typecasting and stereotyping in the department and in everyday life. To
go along with me being me, I can see the way Black actors are treated in the drama
department. A lot of us do not get roles, and those who do are BFA’s (Bachelor of Fine
Arts student), and they only get roles because of the contract they upon becoming a BFA
and are required to be in at least one show per school year. Many of the Black students
were only offered a call back for the play “Flyin’ West”, which is a show that is made up
of only six Black characters. What I cannot see is the choice in casting and how white
actors feel in the department. Casting is something that I wish I knew more about because
 I want to know more about what directors are looking for and if I fit into that category. I
also do not know how white actors feel. I do not know if they feel the same way about
Black performers not having opportunities and if they have supported us going through
this. Maybe they do not even see a problem?

6. I think that my observation means that the drama department is not as inclusive as people
make it out to be. The drama department, since I have been apart of it, has consisted of
cliques and non-inclusive spaces, and it has made not only me, but other Black
performers feel not seen and shut out from opportunities.