Black and white and read all over
By Kelly KleimanBlack and white and read all over
By Kelly KleimanWhen I interviewed Timothy Douglas about his decision to resign as Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo, he said a series of gracious things about divergent artistic visions. These remarks were barely distinguishable from the equally gracious comments made by his successor Nick Sandys. So what is there to write about?
There’s this: When, at the end of the interview, I asked Douglas what else I should have asked him, this is what he said:
“Well, the question is bound to be, ‘Did this have anything to do with race?’ And yes, that was a part of the dynamic. There was no overt issue about that, but there are hard conversations to be had around race. As Artistic Director of the company, I found the daily conversation difficult. The profession remains primarily white, and though we talked initially about universality, when specifics come in, my approach as a black American male is going to be different from others’, and challenging to others. But if I’m not leading [from that perspective] a part of who I am is lost…
“It’s remarkable that Chicago, a major city, should find the conversation [around race] so difficult. But it’s an American conundrum, and an issue too big to fundamentally address at a company the size of Remy Bumppo. It took too much time from my leadership. ”
Sandys’ perspective was different. “We hiired him because he was the best director. His being an African-American wasn’t relevant.” How is it that two smart, educated, capable and good-willed people can experience a situation so differently? I guess that must be what’s known as “diversity,” and it turns out to be less anodyne than we might hope.
Read Jonathan Abarbanel’s take on the Douglas resignation here.