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Spinning a Tale of Race
By Faith Seim
- The Lens Writer
Let's face it: race is a ticklish topic more often treated with trepidation than humor. Playwright Rebecca Gilman challenges humorless political correctness in Spinning Into Butter, a comically controversial examination of racial tension. Centered around a racial incident on the campus of a small liberal arts college, Gilman's critically-acclaimed play offers a refreshingly candid exploration of racial politics.
The title of the play is derived from Helen Bannerman's racist children's novel The Story of Little Black Sambo, in which a young black boy prevents himself from being eaten by offering tigers articles of his clothing. In the story, the tigers destroy themselves in their jealous desire to dominate, chasing each other around a tree and melting themselves into a giant pool of butter.
First produced at Chicago's 135-seat Goodman Theatre in May of 1999, Spinning Into Butter's initial run was extended three times. In July 2000, it opened in New York, where it sparked heated discussion and experienced continued success. And in the 2001-2002 seasons of American regional theaters, it is anticipated to be the most produced play.
Directed by Rose Portillo and starring Guthrie company member Sally Wingert, the upcoming Minneapolis/St. Paul production of Spinning Into Butter marks the first co-production between Mixed Blood Theatre Company and Park Square Theatre. One of only four regional theater groups granted permission to produce the show this year, the Mixed Blood/Park Square collaboration will also be the first production of the play outside New York and Chicago.
According to Mixed Blood Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Jack Reuler, Mixed Blood and Park Square make "good bedfellows," each theater contributing its unique vision, character, and audience. For Reuler and Richard Cook, Artistic Director of Park Square Theatre, the collaboration arose as "a very organic process." Both were fond of the script and believed that they could reach a larger audience together. "We view each other as complementary institutions, with different audiences and different vocabularies that will bring a unique, positive tension to this play," say Reuler and Cook of the joint production.
And, like the characters of the play, the diverse audiences of the two theatres are certain to be drawn into the controversy. Set on a campus in rural Vermont, the action of the play erupts when hate letters are posted on the dormitory door of an African-American student. Focusing on the sentiments of the white population, the play exposes the true, uncoded thoughts of the supposedly enlightened with audacity and satire. In this revelation of disquietingly familiar characters, audiences are challenged to identify and investigate their own racist attitudes.
Both criticized and praised for its unflinching approach to racism, Spinning Into Butter promises entertainment, substance and intellectual provocation. The unique beauty of the show, however, lies in its artful presentation of race-related questions. "By not having the answers, she helps us process our own attitudes," says Richard Cook of the playwright. "She doesn't lecture us with any of the characters." In her deftly created portraits of recognizable characters, Gilman turns the discussion to the individual.
How relevant is the play to Twin Cities' audiences? Notes Reuler, "The circumstances of the play could just as easily be found at Macalester, Hamline, St. Olaf, St. Thomas." One could argue that a similar situation might also arise at an institution like the University of Minnesota which, in spite of its hefty population, hosts a very meager minority population. I recall overhearing a pair of students grumbling spitefully about Black History Month just two years ago in the dormitory. And how many of us have experienced the nagging suspicion of a latent intolerance lying beneath Minnesota Nice?
Spinning Into Butter runs Wednesday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, March 11 at Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., West Bank. The show continues March 14 through April 15 at Park Square Theatre, 20 W. 7th Pl., Minneapolis. (651) 291-7005. Call for dates and showtimes.
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