Commentary
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Commentary
Essay
by Jessica Umphress

How completely typical of Oberlin

I am trying to decide what would be the most appropriate thing to say in response to Sarah Barrows harsh criticism of Fem Fest West that was printed in the last issue. My predominant response is a disgusted, sick feeling and the urge to repeat over and over, "how typical." How typical of this campus to immediately criticize something that does not meet the needs of our various ideals, our gender or our race. How completely typical.

Perhaps I am having this response because I myself performed in the event and have something at stake in its reception on this campus. However, I am more inclined to think that this goes beyond my boudaries as a performing artist. This feeling is the culmination of weeks of reading commentaries and letters in the Review about the racism on this campus: the racism that is self perpetuating despite our best attempts to move beyond it. I would have thought that an event like Fem Fest West would be immune to the issues of ethnic heritage that seem to be plaguing us instead of educating us, since it was designed to discuss and celebrate what it is to be a woman. But I was wrong. It was criticized for its lack of cultural diversity. How fucking typical.

It is true that we lacked a diverse audience in the theater that night. I was surprised that we had any audience at all. Considering the last minute nature of the whole thing, it is a miracle that it managed to happen. The women who collaborated and conspired to make the event possible (Julie Blumenthal, Sara Daily and Jane Armitage) deserve a thunderous round of applause for opening a new venue for feminist theater and performance that has long been lacking on this campus. That the skin tones of the performers and the viewers was largely pale is not a reflection of their efforts. It could be said to be a reflection of the state of the theater on this campus, but it has nothing to do with this event.

For the last two years I have been an active participant in the theater occurring on this campus, and I really have to say that the lack of cultural diversity is not at all due to the policies or opinions held by the Theater and Dance department, as implied in last week's commentary which held that perhaps the lack of diversity in Fem Fest West was due to the lack of an invitation to women of color or encouragement to attend for T&D. As a theater major, I am a member of that department and I APPLAUD and ENCOURAGE any student of color who comes to an audition, signs up for a class, or makes an attempt to participate.

I have long had issues with the fact that theater and dance classes are so Caucasian, but the department cannot be held responsible for this problem. It is the responsibility of the students of Oberlin College to go where they wish and seek out opportunities to practice and express their diverse interests and talents. It is the responsibility of NO ONE to go from student to student, hold their hands and make sure that everything they want is being done for them.

Fem Fest West was an attempt to broaden performance opportunities and the vocalizing of WOMEN. Not white women. Women. Unlike the Multi-Cultural Dance Celebration that it was compared to, I don't think that Fem Fest West needs to express cultural diversity in its title or take that focus, because its focus is so universal to over half of the world's population that it should be inherent in the name Fem Fest.

It is true that Jane Armitage piece about her trip to China raised some controversial ethnic questions and disrupted the flow of the other performances with its length. However, I urge you not to judge this important evening based on one performance, nor to use that one performance to interpret other things of no relation to it. The invitation to perform was open to anyone who saw a flyer or heard about the event. The invitation to attend was likewise open to the entire campus. Please do not let racism or segregation get in the way of expressing feminism or of any performance medium on this campus. The dance and the stage are always open to any who are brave enough to take them. If you have problems with a performance choice, then criticize that performance, not an event that was a breakthrough in itself and was intended to be a stepping stone for a possible student feminist theater group next year and future performances.


Jessica Umphress is a College sophomore

Related Stories:

First ever Fem Fest West provokes mixed results
- May 2, 1997

Fem Fest West only skimmed the surface of immediate issues
- May 2, 1997


Oberlin

Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 24, May 9, 1997

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