Clybourne Park (PDF) - Arizona Theatre Company

IDEAS IN CLYBOURNE PARK“Clybourne Park confronts huge subjects: gentrification, race relations, and politicalcorrectness, among others. It’s hard for any play to tackle any one of those things, butto take on so many and to take them on so brilliantly and fluidly without lecturing theaudience – while at the same time being hilariously funny – is an extraordinary feat.”– Mark Clements, Director of ATC / Milwaukee Rep co-production of Clybourne Park.Scenic model for Act I of Clybourne Park by Scenic Designer Todd Edward Ivins.COMMUNITYClybourne Park asks the question, what makes a community? How do peoplejoin together with a common purpose of living together and supporting eachother? Is that even possible? In Act I, the character of Karl Lindner says“fitting into a community is really what it all comes down to.”GENTRIFICATIONGentrification is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as“the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx ofmiddle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents.”“I just have a lot of respect for the people who wentthrough those experiences and still managed to carve outa life for themselves and create a community despite awhole lot of obstacles.” – Lena, Act II“What, ya mean the community where every time I go fora haircut, where they all sit and stare like the goddamngrim reaper walked in the barber shop door? Thatcommunity? Where Bev stops at Gelman’s for a quart ofmilk and they look at her like she’s got the goddamnplague? That the community I’m supposed to be lookingout for?” – Russ, Act ILena: Well, then they tore down the Sup’r Sav’r, so –Kevin: You know where the Whole Foods is?– Act II“That’s just a part of my history and my parents’ history –and honoring the connection to that history – and, no one,myself included, likes having to dictate what you canor can’t do with your own home, but there’s just a lot ofpride, and a lot of memories in these houses, and forsome of us, that connection still has value, if that makesany sense?” – Lena, Act IIThe second act of Clybourne Park tackles the polarizing debate surroundinggentrification. For some, gentrification means the revitalization ofinner city neighborhoods and the creation of new buildings in place ofvacant lots, new business selling an increased variety of goods, andimprovements to public works like sidewalks. However, to others,gentrification means the displacement of neighborhood residents due torising costs of living and property values. Does a neighborhood lose itshistorical identity when it becomes a more affluent area?RACIAL COMEDYIs America ready for racial comedy? Bruce Norris asks this question inClybourne Park, sparing almost no group the punch line. Juxtaposing thecomedy of 1959 with 2009, Norris emphasizes America’s complicatedhistory with racial jokes.The 1960s marked a significant shift in racial comedy – a transition fromblatantly racist humor in the tradition of blackface minstrel shows, toracial humor in which exposing people’s prejudice is the punch line.Lena: (innocently) It was just a joke.Steve: Exactly!!Kathy: An extremely hostile joke.Lindsey: Directed at me.– Act II“It is funny. Yes it is. And and and and the reason it’s funny,is, is, is that it plays upon certain latent fears of – of – of –of white people.” – Steve, Act IIWhat is it that racial jokes do in contemporary society? Perhaps, as Emily Hoffman comments in American Conservatory Theater’s Wordson Plays, “laughter is a release valve, and in the context of tense race relations it can provide just the sort of breathing room needed towrestle with issues that would otherwise be too difficult or too uncomfortable to touch.”8