Staging Social Justice: Collaborating to Create Activist Theatre

Inspiring Change and Action: Measuring the Impact of Theatre for Social Justice

66 Inspiring Change and Action: Measuring the Impact of Theatre for Social Justice Susan V. Iverson In Friendly Fire, Norma Bowles asks, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could hook up all our audience members to those elaborate machines they use in hospitals to monitor people’s vital signs?!” (154). In this way, she continues, we could measure the impact of the show, distinguish particular characters with which the audience identifies, and determine if the show had a positive effect on their lives. What does happen with audience members when they watch social justice theatre? This essay describes the process of measuring the impact of the play True Lives: I’m a Kent State Freshman on Kent State college students’ attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and issues and shares findings from pre- and postshow surveys. These findings illuminate the impact of this play on audience members’ attitudes toward LGBT people. Further, responses to a question about what audience members had done before watching the show and will do after watching the show regarding LGBT issues in the community illustrate the power of the performance to inspire action. Performing Change Theatre is a powerful medium. Audience members are invited to consider other points of view as they watch the actors perform various roles, and this can promote feelings of empathy (Wesley). Performances can also teach about difference and serve as a catalyst for discussion about social issues (Paul). Awareness of this potential has contributed to an increased use of theatre in US higher education, often presented to new students during orientation to educate and inform students about social problems (Iverson 548). Inspiring Change and Action 67 In April 2007, members of the Kent State University (KSU) community participated in a Theatre for Social Justice Institute and collaboratively developed a play titled True Lives: I’m a Kent State Freshman. The script emerged from ideas, stories, and improvisations contributed primarily by KSU students but also by some faculty and staff. The purpose of the play was to address issues of anti-LGBT discrimination on the KSU campus. More specifically, the True Lives project was initiated to address the problem of homophobic language and behavior among students. The goal of the production was to raise awareness about how instances of homophobic speech and behavior (for example, saying to a friend, “That’s so gay!”) exist on a continuum of behaviors leading to incidents of hate crimes. Through the performance of dramatized real stories, the project sought to raise awareness about LGBT issues and anti-LGBT incidents on campus, influence attitudes toward LGBT people, model interventions that could diffuse homophobic situations on campus, and promote possibilities of taking pro-LGBT action on campus. In particular, the participants identified white, straight, first-year males as the primary target for these project goals. Research shows that firstyear students are significantly more negative toward LGBT persons and issues than are students in other classes, and that women—across all age categories and class standing—are generally more tolerant than men toward gay men and lesbians (Engstrom and Sedlacek; Herek, “Heterosexuals’ Attitudes”; Liang and Alimo; Mohr and Sedlacek). In August and September 2007, KSU students performed True Lives several times on Kent campuses, reaching more than 550 students. The production was performed during new student orientation, for classes at regional campuses, and for a general audience of undergraduate students. Audience members largely reflected the demographics of the institution: predominantly white and more than 50 percent female. Measuring Change Research has shown that interactive educational experiences, such as a workshop on LGBT issues or a LGBT peer panel, can effect positive change in participants’ attitudes and behavior regarding the LGBT population and possibly decrease homophobia on college campuses (Guth, Lopez, and Fisher; Nelson and Krieger). Gregory Herek hypothesizes that positive attitudes are likely to develop toward gays, lesbians, and bisexuals when straight people are placed in situations in which Susan V. Iverson 68 their personal values of equality, justice, or compassion are elicited; when significant others encourage and support affirmative attitudes; or when experiences help individuals resolve conflicts they may have about gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (“On Heterosexual Masculinity” 574). While Herek was not setting out to describe the potential of theatre to effect attitude change, his criteria can easily be applied to this medium and further reveals its potential. So I, as post-show survey chair, assisted by Alison Murphy, a...