Taking on Brecht with Frank Theatre
I’ve been spending my evenings and weekends over the past several weeks working on The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Frank Theatre, and I’m so happy to say that the show is open and you can join us at the Ivy Building between now and November 23! This team is fantastic, and I’m so glad to be able to put my time and efforts toward politically meaningful work. It’s also the first Brecht play I’ve ever performed in, and I’ve gained a new appreciation for epic theatre through the process; as with many artistic pursuits, the classroom study of a practice is very different from the embodied experience of it.
If you want to know more about the play before you see it, read the review from Talkin’ Broadway and the International Brecht Society.
The warnings that Brecht had for us about fascism in the 1930s are, scarily, so relevant in the United States today, as the modern adaptation by Bruce Norris proves. Whether or not you see the show, I hope that you are doing what you can to resist the rise in our current landscape, such as:
Cultivating a relationship with your local politicians. Election Day has come and gone, but that’s only one day of what should be ongoing conversation between you and your reps. Call or email and tell them where you stand and where you want them to stand. Sign up for their email newsletters. Track how they vote, and make sure your neighbors know whether your reps are fighting for or against all of your interests.
Donating your time, money, or goods to food banks and mutual aid initiatives. Keeping people fed and taken care of is a form of resistance. Trust people when they tell you what they need, and give freely with what you’re able to give. A couple of Twin Cities groups to connect with, if you want to do this work in community: Community Kitchen and Community Aid Network.
Join a protest or other in-person actions. Interrupt ICE raids and police violence. Be part of a visible movement of resistance. Some groups and organizations for Minneapolis folks to check out: MN Anti-War Committee, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice, and Climate Justice Committee.
Build community with your neighbors. Host a potluck, a game night, a block party, a Zoom coffee hour… Get together to get to know one another. Learn what you each have, what you need, what your values are, and where you come from (metaphorically, not literally). Social bonds are vital to our wellbeing as humans, and if you find yourself in a moment of crisis or in need of support, these relationships will be invaluable.
I hope you join me in doing one of these things (or another aligned action) today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. On and on until we build a more just world.