'I had no idea how difficult it would possibly be': Being black in theatre

When Jamar Adams-Thompson found out he would get the chance to play Othello as part of his fourth-year in theatre school, he cried.

He cried again when he found out the show would be directed by a black director, Tanisha Taitt.

During Adams-Thompson's undergraduate degree, he hadn't had the chance to play a black leading character on stage — he is the only black student in the 2020 class in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting program at the University of Windsor. 

Othello is a Shakespeare tragedy believed to have been written in the 1600s. It's title character is a black man — but the play wasn't on the list for University Players to put on stage. 

"A friend of mine said 'Dude we should really be doing Othello instead,'" said Adams-Thompson. So a group of students pitched the idea. 

"All we wanted was a chance to just talk about it. A start, a foot in the door.  Within a week, we got it," said Adams-Thompson. "I cried a hundred thousand tears when we found out."

Thompson thought if UP could put on Othello, maybe the school would draw in more people of colour. 

"Then there would be room to do several plays with people of colour and other cultures," said Adams-Thompson.

Bringing in a director of colour

Through the Ontario theatre network, Taitt — an instructor at George Brown College in their Theatre Arts Performance program — was tapped to direct in Windsor. 

Adams-Thompson said learning Taitt was the director was overwhelming.

"After five long years of undergrad and growing into the person I'm going to be, I realized 'Wow. I get to see another face who is familiar ... and isn't a student. It was humbling to know there were battles won," said Adams-Thompson.

Taitt has worked with Young People's Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre, working primarily in the Greater Toronto Area. Her course curriculum at George Brown focuses on making sure every student is represented in the material taught.

'I had no idea how difficult it would possibly be'

Both Taitt and Adams-Thompson pursued theatre as a profession because they loved to perform. Taitt said her background as a singer-songwriter made theatre a logical next step. 

"I entered theatre completely naive and had I known more, I probably wouldn't have entered theatre," said Taitt. "I didn't know the industry and I think that if I had, I might have been paralyzed."

Adams-Thompson said he was also naive coming into theatre school.

"I got here and I realized 'Wow, there is almost one of me.' That was a bit of a hit," said Adams-Thompson. "I kind of had to take the goggles off and realize it's not just up to the older generation to fix this, it's up to me. 

"I had absolutely no idea [what I was getting into]. I had no idea how difficult it would possibly be for anyone like me to do that."

That's why, said Adams-Thompson, when he had the chance to make a difference, he took it.

"When you have the ability to do great things for other people, it is not a choice but a moral responsibility," said Adams-Thompson.

Inspiring the next generation

Although Othello isn't the kind of Shakespeare you'd show to young people, Taitt and Adams-Thompson think it's a step in the right direction.

"The work that we put in here, to see yourself be represented, that's inspiring," said Adams-Thompson.

Taitt said being black in theatre means being "on the outside" 90 per cent of the time. 

"It's really important for those of us that are on the inside make it really welcoming," said Taitt. "I'm tired of theatre school brochures with smiling black people on the front. It's about honest integration."

Beyond inspiring young people considering theatre as a career, Taitt said it's also important to inspire Caucasian  theatre students to pursue equity in their work.

"It's really important to me that white students learn that there is a broader world. If we want to create a world that is more equitable, then I want to know the people who graduate from here are going to be thinking in an equitable way," said Taitt.

"It's not just for the kids of colour, it's for everyone."

Othello at the University of Windsor begins its run Sept. 27.