By Lauren Weaver
The killing of George Floyd last May sparked a wave of mass marches and protests for the Black Lives Matter movement, initiating a wave of national activism that has already had an immense impact on the arts.
That can be felt in UCSB’s Theatre and Dance department, which premiered a one-act play last week titled “Why We March.” Students performed a digital reading of the new play over Zoom.
UC Santa Barbara student playwright Jordan Finley.
“Why We March,” written by Jordan Finley and directed by Daniel Blanco, was produced under the umbrella of the Theater department’s Initiative for New and Reimagined work and AMPLIFY, which provides a platform for underrepresented voices in theater. This is Finley’s second original play to see production, as she was the winner of the 2020 California Playwright’s Project with her play “Feliz Cumpleaños” which addressed the challenges that children face after their parents are deported. It premiered last February.
No stranger to discussing difficult topics, Finley addressed a variety of contemporary issues in her new play such as sexual assault, gun violence, racism, and discrimination.
She has learned that tough subjects require extra sensitivity in rehearsal and preparation. “The first thing I did when I asked everyone if they were interested in joining the cast, was ask that they read the script,” she said. “I gave trigger warnings both in my ask and written in the forward of the script to make sure no one would feel jarred or unsafe.”
“Why We March” takes place the night before the fictional biggest mass protest ever to be held in the country, when a group of friends that make up their school’s activism club, UnitedX, gather to make signs for the march. As they make their signs, they discuss the different causes they are marching for and how their backgrounds and personal experiences have given them a reason to march.
Actors at UC Santa Barbara perform Jordan Finley’s new play “Why We March.” Photo by Ayesha Munawar
Each characters expresses their chilling story through flashbacks, dialogue, and visuals that accompany the beginning and end of the play set to the music of Kendrick Lamar.
Finley hopes the audience takes away meaning that goes beyond ideological partisanship to the human level. “Nothing I am writing about is political. These are fictional characters but they reflect real people, with real struggles and triumphs, “she said. “Human rights are not a Left or Right issue. They affect all of us, and we all need to be better in protecting and upholding them.”
Connecting with an audience you can’t see was completely new territory over Zoom, but director Daniel Blanco was ready to face this challenge head-on.
UCSB student Taylor Kirk performs the character Storm holding a sign she made for the protest march featured in the play “Why We March” by student playwright Jordan Finley. Photo by Lauren Weaver.
“Directing over zoom is insanely tricky. I like to think it opens up the possibility of new character dynamics, or new ways to frame scenes and stories, but it's far from what you're used to when directing live,” Blanco said in an email interview.
Blanco said this was one of his first times working with actors, a team of design students, and marketing at the same time, throwing him into some unfamiliar territory. While directing over the Internet wasn’t easy, he said he is proud of the work he and the team accomplished.
“I think it's just important to remember that regardless of the platform, this is still theater. You have to remember that you have to listen to the room and see what's there before you can keep moving forward,” he said.
As for key directing tips or tricks, Blanco said that paying attention to every actor’s environment was important. “It allowed me to work with what was already there and let that determine what the rest of the production would look like,” he said.
Adapting the play to fit the environment the actors were working in added a level of intimacy to the play that was different from a typical theatre experience. There aren’t any sound effects, bright lights, or props. Just you, your computer screen, and a dialogue.
In “Why We March” Finley and Blanco worked together in unusual territory to deliver a play that they hope strengthens public resolve during COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Lauren Weaver is a third-year UC Santa Barbara student, majoring in Communications and Global Studies. She wrote this article for her class Journalism for Web and Social Media.
Q & A: Student Playwright Jordan Finley
By Ayesha Munawar
Q: When did you become a writer?
A: I have been writing since the second grade when I was asked to write a short story for a class assignment, and it ended up at 42 pages long.
Q: Do you also preform?
A: In the Spring that I got accepted into the BFA my favorite play that I acted in was at the Old Globe and we did [Shakespeare’s] The Winter’s Tale. This quarter I am cast in the production called Under Normal Circumstances [by Brian Otaño] with the Theater Department.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you face being a writer and a performer?
A: Writers block is always hard to get through. For example, Why We March, I wrote it in one night at 3 a.m. because I was pissed off because of the protests. I also struggle with not wanting my work to come off as political because I am not someone who wants to turn away audience members. The biggest struggle with acting right now is that it is on Zoom, because you have no connection with your scene partner and audience, so there is are lot of times where I ask myself ‘Why am I doing this?’
Q: What about the protests in specific made you want to write Why We March?
A: I was shocked at how many different types of people were protesting, because in my life when I have seen news about these sorts of events, it’s always riots, and it’s always only Black people who are mad. This was the first time in my life everyone was furious.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about playwriting and acting?
A: I like playwriting because there are not a lot of rules out there for a lot of groups of people. I also feel happiest on stage. I always feel at home acting and it’s the one time I don’t have to worry about anything else.
Ayesha Munawar is a fourth year UCSB student majoring in Communication. She is a web and social media intern for the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts.