The Assemblywomen student forum was an enriching, stimulating, and enjoyable experience. The units and readings felt very well-chosen to offer a wide variety of topics and perspectives related to our studies in Ancient Greece but with enough depth that I felt I was able to grasp a deeper understanding of and sparked a continued interest. I found the discussion on the role of women in Athens particularly engaging, as we examined the parallels between the rights and responsibilities and relative freedoms of different classes and races of women in ancient Greece and that of our current point in space and time. I was always interested in the implications of our work in modern-day context--manifestations of same power structures through different vehicles, how the pattern of middle class white women continue to profit off of marginalization of poor women of color across timelines--and understanding the differences and similarities between the world we live in and the one we were (re)creating. I also enjoyed the information and presentations about the function of the Greek chorus and examining the ways that it influenced dramatic writing and screenwriting centuries later. I was fascinated by the presentation about Ancient Greece and the alt-right, not knowing that some white supremacists justify their rhetoric with (often misinformed or factually inaccurate) classical history. Perhaps my favorite discussion was on the construction of “Western Civilization” and our exploration of the imperialism and ethnocentrism involved in this divide that we apply to the way we envision the world. Several cast members call other continents home and the varied perspectives at the table made it very thought-provoking and changed my approach to the term “western” ever since. I am very curious to learn more about whiteness in relation to Ancient Greece and wish we got to delve more deeply into that subject.
I came into this project with a reluctance to embrace the classics side of it. I was of the opinion that so many stories in the canon were misogynistic, classist, and dated, and I didn’t see the point of telling them when there are so many underrepresented voices in our current society that deserve space and focus. However, in one of our conversations, a cast member said something along the lines of “American Studies majors don’t pick that because they love America.” There can exist a healthy critique and a reexamination in the field, and studying classics doesn’t mean that we are outright reproducing those power structures or ignoring other stories. Whether or not I take another classics course remains to be seen, but this forum definitely allowed me to find a respect and appreciation for the discipline that changed how I will interact with Ancient Greek plays throughout all my future theatrical endeavors. This project was a wonderfully creative environment that encouraged a great deal of productive play and exploration. I enjoyed how ensemble-oriented our rehearsal process and blocking was, and that was possible because of the level of trust and connection between the people in the room. Maggie cultivated a supportive, engaging, and explorative space that we looked forward to joining each week, and the team-building exercises we did during the beginning and throughout definitely helped us work as a unit and build off of each other’s creativity and energy. I was excited to take on the role of the chorus leader, exploring my relationship with Praxagora and her mission, the other ensemble members, and the audience. In acting, I love coming up with my character’s backstory and motivation/objective/obstacle/tactic, and the day that we did improv activities as a group was an excellent way to explore interpersonal dynamics and my understanding of my role in the revolution (both as a character and as a person in the room). I enjoyed movement rehearsals, particularly the day we explored the different textures of physicality that our movement director outlined, and I will carry that approach to other rehearsal rooms for future dance and theater projects. I also enjoyed music rehearsals, the fact that it was another component entirely student-helmed, and the motivation it sparked to meet the process with my own creative energy. Working remotely transformed this project into a different undertaking that forced us to reexamine the relevance of our story and the implications in our pandemic state. To what extent do we address our current circumstances? Do we provide an escape from the difficult state of affairs or acknowledge, embrace, and incorporate it? I believe our ensemble did a formidable job adapting and reshaping to the situation--creating and compiling our own work in new formats--while maintaining the heart and core of the story and its messages. I thought a lot about the concept of “assembling” from afar and the act of “organizing” (in a political sense) while distanced. So much traction and action is gained in numbers and through collaboration, how do we make a difference and work together while separated? I found so many student organizers on campus (particularly those involved in the FGLI student fund) motivating and inspiring, and I wanted our assembly to reflect that passion for our cause, that resilience and unity. I also liked working on the zine. The medium in itself is a wonderful way to assemble, to bring together a community’s multitudinous thoughts about a unifying topic, and I enjoyed collaborating with my peers to come up with different manifestations of our feelings toward the piece. My favorite project to work on was my rewriting of the chorus leader speech at the end, because I got to examine so many of the questions that we all grapple with here. I was excited to succinctly and artistically represent them and engage the audience in a dialogue. I wanted it to state the original intention of the piece (nudge the judges to vote for us in the competition), while simultaneously serving as a fun brag, an examination of pressing questions, an assurance that we are united though divided, and a call to action to join the revolution. Part of it reads: “How should we be represented? Who has power? Who’s contented? How can we best make our choices? Magnify the silenced voices? How to fight a changing battle? Turn with tides that roll and rattle? How can stories be rewritten? Told so that all people fit in? There’s injustice, but despite it: What are tools we have to fight it? Diligence and patience? Theater? Monologues in perfect meter? How can we best come together? Sail through wind and stormy weather? When there’s wrong and when there’s evil, What is our form of upheaval? Still, together, we are stronger Also, when we can no longer Take the world as we know it That’s the time to overthrow it.”
This section summarizes a great deal of my thoughts surrounding the play and the issues we’ve been considering throughout. I am still thinking about government representation, about what catalyzes change, and about the arts as a political response. I learned a great deal about what it means to adapt (a text and a livelihood), to rewrite (a scene and an era), and to build (a show and a community). I am grateful for my experiences and my teammates, and I hope that the audience of our website/work enjoys it and thinks about the act of assembling in a new light.