By Andrea Ambriz, Staff Reporter
Imagine a Southern town in the 1960s where all the Black residents have suddenly vanished, leaving the white residents behind to figure it all out. The University Theatre’s debut production of the semester lets that very scenario play out in “Day of Absence”—a satirical look at racist stereotypes of the past and their modern-day impact.
The play was written by the American playwright Douglas Turner Ward and premiered in New York City in 1965.
Featuring an all-Black cast in stark-white makeup, the play flips the script on the racist minstrel shows and characters once common in U.S. popular culture. From the mid-1800s to the early part of the 20th century, white performers would don “blackface” to imitate and mock enslaved African Americans, who were portrayed as lazy, ignorant, and prone to mischief
In “Day of Absence,” these roles are reversed—the white community panics upon realizing they are incapable of many everyday tasks due to their dependence on their Black neighbors. The performance offers commentary on the ways Black laborers have been exploited throughout American history. The minimalist production showcases a single set piece: a three-tiered, triangle-shaped platform painted red, white, and blue.
The production holds up a mirror to the current moment in U.S. society. Director and theatre arts professor Jozben Barrett told The Bulletin that when he selected the play last March, he hadn’t anticipated how closely its themes would echo today’s political climate.
“These ideas aren’t ever going to happen,” Barrett said. “This is a glimpse into what might happen if something like that did happen.”
Assistant director and third-year theatre student Wayne Sam echoed Barrett: “A lot of the themes mentioned in the show are things that I feel are happening now.”
Cast members and theatre majors Monaliese-Rose Davis and Edward Villanueva noted the play puts a spotlight on the relationship between racism, ignorance, and authority. Villanueva told The Bulletin the play aims to “change the status quo” by offering commentary on contemporary social and cultural issues. The performance is humorous at times but its central themes should not be taken lightly, according to the directors.
“The play is meant to disrupt,” Barrett said. “It’s meant to make people feel uncomfortable.”
“There is satire in this, but the satire of the show is that it’s not really a joke,” Sam said.
Given the heavy themes explored in the play, it was important for everyone involved to feel comfortable in the auditorium. At the start of a recent rehearsal, the cast and crew gathered in a circle to answer Barrett’s “Question of the Day” and describe how they were feeling that day.
Barrett said he wanted performers to feel as though they were part of a family and “demonstrate activism through their art.” Davis, who plays three characters, said she was excited to perform in her first play by a Black playwright.
“From the jump, ‘Joz’ has really helped us become a community—helped us get connected with each other,” Davis said. “I really love the community building to, like, get us to this place.”
While some performers are eager to take the stage, others have expressed concerns about how the audience will react to the show. “White face in itself is extraordinary and it is hard to think of to do,” Villanueva said.
“There’s people who are going to really, really love it because it’s great social commentary and it makes the audience think,” Barrett said. “And there’s going to be people who hate it and think it’s probably the worst thing they’ve ever seen.”
Ultimately, Barrett said he hopes the play will educate audiences and encourage them to have conversations about what they saw during the show. “Use this opportunity to really dialogue about what’s happening in this country.”
“Day of Absence” is set to run at the Edison Theatre from Feb. 26 to Mar. 1—a second run of shows is scheduled for Mar. 5-8.