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Field NotesNovember, 2000 Carpetbag Theatre (CBT), now in its 31st year of continual existence, is positioned as a "grassroots ensemble" in these ways:
History CBT was founded in 1969 and chartered in 1970. With its roots in the Black Arts Movement that grew out of and/or was parallel to the Civil Rights Movement, CBT was a local response to a national movement of the times for cultural programming relevant to the black experience and the black community. From the beginning, its impulse was to develop young artists and to produce original work that was unique and useful within its community. The further definition of that work as a professional theater ensemble dedicated to the creation and production of new and collaborative works has been largely due to the artistic leadership of Linda Parris-Bailey, who joined the group in 1974 and shortly thereafter became artist director (AD). The Company
CBT’s ensemble company has both consistent and accordion qualities. Consistency is present in its director of 27 years and in five company members of 10 years and more – Jeff Cody, Linda Hill, Bert Tanner, Sylvia Rupert and Belinda Hicks. At the same time, a number of artists have become a part of the ensemble for periods of time, and some have been able to return to work with the company from time to time. In the current company, these range from seasoned performer Paula Larke to young "Starr" Releford, a student at Knoxville College. Consistency is also present in the company’s mode of creation and production, to which its members have subscribed over the years. CBT places emphasis on involving persons who join the company for long- or short-term work in the understandings of the ensemble process. The AD estimates that some 60 people have been CBT members over the course of its life. A factor that has helped to support consistency has been CBT employment of some of the company members in roles other than performing. Many have trained and served as workshop facilitators. Linda Parris-Bailey not only serves as AD but also as executive director. Jeff Cody is managing and technical director. Others have worked in various office capacities. Linda Hill, and later Margaret Miller, coordinated the summer youth and acted in the ensemble. Artistic Work CBT’s repertory includes "Dark Cowgirls & Prairie Queens," its signature piece; "Cric? Crac!" drawn form folktales of the African Diaspora; "Red Summer," the story of Knoxville’s 1919 race violence; "Ce Nitram Sacul," a praise work for women who mentor women; and its most recent work, "Nothin’Nice," which focuses on contemporary black family issues. A number of other works have been produced and performed for a time. Other productions include the theater works created each year through the TRY program (Theatre Renaissance for Youth). The creative process through which ensemble works have been developed has varied somewhat with each piece. In all cases, however, collaboration, collective work and shared investment have been key. Since "message" is important to both individual ensemble members and to the fulfillment of the mission, each work is discussed and chosen for its content, development of content and/or its ultimate value in community dialogue. The opinions of company members are seriously weighed in the selection process. Linda Parris-Bailey has written and directed most of the company’s pieces. However, in varying ways with different pieces, company members have participated in research, script development, testing, editing and critique. Artistic development in some cases has included outside professionals who bring specific skills and different perspectives. Among these are director Steve Kent, director/ dramaturge Geina Mphlope, playwright/director/performer Diablo Mundo, drama specialist Lib Rike, dramaturge Robbie McCauley and director Tom Bullock. Programs The core of CBT’s work is its artistic creations and productions, with an emphasis on quality artistic work. Therefore, script development, rehearsals, ensemble training, repertory maintenance and performance are major aspects of its program. TRY (Theatre Renaissance for Youth) is a year-round training and performance program for inner-city youth. A regular CBT/Knoxville College program is Café Noir, an open-mic coffeehouse-type series that attracts a target audience of Knoxville College students and other area college and university students. CBT has undertaken a number of long-term projects including ALTA (Adult Literacy Through the Arts) and the Knoxville American Festival Project. Accomplishments CBT’s favorite or greatest accomplishments vary according to who is answering the question. Yet all agree that the quality of the artistic work is the outstanding factor that distinguishes the work, whether it is being performed in a state-of-the-art theater space or in the park. Board members are especially proud of the quality of the work, as well as the message it delivers. Community people whose children have been involved through youth programming have great appreciation of CBT’s contribution to young people. Company members who have trained and grown under the AD are appreciative for what she has helped them accomplish as artists. The AD identifies her most rewarding moment as the performance of "Red Summer," when she felt CBT had delivered "their own story" to the people of Knoxville and particularly Knoxville’s black community. Partnerships From the home page of CBT’s Web site: "Through partnerships with other organizations in our community, we have found great success in broadening our audience. With such partners as the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, AIDS Response Knoxville, The Black Cultural Programming Committee, Detoxification Rehabilitation Initiative, we have been able to produce quality programming for our combined and emerging audiences." Other current and long-term partnerships include: African American Appalachian Arts, East Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing, Knoxville College, Project Change, Jubilee Community Arts, The Laurel Theatre, Circle Modern Dance, Moses Teen Center, Center for Literacy Studies of the University of Tennessee, UT Theaters, Friends of Literacy and Pellissippi Community College. The partnerships result in a range of activities: performances, joint performances, workshops with nonartist constituencies, long-term dialogue and problem-solving projects and communitywide multilevel festivals. Its recent American Festival Project involved 13 local community-based activists, academic and arts organizations with broad implications for adult learners, women, cross-cultural exchange, community law exchange and social transformation. AFP partners not already mentioned above include Citizens Police Review, CultureSPIRIT, Men in Black, Sankofa Academy, Tribe One, Tennessee Stage Company and Workforce Connection. What I witnessed during my site visit provides evidence of the dimensions of CBT’s partnership activities. CBT was partnering with Appalshop of Whitesburg, Kentucky, in a weeklong project called "Voices from Home: Voices of Change." The activities I attended were held at and in co-sponsorship with the Moses Teen Center. Buses from Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth programs around the city delivered about 200 elementary- and middle-school-age children for an afternoon of storytelling and music. Five professional storyteller/musicians of different styles, formats and cultural backgrounds gave a delightful two-hour performance. Pizza was available for the children before they boarded the buses for their return trips. A second activity for older youth and adults followed in an upstairs auditorium of the Moses Center. This program featured film presentations by youth from the Appalachian Media Institute and by a local youth community group as well as a performance by CBT’s TRY Ensemble. These were followed by a discussion led by a local "hero" (former professional football player). Other activities of the "Voices" project during that week included six films from Appalshop, presented in conjunction with the Adult Education Program; a celebration of Appalachian story and song at Laurel Theater; screenings of documentary films by and about women, followed by a participatory story circle and dinner in partnership with the Knoxville Rescue Ministries; "Señor Taco," a Latino, African-American and Appalachian celebration; and excerpts of CBT’s latest play, performed at Knoxville College. The "Voices" project utilized long-standing and new partnerships to touch broad cross sections of the Knoxville community. While these partnerships are the source of many rich artistic and community activist experiences, Linda Parris-Bailey admits that a major obstacle remains: the ability to articulate what the community/arts work really is and how the artistic work can be supportive to the work of community efforts. Audiences To a great extent, CBT’s local audience develops out of its involvement in the community, the various ways that people connect to its work at different program levels, and the constituencies of its partnering organizations. Its home base, Knoxville, is a city of approximately 200,000, 14% of which is African American. CBT’s community consists largely of working-class families, low- to moderate-income youth, social activists, educators, adult learners and the local arts community. Audience breakdowns are: people of color (60%), children under 18 (50%), rural-based (30%), people with disabilities (10%) and older adults (15%.) As a touring company, CBT also serves regional and national audiences through local presenters throughout the country. It uses publicity materials and dialogue to encourage presenters to think about the kinds of issues it deals with in its home community and to utilize its residency activities in ways that build and transform communities. Leadership There is no doubt that Linda Parris-Bailey is the leader of CBT – the artistic leader, the management and governance leader, the leader with presence in both the arts community and the activist community of Knoxville. It also seems clear that her leadership style, her personality and the very philosophy of collaboration and collective empowerment on which CBT operates lends itself to a lot of listening, sharing, exchange and dialogue. Company members and board members seem to feel an openness to their input, which reinforces their personal commitments and investments. The board of directors consists of five members, including the artistic and managing directors. It provides a sounding board, support network and decision-making body. Evaluation CBT does not utilize formalized and structured evaluative processes. This is not a rejection of these methods, but rather that they have a lower priority in an already heavy workload. What it utilizes very effectively is a lot of listening to the circles of its work – within the company, the board and to audiences through attendance, informal dialogue and post-performance discussions. CBT places emphasis on listening to its community partners, their constituencies and the community impact of such projects. Its position and location as the resident company of the historically black Knoxville College provides it the unique opportunity of receiving immediate response from young audiences and potential artists, as well as from persons of the academic community. Biography of site visitor Nayo Watkins is an arts and community consultant who lives in Durham, N.C. She is sole proprietor of Bodacious Consulting and Organizing. Her work has included helping to build collaborations and partnerships between artists and communities that explore the relationship between art, culture, activism and empowerment. She served as coordinator for the Mississippi American Festival Project and for the N.C.-based Alternate ROOTS Community Artist Partnership Project. She was writer/facilitator for "Parables to Policy," an Internet project of Southern Rural Development Initiative and was consultant to the Mississippi Young Person’s Cultural Exchange. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, she served as executive director of the African American Dance Ensemble (Durham), At the Foot of the Mountain Theatre (Minneapolis), and the Mississippi Cultural Arts Coalition (Jackson), and as program assistant for the Afro-American Studies Program of the University of Mississippi. As an artist, Watkins is a poet, essayist, playwright and performer. Her poems and essays have appeared in literary anthologies and journals. As a playwright, she draws upon oral histories and participatory research to create plays rooted in place, people, culture and community. Productions of her commissioned plays have been staged in Port Gibson, Itta Bena and Oxford, Mississippi, and in Durham and Wake Forest, North Carolina. Her work is included in the repertory of actors John O’Neal, Cynthia Watts and Yolanda King. |
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