CITE presentations augment book project with slices from life

By Franklin Crawford

Fear. Insecurity. Social status. Abandonment. Betrayal. Exclusion.

Another Frankenstein seminar?

No. These were just some of many themes that emerged from student responses to the Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble's (CITE) presentation "Many Voices: A Community of Communities" Sept. 10 in the Robert Purcell Community Center. The Sept. 10 event was the sixth in a 21-program series that runs through Oct. 2 for first-year students.

CITE actors Patrick Reynolds and Kimberly Brown portray students in a dramatic scenario titled "The Group." The CITE interactive program is being presented to first-year students this month. Charles Harrington/University Photography

If the themes raised during student discussions resonated with similar ideas from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, that's no coincidence.

The unprecedented CITE initiative for the entire first-year class was designed to echo some of the issues raised in the First Year Student Reading Project -- and to bring those issues home. But it also was designed to give incoming students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the ethos of Cornell's mission on diversity and inclusiveness, the motto of which is "Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds."

The CITE program included a scene performance by CITE staff members and professional actors hired through CITE, an audience question-and-answer session with the actors in character, followed by a lengthy interactive discussion led by Vivian Relta, CITE associate director and group facilitator:

"We're not going for the easy answers -- who's the poor victim, who's right, who's wrong -- we're going for the complexity; no victim, no villain," said Relta, addressing an audience of about 75 students. "What I'm asking you to do is to be honest about what you think or feel, in this moment; to put your judgments aside."

The program went as follows: After introductory remarks, a dramatic scenario with Kendra (played by Kimberly Brown, actor and associate director of CITE) and Daniel (played by Patrick Reynolds, actor and CU graduate student in theatre), two Cornell undergraduates, was presented. According to the CITE program: "Their solid friendship is based in part on their similarities: values, temperament, likes and dislikes. But, as happens with all relationships over time, their friendship is being tested by conflict, which arises because of their differences." Among those differences are their race. By the close of the scene, their conflict remains unresolved.

Students then questioned the actors -- both still in character -- about their thoughts and feelings, their behaviors and what might have motivated those behaviors. Audience members also addressed two other characters from the performance: Professor Peter Warwick (played by Greg Bostwick), and part-time teacher and staff member Rachel Levine (played by Martha Dewey, CITE's artistic director).

The actors then went offstage and Relta invited students to "step into the shoes" of the characters, Kendra and Daniel. Relta challenged students to adopt the perspective of "the other" in order to gain insight and understanding of the complexity of the problematic situation.

First-year students' reactions following the two-hour program Sept. 10 were mixed, but thoughtful.

"It was nothing really new for me. I think most of the people who come to this university are pretty well educated," said Zubin Alemo. "There were way too many loopholes in the scenario to say whether it was racist or not; I didn't really connect with the characters."

"I grew up in an environment where everyone came from different backgrounds," said Alex Rakow. "It was good to hear the discussion and other points of views, but I wasn't surprised by those points of view."

Teah Colson said she, at first, felt the scenario was too artificial and seemed a little forced. After a break between the scene and the student discussion, Relta explained that the situations were drawn from actual Cornell experiences as reported by students themselves. Hearing this, Colson said the program made more sense.

"I've never had that type of experience in my own life, but I can see how it may be relevant to me in the future," she said.

Emily Wagner was "disturbed" by the reactions of her peers in the group, saying it was as if the scenario started to play itself out in the student audience.

"The scenario was not as realistic as it could have been, but I was disturbed by how my peers handled the issues of race and gender presented in the scenario," Wagner said. "I feel the presentation had everything it needs for a group discussion, and the problem wasn't in the script, it was how the issues were avoided in the audience."

CITE artistic director Dewey said that's all part of the process. Reinforcing Relta's message, she said, it's not about judging people, it's about understanding the question of group situations and the complexities of human behavior. Before true clarity can be achieved, she added, it's vital to understand each person's take on a given situation.

As for the Sept. 10 participants, Dewey said: "Each group has different dynamics, different demographics. This was a large group, and everyone brings their own baggage into the sessions, and that's OK. It's about understanding that we are a community of communities and everybody has a point of view, and those points of view should be respected and understood."

CITE was formed in January 1992 as an educational resource in diversity for faculty, staff and administrators. Since its inception, CITE has met the needs of a wide range of audiences, both on and off campus.