After noticing a lack of Black representation in the theater department, senior Jaylin Darby and alumna Aria Jackson are starting Theatre for the Culture. Theatre for the Culture intends to be a space for Black creatives of all backgrounds.
Darby said she hopes Theatre for the Culture will become an empowering new space for Black students to “look like each other, to understand each other, and be present with each other.”
Darby said she felt frustrated and disconnected from the white faculty and stories dominating the theater program.
“I feel like there’s just so much happening in the world right now and just so so many pressing topics,” Darby said. “People are suffering, and I’m not going to waste an opportunity to put [it] in theater, on the stage, and just not talk about these things.”
Darby recounts nights of frustration and tears due to her experience within the theater program.
“I’ve dealt with microaggressions and felt the need to bottle myself up,” Darby expressed. “I don’t feel any kind of unity to some people that have been in the theater department [..] I’ve had white costume designers tell me what looks good in my hair.”
Theatre for the Culture is a response to a “cultural divide” noticed by Black students in the theater department, Darby said. When speaking to other Black women in the theater department, Darby noticed a pattern of collective discontent with the program.
Having a funded space where Black creatives can come together is a privilege, according to Darby.
Theatre for the Culture is fueled by the founder’s passion and authenticity. Visioned to be a safe and unified space, this organization is meant to permeate Loyola’s artistic community and last a long time, Darby said.
“Having this ensemble means we are all together as one. We all feel for one another. We all understand each other. Even if we don’t understand one another, we’re going to be present,” she said.
Representation weighs on the minds of young creators, Darby said.
Committed to authenticity, Theatre for the Culture will permit representation on and off stages. It will connect people who do fashion, poetry, music, and dance, according to Darby.
The new club will allow new stories to be told, especially for Black students who were once cast only as maids or other stereotypical roles, she said.
Darby added that the unity of this club will allow for the “humanization” of Black stories and characters.
Despite moments of discouragement, Darby feels driven to continue this organization.
“We collectively feel like we are going to make a difference with this organization,” Darby said. “I’m calling this a revolution.”
