After experiencing provocative audience responses to the full-length play BUZZER (produced by The Public Theater in NYC, Spring 2015) which explores the myth of a post-racial American society through the lens of gentrification, the playwright Tracey Scott Wilson and I decided to make a short film of the original 10-minute version of the play. We wanted to share this controversial piece with a larger audience. The fact that I’m a white Jewish woman who grew up in Phoenix, AZ and Tracey is a black woman who grew up in Newark, NJ has been a crucial part of how the conversation has been unfolding. Our experiences are so vastly different, and although I consider myself a liberal white woman, an artist who sees things from all sides, the complexity of the issue at the heart of the film forces me to confront my own prejudices. Tracey originally made the piece to explore and face her prejudices which were not easily summed up as merely black vs. white. Together, our conversation has defined the gap in our experiences, in our beliefs and understanding of these issues, while deepening our respect for each other and the desire to confront rather than avoid.
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