This collection contains thirteen plays from a range of writers, in which most of the characters should be played by non-white actors. The collection is based on a singular principle from the words of the late Rodney Gilbert: ‘the magical world of theatre becomes even more magical when you can see yourself.’ As teachers and performers, we can immediately identify with this concept, and for that alone I would recommend this collection. If you have many students from different ethnic backgrounds this anthology will offer them a chance to experience texts in which they are the majority; if you work with very few students of differing ethnicity it may offer them a chance to see something of themselves reflected and to perform roles where they share the character's background.
In the preface, Brenner and Ceraso refer to the universal character struggles such as loss, peer pressure and existential questions, but the plays included are grounded in a shared and specific social reality experience by the young people in Newark, New Jersey. That in itself is also the downside of this text because many of you, like myself, will be a teacher in the UK (or at least not in New Jersey). That said, we aren't overrun with collections like Represent! and I am certain that you will find many things that you would wish to use in classrooms with students from key stage three to five within this assortment of texts.
The plays cover themes such as racial and cultural identity, ancestry, assimilation, parental pressure, bullying, alienation, loss and gain of self, youth activism, and the risks of school life in a society where guns are prolific. Most of these themes are extremely relevant, and although the issue of guns is not as prevalent in UK schools in the same way as it is in the US, I have found that it strikes up a huge debate with students and is therefore a useful resource for Drama, English and PSHE.
There is a synopsis of each play at the start of the book and then each story is presented with notes on casting and production, the writer's inspiration, major themes, and the writer's entrance into the world of theatre. Some writers are more fluid with the race or gender of characters while others are very specific. For example, No Child states– ‘regarding the playing of Ms. Tam: Please be sure she is played by a Chinese-American’ and in This Time with Feeling it reads– ‘All the speaking characters are black. Different types of Black.’ At the end of each script there are suggested exercises for pre and post-reading/watching of the play. These activities are very helpful as teachers will find that being given some ideas for pre/post-reading activities will spark further ideas for students.
The scripts within the collection are varied in their themes, subject matter, length and casting but I feel that most teachers would find a lot to use with Represent!. I particularly liked This Time with Feeling, where a young girl trying to rehearse a speech with her mother is torn down at every turn by her mother's harsh criticism. The girl gives a heartfelt speech to her mother and then goes on to commit an act of extreme violence after which we hear from her peers.
There is some excellent work to explore here with monologue as well as the relationship between mother and daughter. A mother so harsh would be an excellent character to develop and students from year 9 to 13 would enjoy delving into this type of role. I also especially enjoyed Gunshots with its theme of how quick society can be to vilify and blame those we see as ‘other’ as well as the exploration of how the students in the piece share the experience of what they at first believe to be a shooter in the school. Another play that I felt would be extremely well received by students is 777 in which 773, 774, 775, 776 and 777 have all died and are waiting to cast into their next lives. The play would be ideal for a short production but the theme is something that teachers could explore across all key stages – and the idea of students from year 7 to 13 devising their own versions of this play could offer some fascinating results.
Overall, although some of the texts feel quite American, the themes and characters feel relevant and there is a lot that students across the key stages would enjoy studying. In addition, there is plenty within the collection to use as stimulus material for students’ own work across a range of subjects. Represent! would be a very worthwhile addition to your set of resources.