cover of episode Wrestling with America’s (Racist) History with Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks

Wrestling with America’s (Racist) History with Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks

2024/5/2
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Aminatou Sow
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Kara Swisher
卡拉·斯威舍是一位知名的媒体评论家和播客主持人,专注于科技和政治话题的深入分析。
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Kara Swisher: 本期节目讨论了普利策奖得主苏赞-洛丽·帕克斯的最新戏剧《Sally & Tom》,该剧探讨了托马斯·杰斐逊与他的奴隶莎莉·海明斯之间复杂的关系,以及美国社会对这段历史的回避和改写。节目还讨论了美国当前对历史的修正主义倾向以及对多元化、公平与包容倡议的抵制。 Suzan-Lori Parks: 帕克斯解释了创作《Sally & Tom》的灵感来源,以及她如何处理剧中历史事件的真实性和不确定性。她强调了戏剧作为一种对话工具的作用,以及通过戏剧来探讨种族关系、权力动态和历史真相的意义。她还谈到了她对美国历史的热爱以及通过与历史的“较量”来表达这种爱的方式。她认为,正视历史中的艰难部分,才能使国家变得真正伟大。 Aminatou Sow: Sow 提出了一个关于观看帕克斯戏剧的白人观众群体是否发生变化的问题,帕克斯认为观众对黑人经验的多样性有了更深入的理解。 Suzan-Lori Parks: 帕克斯谈到了她创作的多个戏剧作品,例如《Top Dog Underdog》和《Plays for the Plague Year》,以及这些作品中共同的主题:与历史的较量、身份认同的探索、以及对种族关系和社会正义的思考。她还谈到了她在《Plays for the Plague Year》中首次担任演员的经历,以及这如何改变了她对写作的视角。她认为,邀请演员参与她的戏剧是她表达爱意的一种方式,也是她与历史进行对话的方式。她还谈到了她对美国历史的热爱以及通过与历史的“较量”来表达这种爱的方式。她认为,正视历史中的艰难部分,才能使国家变得真正伟大。她还谈到了她正在创作的第二部小说和一部新的音乐剧。

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Suzan-Lori Parks discusses her play 'Sally and Tom,' which explores the complex relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and why she chose to address this controversial historical narrative.

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In her latest play, Sally & Tom, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks tackles what is, arguably, one of the most complicated and personal chapters in American history: the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman who gave birth to at least six of his children.

Kara and Parks discuss the play in the context of her past work, as well as our nation's trend of revising history to sand down its rough edges, and why wrestling with our nation’s past is a sign of love.

Sally & Tom is now playing at the Public Theater. You can buy tickets at: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2324/sally--tom/

Correction: Suzan-Lori Parks' *Plays for the Plague Year *begins in March 2020. In a previous version of this episode, we said it began in March 2022.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]) or find Kara on Threads/Instagram as @karaswisher 

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