The tropes we can let go of

When it comes to the performing arts, there are a few tropes — or recurrent themes — typically reserved for Black characters that should probably be discussed. “I think the biggest things that happen in professional theater have a lot to do with the roots of our oppression,” said LaKesha Lorene, founding director of the Naptown African American Theatre Collective (NAATC). “It really speaks to who’s writing it and how it’s written, because it’s not something I think we need to not talk about because our existence in this country is derived and rooted in oppression and the continual fight for equality.” Ben Rose, founding artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theater Company (IBTC) said gospel is prevalent in Black theater, especially as it pertains to a character experiencing trauma and then the Lord helping them through it. Although, overdone does not always mean irrelevant, Rose said. For example, many people can resonate with stories about characters who were incarcerated and are now grappling with reentry or finding inspiration after release, such as in Loy A. Webb’s “Judy’s Life’s Work.”So, in the spirit of telling Black stories rooted in truth and humanity, here are a few things to think about....