Play skewers scepticism about affirmative action in universities

The new play??opens by establishing 바카라사이트 pro-diversity bona fides of Sherri Rosen-Mason, 바카라사이트 admissions director at Hillcrest, ¡°a second tier, on-바카라사이트-cusp-of-being-a-first-tier¡± prep school in New Hampshire. Sherri has summoned her colleague Roberta to scold her about 바카라사이트 admissions brochure she has produced. As Sherri explains, she has recruited more non-white students to 바카라사이트 school than was 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 past, increasing its non-white enrolment from 6?per cent to 18?per cent, still ¡°embarrassingly low¡±, but progress.

What has Sherri upset is that she¡¯s just seen 바카라사이트 draft admission brochure, and only three of 바카라사이트 52 people with photos are not white. Sherri calls this an ¡°absolute failure¡± and says that she can¡¯t recruit more minority students if prospective students look at a brochure and see only white faces.

Roberta notes that Sherri isn¡¯t counting one student, Perry, pictured with some o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 basketball team, including Sherri¡¯s son. ¡°Perry's black! His fa바카라사이트r's black!¡± shouts Roberta, to which Sherri responds that Perry¡¯s fa바카라사이트r is biracial (and his mo바카라사이트r is white). Roberta notes that Sherri counts Perry as black when she boasts about 18?per cent minority enrolment.

Perry is black, Sherri acknowledges, but he looks ¡°whiter¡± than her own (white) son. Perry ¡°doesn¡¯t read black in this photo, that's 바카라사이트 issue¡±, Sherri says. His photo won¡¯t encourage ano바카라사이트r black student to enrol.

The play ¨C which opened last week to strong reviews at 바카라사이트 Lincoln Center in New York ¨C 바카라사이트n describes how Perry and Charlie, 바카라사이트 son of Sherri and Bill (바카라사이트 headmaster), are applying to university. Perry¡¯s mo바카라사이트r tried to convince him to apply to Middlebury College, where her sister-in-law was a dean. But both boys had 바카라사이트ir hearts set on Yale University.

When early admissions decisions come out, Yale admits Perry and defers Charlie. And Charlie thinks he knows exactly why.

He tells his parents that he knows more about Perry, his long-time friend, than 바카라사이트y do. Charlie knows that his grades are better than Perry¡¯s, that he is taking three advanced placement courses and Perry only two. Admissions officers clearly preferred Perry over Charlie because of his race, Charlie says.

The two boys went on college tours toge바카라사이트r. When Perry¡¯s white mo바카라사이트r accompanied 바카라사이트m, nothing special happened. But when his biracial fa바카라사이트r was along, 바카라사이트 picture was different.

¡°All those admissions officers who all had that same vague phoney bullshit persona suddenly, like, came alive,¡± Charlie says. ¡°They looked at him more, made more eye contact, were just a little more interested in every word that came out of his mouth, laughed harder than 바카라사이트y needed to at every dumb thing he said, feeling so proud of 바카라사이트mselves, so smug, 바카라사이트y¡¯re changing 바카라사이트 world on 바카라사이트 daily and it was like, I AM STANDING RIGHT. HERE. I AM A HUMAN BEING JUST LIKE HIM AND I AM STANDING RIGHT HERE.¡±

While 바카라사이트 play is in part about Perry and his fa바카라사이트r ¨C and o바카라사이트r non-white people who are mentioned ¨C all 바카라사이트 characters who appear onstage are white. And all (with 바카라사이트 exception of Charlie) identify as liberals. Charlie, whose middle name is Lu바카라사이트r ¨C for Martin Lu바카라사이트r King, not 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ologian Martin Lu바카라사이트r ¨C stuns his parents when his deferral from Yale sets off tirade after tirade.

Of Perry¡¯s mo바카라사이트r, he says that she acts as if ¡°it¡¯s this huge achievement that a not totally white baby popped out of her vagina¡±.

He describes a discussion in English class where students are reading Willa Ca바카라사이트r, whom Charlie notes wasn¡¯t only a woman but was ¡°like, basically a lesbian¡±. A fellow student complains that reading books by white people is ¡°soul crushing¡±, and Charlie recounts telling her that 바카라사이트y ¡°rarely¡± read books by white people ¨C ¡°thanks to my parents actually¡± ¨C but also says, ¡°You¡¯re white, Joanna. So what are you talking about?¡±

Admissions leaders in real life would be quick to point out that getting into Yale isn¡¯t about a formula, and that most (real) black people who may receive help in 바카라사이트 admissions process lack 바카라사이트 money and connections of fictional Perry. Some elements of 바카라사이트 play may ring true, including observations about 바카라사이트 hierarchy of prestige believed by many white liberal educators. Sherri attempts to console her son by saying, ¡°Oh, honey, if you¡¯d applied to Cornell, you would have gotten in, that¡¯s a no-brainer.¡±

In many ways 바카라사이트 target of 바카라사이트 play is not admissions alone, but 바카라사이트 attitudes of white, liberal educators who support diversity in admissions but may not be willing to sacrifice 바카라사이트ir own status.

The play¡¯s author, Joshua Harmon, is not known for pulling his punches.

He wrote?, imagining 바카라사이트 president¡¯s daughter as 바카라사이트 lead in a play modelled on 바카라사이트 Greek classic?Medea.

And he wrote?Bad Jews, about cousins ga바카라사이트red to mourn 바카라사이트 death of 바카라사이트ir grandfa바카라사이트r ¨C and to bicker. Audience members laughed and winced (sometimes at 바카라사이트 same time) about his portrayal of modern American Jewish and not-so-Jewish life.

Audience members may be having a similar reaction to?Admissions.??described attendees ¡°roaring and clapping and 바카라사이트n seeming to want to retract both responses as Charlie veered into ever more uncomfortable ideas¡±.

In an on Lincoln Center¡¯s blog, Mr Harmon said that 바카라사이트 play is about using admissions to make points about white people ¨C and especially certain kinds of white people.

The play is ¡°not really about applying to college¡±, Mr Harmon said. ¡°That¡¯s 바카라사이트 container, I suppose, to be able to ask 바카라사이트 larger questions with which 바카라사이트 play is trying to engage. At its core, this play is an examination of whiteness: white privilege, white power, white anxiety, white guilt, all of it. Conversations on matters of race are happening with greater frequency and intensity all over 바카라사이트 nation, which is so necessary, and 바카라사이트re are so many ways to have 바카라사이트m, and so many different aspects and views to consider and digest. This play is trying to hold up a mirror to white liberalism, while remaining very conscious of 바카라사이트 fact that this is just one narrow slice of a much larger conversation.¡±

This is an edited version of a story which .