‘We learn to deal with all the microaggressions...’
THE WHITE CARD HOLDS UP A MIRROR TO SOCIETY AND SPARKS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE. ROZ LAWS FINDS OUT MORE
THE White Card is a gripping play which really makes you think, and one which stays with you long after you’ve left the theatre.
Claudia Rankine’s criticallyacclaimed play, which comes to Birmingham Rep for two weeks from June 7, is a conversation about race. It was written in 2019 before the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests but seems even more relevant in light of recent events.
It features Virginia and Charles, a wealthy white American couple who invite talented Black artist Charlotte to dinner. Charlotte’s work makes visible the things white people don’t even notice, the daily microaggressions – subtle negative language or behaviour – against Black people.
Virginia is a huge fan of Serena Williams and her husband supports minorities with a foundation and by buying art. She says: “Charles likes to wear his commitment on the walls.” But are they really the allies they think they are?
‘‘Tensions run high during the course of the play and a debate uncovers some uncomfortable truths about white privilege.
‘‘The White Card invites everyone to play a part in the debate, with the message “Be an ally, be in the room, be in the conversation”.
The role of Charlotte is filled through a job share, with Estella Daniels playing her in the first week at the Rep before Christine Gomes takes over.
Christine says: “When I first read the play, I went ‘wow, wow, wow’. I saw myself in Charlotte and I saw experiences I have had. I saw people that I know in other characters. It felt so true and really caught me, igniting something in me.
“The play talks about being the only Black person in a white space, and what it means to navigate a room where you are so aware of your blackness and people’s perceived ideas of you. Charlotte wants her work to speak for itself but they keep coming back to her identity, which I can relate to. I want to be
just an actor. Sometimes there might be nothing wrong with putting the word black in front, but noone would call Scarlett Johansson a white actor.
“The play has sparked conversations between me and my mum that we haven’t had before, about race and things white people have said to her, ignorantly. Mum is Nigerian and studied at Manchester Polytechnic in the 1970s, when people asked her whether she had tigers in her garden.
“Racism may not be as overt now, or as overt in the UK as it is in America. But there’s a kind of denial about racism in this country. I experience microaggressions almost every day. Things people don’t even notice they are doing. If I was to take in every single microaggression that happens to me, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.”
Estella agrees: “We learn to deal with all the microaggressions and build up an armour. Sometimes that makes you question whether it really happened. As quickly as it happens, you have to push it to the back of your mind. If you kept going over it, it would be exhausting.
“I have experienced many similar moments to Charlotte, such as being mistaken for another Black woman. The things that make you question whether you should be
offended or not. I remember being on the bus early in the morning and falling asleep. I had my bag beside me, maybe to stop anyone sitting next to me because of Covid. The next thing I knew, someone picked up my bag and threw it on to me. I couldn’t help but think that had I been someone else, would that have happened? How do you deal with it? Staying calm is always important, but tricky. I love that Charlotte starts off in the play as contained, measured and polite. That goes against the general stereotypes of Black women.”
Both actors are looking forward to making their stage debuts in Birmingham at the Rep, although Estella already knows the city well. She has sisters, nieces and nephews here, has worked on BBC’s Doctors and spent two years teaching drama and design and technology at a private primary school in Birmingham. She says: “My husband is a teacher and I think they’re amazing, but I realised I don’t have the skill set to be a good one!”
All the cast hope that The White Card gets audiences thinking and talking about what they’ve seen.
Estelle says: “A few white people have told me they didn’t realise they were guilty of doing some of the things in the play, and saying things they thought were innocent but
which have an impact. People shouldn’t be frightened to have these conversations. Some people say ‘No, I don’t want to engage, it’s not my responsibility to teach you’, and I get that. But I am very open to people who are brave enough to ask questions, especially if they want to have an honest and frank conversation and won’t meet the answers with defensiveness or rage. It’s not about pointing the finger and saying you’re a bad person. But we do live in a system that benefits one group more than the other and that can have a devastating effect on Black people.
“We are ready for this play. We’ve gone through a pandemic and watched a man’s life being snuffed out. We’ve had time to stop and think and we’re more willing to have the conversation now.”
Christine concludes: “The White Card holds a mirror to our society and offers audience members reflection, a chance to listen to these conversations and hopefully engage. If you are talking about racial matters and actively seeking to be anti-racist, this offers a way to maybe think about things you never really questioned before.”
The White Card plays Birmingham Rep from June 7-18. For tickets, ring 0121 236 4455 or go to birmingham-rep.co.uk.