In 2014, I was cast in the play, God Of Carnage, for a local theatre company. Excited for the challenge of such a dynamic and powerful story, I entered my first rehearsal with enthusiasm to meet my cast and director. If you are unfamiliar with the storyline of God Of Carnage, it showcases two married couples coming together to work through a school-yard fight between their children. As the weeks went on, one of the male actors would prove himself to be narcissistic and bullying. He quickly manipulated his 'married' female counterpart and any that weren't swayed were considered an enemy to undermine. Only a year out of an abusive marriage, being in the same room with him, no doubt sharing a stage, was trying and terrifying. I recall standing up on stage with him, scenes of intense emotion, ankles shaking, yet as loyal as I am to my craft and art, to the theatre, to this particular play, the director, my other co-star, I continued night after night, show after show, to mount the stage at his side.
It helped immensely that my male counterpart, my director, and stage manager were aligned with me in recognizing the abuse of this actor. However, after the show closed, I watched as his acclaim continued in the local theatre scene. Feeling alone and at risk of losing roles, I stood silent, said nothing, tried to smile in his presence, to be friendly in the face of his derision towards me as he continued to try to make it appear as if I was the 'mean unprofessional one'. I knew the truth yet still felt silenced as this was still a few years before the #MeToo movement would become more visible. Then, several years later, a play was announced to be directed by this man at another local theatre. A good friend of mine worked as costume designer for the show and as production progressed, she began confiding in me of the atrocities she witnessed both personally and collectively by this man, including bullying and sexual misconduct, resulting in multiple young actresses leaving the production due to fear, announcing #MeToo on social media directly afterwards, and his being banned from the theatre. As much as I felt horrible for these actors who suffered, I felt, at last, vindicated in the abuse I suffered, no longer, alone in my recognition of his true character.
Over the last year, in response to seeing dear friends be radicalized by this horrifical MAGA right, I have become a very avid consumer and sharer of a wide variety of political and current events articles, from across the aisle, mind you. Yes, that's right, I follow the news media companies, "Crooked Media" (progressive), The Intercept (far left), and The Bulwark (Republican) on a regular basis, just to name a few, and share them regularly. In addition, I do not align myself completely with President Biden or would even label myself as a 'democrat', rather, I am leaning towards 'progressive' or 'democratic socialist'. I haven't fully decided yet, but want to finally and fully make the choice of what affiliation for own myself, not based on how I was raised, religious connection, or personal friends. Furthermore, I do not love President Biden simply because I hate Trump, in fact, I don't hate Trump or his followers. And again, I have been pleasantly surprised by the enactments and bills passed by President Biden during his first term as well his ability to connect with and listen to the beliefs and thoughts of those who differ from his viewpoints.
Last night, the first 2024 presidential debate between President Biden and Donald Trump occurred. As I was working, I was unable to view in its entirety, but plan on doing so, yet even so I have been hungrily consuming information across the aisle on reports and thoughts on the debate. Those reports are detailing Biden's raspy voice, his seemingly slow start where he seemed discombobulated, unable to formulate his thoughts, and ended with a seemingly incoherent sentence. However, they did conclude that as the debate continued Biden strengthened his arguments. Fears are rampant today, claiming that Biden is too old, frail, and possibly, on the road to dementia. As the avid consumer that I am, I have been aware of a wide variety of interviews, State of The Unions, and conversations that President Biden has done and have not seen signs of dementia as reported or contrived by clever editing. In addition, President Biden has been open about his struggles with a stutter and has worked to overcome, yet, in times of nervousness, stress, or fatigue it returns.
Donald Trump has maliciously and incessantly attacked in a wide variety of ways those that oppose him, then lied about such, in an attempt to undermine, silence, nullify, in order for him to have all control and power. A primary target of his has been his biggest opponent, President Biden. As brave as President Biden was in calling for these debates, as much as he has done his best to not engage with the bullying, to tend first to the needs of the country and that of how the USA orients with the world affairs, as much as he has done to calm our fears, he is still a man walking onto a stage across from his bully. Therefore, I do not feel the argument of 'too old, has dementia' is correct, nor do I feel Biden's people claiming he had a cold to be adequate, but rather to admit the trepidation he felt upon taking that stage. No, I do not feel that would weaken him as his role of President, standing against heads of state and commanding power, but rather the opposite. In this post #MeToo, post covid19, post Trump era, when our country and the world has been shaken up from its patriarchal power revealing all of our inner biases, ignorance, inherent racism and misogynies, I feel the antidote and cure is to fully share our fears, our trepidations, inwardly and outwardly, then collectively applauding one another who take the stage standing up to and against the bullies.
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