Why one man sustained African-American theater in one of the whitest states in the country

Jarvis Antonio Green established JAG Productions in Vermont to create and celebrate African-American theater. The company's latest production, "Esai's Table," serves as a reminder of how black productions operate in a state with an African-American population of less than 2 percent. 

Green got his company running in 2016, later incorporating JAGFest — an annual event dedicated to "celebrating the talents of African-American playwrights." His production company became a chance for people to get the support they needed in a rural setting.  

Vermont theater: 'Esai's Table' bound for off-Broadway, presents the joys of black youth

White people are able to learn and engage with stories from a different lens, he said. 

"And then black folk get an opportunity to develop new works and new pieces that, you know, rarely come across their plate in New York," he said. 

Before "Esai's Table" goes off-Broadway, it will be performed in White River Junction for more than two weeks. 

What is African-American theater? 

"African-American theater in many ways is the foundation of American theater," Johnny Jones, assistant professor at the University of Louisville's theater arts department, said. 

Jones runs the department's African American Theatre Program (AATP). The university's website describes AATP as "the first (and only) graduate program in African American Theatre in the region." The school is located in Kentucky, which has an African-American population of less than 9 percent. 

Broadway and vaudeville found their roots in blackface minstrelsy, Jones said. New forms of theater evolved as plays like "A Raisin in the Sun," "Dutchman & the Slave" and "Funnyhouse of a Negro" came about in the 1950s and '60s. Productions dealt with issues facing Americans in creative ways. 

"All art is political," Green said. "I find it rare that someone makes art that isn't a reflection of like, what's happening." 

Who is African-American theater for? 

Even in the 19th century, African-American theater did not strictly exist in the context of blackface. Consider William Brown's African Grove Theater, created in New York in the early 1800's. This establishment became known as "the first resident African American theater in the United States," according to Journeys at Dartmouth. 

This became a space for African-Americans to gather together and socialize, Jones said. Flash forward more than two centuries to Vermont: He said people need to learn about one another and the ways in which everyone is dealing with what's happening in this country. Green seemed to be doing just that from the AATP director's perspective.

Many people think theater is purely fun, Jones said. But dealing with issues of race, sexual orientation and religion can be "heavy stuff." 

Green left New York City feeling frustrated at the lack of stories told through his lens as "a black, queer, cultural warfare" actor, director and performer. He cultivated theater communities in Vermont before getting the chance to dive into his own production company. 

"It was an opportunity for myself to heal, because I think that's what's so powerful about theater," he said. "And then I also was just thinking about all of the other black artists that are experiencing... very similar things that I've experienced working in the American theater." 

So what does African-American theater look like in Vermont? 

The Green Mountain State counts less than 9,000 black residents out of its population of over 625,000, according to 2018 population estimates in census data. Within Vermont's already small population of people of color, there are even fewer opportunities to find in-state acting talent, University of Vermont Professor Gregory Ramos said. 

Ramos, who chairs the school's Theater Department, has been with UVM since 2006 and has met JAG's founder. He is not aware of many other efforts that parallel Green's work. 

"Audiences are very interested in different stories," Ramos said. "What we would call — for lack of a better word — diverse stories." 

Ramos teaches a course in diversity in performance, exploring issues of "power and privilege." While he would love to see his theater department showcase "a wide variety of experiences," he also acknowledged this can be difficult without reaching out of state for talent. Often, this happens by seeking out actors from nearby locations like New York City. 

"Esai's Table" required Green to source actors from beyond Vermont, due to a lack of working actors living in the state. At the same time, Ramos said the world's changing demographics could make a difference in the Green Mountain State. 

"It is only a matter of time before there are more people of color in Vermont," he said. 

In that same vein, he felt Green's work was helping lay down the foundations for other artists to do similar work in the state — a location he considers welcoming to open discussions. 

"What Jarvis is doing is, he's providing a venue through which there's an actual infrastructure to ensure that Vermont audiences are seen."  

Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89.