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### **When the Stage Disappears: Why 'I AM' Is the Show We Need Right Now**
Let’s be real for a second. Sometimes, going to the theater can feel… transactional. We, the audience, sit in the dark, silent and passive. They, the performers, exist under the lights, projecting their art outward. There’s a wall. A very polite, often unspoken, but very real wall.
Then, a show like Camille A. Brown’s *I AM* comes along and gleefully smashes that wall to pieces.
I’ve been reading about its run at the McCarter Theater, and the phrase that keeps grabbing me isn’t just "Black joy"—though that is powerfully central—it’s the "redefinition of the performer/audience relationship." This isn't just a performance; it's a communal experience. It’s a call and response. It’s a celebration where the line between watching and participating intentionally, beautifully, blurs.
And honestly? This is the future of impactful art.
We live in a world that constantly tries to box in Black stories, often limiting them to narratives of trauma and struggle. While those stories are valid and must be told, *I AM* makes a radical statement by centering **joy, resilience, and unapologetic cultural expression**. It says, "Our history is profound, but our present is vibrant, and our future is luminous." This act of centering joy is itself a powerful form of resistance and affirmation.
But Camille A. Brown takes it a crucial step further. She doesn’t just present this joy for passive consumption. She invites the audience into it. The rhythms of African diasporic dance, the spirituals, the ring shouts—these are not meant to be observed from a distance. They are living traditions that thrive on shared energy. By breaking the fourth wall, by creating a space where the audience's energy is a necessary part of the performance's heartbeat, *I AM* becomes more than a show. It becomes a congregation.
Think about it. How often do you leave a theater feeling truly *connected*? Not just to the story on stage, but to the people sitting around you? This model of performance fosters a unique sense of community. It’s a reminder that art isn’t a product to be bought and sold, but a living, breathing exchange. It’s a conversation across the footlights.
For too long, "traditional" theater has conditioned us to be quiet observers. *I AM* is a vibrant, necessary rebellion against that. It asks us not just to see and hear, but to feel and respond. It trusts the audience to be a co-conspirator in the creation of a moment.
This is more than a new show; it's a blueprint. It shows us that the most powerful stories aren't just told—they are shared, felt, and celebrated together. The stage doesn't have to be a barrier; it can be a portal, and the audience isn't just a spectator; it's the final, essential member of the cast.
Bravo, Camille A. Brown. Thank you for not just giving us a performance, but for inviting us to a celebration. This is the kind of art that doesn't just stay with you—it changes you.
