Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

Often shortened to We Are Proud to Present, the full title of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s breakthrough play doesn’t roll off the tip of the tongue-but, then again, nothing about the play’s content is easy. Six actors of varying backgrounds and personal experiences have gathered to create scenes dramatizing the genocide of the Herero people during the German occupation of what is now Namibia. At first, it feels like we’re watching some rather egotistical actors at work. In that sense, the play operates a bit like a play about actors, rich with archetypes and in-jokes that theatre people will recognize. But what begins as a rather ordinary rehearsal for just another piece of theatre becomes a much more personal and sometimes painful exploration as the past collides with the present and reality collides with fiction. The play floats in between two different modes, labeled by Sibblies Drury as “process” and “presentation”. In the “process” scenes, we see the actors at work preparing their presentation. In the “presentation” scenes, we see the actors actually performing the presentation, embodying multiple people as they enact dramatized scenes from the genocide. Summarized by critics as “stunning, fantastically funny, and emotionally exhausting”, We Are Proud to Present is an inventive piece of metatheatre. Moving from achingly funny to devastatingly painful at a whiplash-inducing pace, the narrative raises some difficult questions and sparks timely and challenging conversations around race, identity, and storytelling.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Mature Audiences (M)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
2012
Genres
Drama
Settings
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A theatre space and a rehearsal room. Present day.
Cast Size
small
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Ideal For
College/University, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult Characters

Context

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Actor 6/Black Woman

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Actor 1/White Man

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Actor 5/Sarah

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Actor 2/Black Man

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Actor 3/Another White Man

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Actor 4/Another Black Man

Ensemble

Male

Non-singer

Songs

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    A supporting actor who specializes in unusual or eccentric roles.

    The purposeful killing of many people from a particular country or ethnic group

    A type of theatre which draws attention to the nature of theatre and performance, often through a "play within a play"

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Kevan Dunkelberg

Kevan Dunkelberg

Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright