Our Hen House
Our Hen House
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Flock Bonus Content
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate
Blog

“Eating Animals” — The Play

by Jasmin November 18, 2011
written by Jasmin
314

When I was in college studying for my BFA in Theatre, I certainly played my fair share of roles — Queen Elizabeth in Mary Stuart, Charlotte in Flora the Red Menace, and, as part of my senior thesis, a one-woman-show entitled Watching Through Windows. It wasn’t until I graduated that my acting bug turned into my activist bug. My first job after college was as an actor-educator with the AIDS-awareness theatre company, Nitestar. Nitestar gave me the opportunity to tour around to schools and perform in plays that raised awareness about AIDS, STI’s, sexuality, body image, and domestic violence. That was over 10 years ago, and I absolutely credit my time at Nitestar with opening my eyes and heart to social justice issues that remain at the core of who I am today. Even more directly, it was through a friend of a friend at Nitestar that I learned about the horrors of factory farming, and went from being a long-time vegetarian to vegan.

Though I’d always had activist tendencies, I wish that I had entered the world of social justice prior to age 21. But, alas, that’s an unproductive thought, since it was all part of my process, and at least I got there eventually. Personal evolution is a complex, painful, beautiful thing. Remembering that I didn’t always know about the horrors of milk production, for example, helps me to extend compassion and patience to others who I am trying to reach with the vital message of veganism. It also gives me hope, which is something that Mariann and I discussed in a recent article we wrote for One Green Planet.

If you follow Our Hen House, you already know that another thing that gives me hope is when art is combined with advocacy. That is why I’m thoroughly thrilled that The Performance Collective at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is currently performing a theatrical adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s wildly popular book, Eating Animals. According to IndyWeek.com, the student actors consume a variety of diets, mostly omnivorous. Yet after learning that all the students at UNC were assigned Eating Animals as their mandatory summer reading, the play’s director, Tony Perucci (a “steadfast omnivore”), felt that the theatrical adaptation would be a perfect fit for The Performance Collective. (Last year, they performed a theatrical adaptation of The Activist.)

As reported in IndyWeek.com:

Rather than attempting to fit Foer’s nonfiction into a single conventional story arc […], the collective will incorporate movement, dance and multimedia into a more diverse production that still derives some two-thirds of its text from the book, according to Perucci. “Our goal is not to persuade, precisely — it’s to confront,” he says. “At least have a position that’s based on your own critical reflection. I believe […] that the purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that answers too easily obscure … But ultimately, the thing is that people don’t even ask the question.”

In addition to being thrilled to see students addressing this imperative issue in such a creative way, I’m selfishly also wondering if Mariann, who was quoted in the book alongside David Wolfson (page 51, to be precise), winds up being… theatrically adapted. Or danced to.

What I find perplexing — but okay, I’ll go with it — is that Director Perucci, who uses his “foodie” identity to defend his meat-eating, then goes on to state that Foer’s position in Eating Animals is “clearly stated” that “the only ethical position is to be vegetarian.” So either Perucci disagrees with this idea, and thinks that there is nothing immoral about eating animals, or he is giving himself a get out of jail free card, or perhaps he’s struggling with his rationale. Channeling the hopeful-Jasmin from the beginning of this blog entry, maybe Perucci is on the road to veganism. Hopefully that’s the case, but regardless, I’ll give him more than a few vegan brownie points for having this theatrical vision and making it happen.

Foer’s book has provoked more discussion of the animal issue than almost anything published in recent history. What’s more, it’s widely accepted that UNC-Chapel Hill is supposed to excel at theatre. If I could only reverse the clock and be a young, sprightly (clove-cigarette-smoking, black-clothes-wearing) theatre student again, it’s very possible that this play would’ve been exactly what I needed in order to open my eyes to animal exploitation, and to change. I hope to see more plays that carry the message of animal rights performed at colleges, community centers, and, hell, even Broadway. Maybe I’ll even audition. At the very least, I’ll hand the other auditioners a “Why Vegan?” brochure, so it would not be for naught.

Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Book Review (AND GIVEAWAY): “Healthy Eating, Healthy World” by J. Morris Hicks
next post
Episode 97: “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”

You may also like

Get Your Compassion On in India

My Grandma Stopped Eating Meat When She Was 86

“Humanimals”: New Exhibit Aiming to “Penetrate the Cultural Ignorance in Society”

Three Changemakers Find a Home in OHH’s Ever Expanding Nest!

In Grad School? Love Animals? Need Money?!

Culture & Animals Foundation Funds Creative and Scholarly Projects (Deadline Approaching!)

Almost Home: One Dog’s Story, Set to Music by Moby

Flock Doc: “I became much more accepting and nonjudgmental of people who...

Virtual Gallery “Urban Ranch Project” Brings Awareness to Injustice Against Animals, Human...

Big Dairy is Gaining a Foothold in Asia; ‘Milk Life’ Waking?

Search Episodes

Subscribe to our Shows

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherPocketCastsAmazon Music
More
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • RSSRSS
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherPocketCastsAmazon Music
More
  • RSSRSS
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts

Subscribe to OHH Emails

We don’t spam or share your email with others. Privacy policy.

Please Check Your Email to Confirm Your Subscription!

Instagram

Join us On Facebook

Join us On Facebook

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

©2023 - Our Hen House - All Rights Reserved


Back To Top
Our Hen House
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Flock Bonus Content
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate
Our Hen House
Search Podcasts
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Flock Bonus Content
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate

Subscribe

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Music
More
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • RSSRSS
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Music
More
  • RSSRSS
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts

OHH NEWSLETTER

We don’t spam or share your email with others. Privacy policy.

Please Check Your Email to Confirm Your Subscription!

 
Sign In

Keep me signed in until I sign out

Forgot your password?

Password Recovery

A new password will be emailed to you.

Have received a new password? Login here