How does the article we read for today have implications for our reading and understanding of Mary Zimmerman’s Arabian Nights?
Both the article that was read for today’s class and Mary Zimmerman’s version of the Arabian Nights include extremely harsh misconceptions and stereotypes. Whether she intended to support such problematic stereotypes by including them in her plays and performance, her production of both displays these common misconceptions. Her approach at trying to combine the base of classical Indian dance and jazz is a problematic approach as it takes the originality of the classical Indian music away. Much like her approach at Arabian Nights as she subtly but surely includes Arab stereotypes. Also, her recreation of the Arabian Nights which is known to be racially motivated implies her support in those racial stereotypes and problematic misconceptions.
I agree with your assessment of Mary Zimmerman’s productions. First, I agree that by combining American Jazz and classical Indian dances and music, Zimmerman in a sense was taking away the originality and uniqueness of Indian culture. Furthermore, I agree that Zimmerman’s decision to produce Arabian Nights and The Jungle Book, two racially problematics works, seems racially motivated. Zimmerman has to have known that there were deeply racist elements in these works, yet she actively decided to reproduce them anyways.