An anonymous post from a Ball State University Korean-American student reads, “People think they know me when they see the shape of my eyes.”
This is just one part of 14 monologues describing discrimination students have dealt with that will be featured in the show “Let’s Talk About Discrimination,”
Put together by Chelsey Everhart, senior musical theater major, and Dominic Schiferl, senior public communications major, the performance will describe different students’ encounters with discrimination.
The idea developed as part of a class project in which students were to “make a creation that could serve society well and create change,” Schiferl said.
Everhart and Schiferl decided to create a show modeled after last year’s “Let’s Talk About Sex.” They asked for anonymous stories detailing any and all types of discrimination that students have encountered.
The two said they chose to focus on discrimination because they saw it as one of the biggest problems facing society today.
“Most people will agree that discrimination isn’t as bad as it once was,” Schiferl said. “But it’s still really prevalent and our stories only prove it. A lot of discrimination is subtle these days.”
The eight actors performing cover all sides of discrimination from the subtle to the not so subtle. The stories range from a slightly humorous take on a girl who works at Ace Hardware to the intense telling of a hate crime due to a student’s sexual orientation.
“Discrimination wears many hats,” Everhart said. “It’s not just one thing.”
Although neither Everhart nor Schiferl has ever been directly discriminated against, they say they have friends who have been.
“When it hurts a friend it hurts you too,” Everhart said.
Katie Stofko, freshman acting major, plays three roles in the show. At one of the rehearsals Everhart said something about the way we discriminate that really stuck with her she said.
“We discriminate everyday whether we know it or not,” Stofko said. “It’s surprising that there’s so many different ways to discriminate. Everyday we’re discriminating, we’re judging, we’re making assumptions.”
“Let’s Talk About Discrimination” will be in Pruis Hall at 9 p.m. The show is free.
“Think before you act. You don’t know people’s stories,” Everhart said. “Come with an open mind and leave with an open heart.”
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