Some thoughts on diversity

          Two weeks going to theater all around Berlin and I have finally run into an ethnically diverse crowd. This may sound funny or odd, but the moment we went into our first show at Theater Discounter I have been hyper aware of the lack of diversity in the audience as well as the actors onstage. Coming from a city that is very diverse and always pushing for more diversity awareness, it's odd to come into a place that doesn't seem that intent on it. That's not to say that Berlin doesn't care about being ethnically conscious, but it does seem to be less of a priority (although I did just get back from a huge Carnival of Culture).
          In one of my classes this past year we talked quite a bit on the subject of diversity in theater (mostly in the context of actors). But something we almost never spoke about was the diversity of the audience members; age is a topic brought up often enough, but not racial diversity. I wonder why that is? Do we fear broaching a topic that could be prickly? Or do we simply not notice the faces in the seats next to us?  I don' have an answer for that, but I can say that since I have been here in Berlin, I have noticed the lack of "color"  in the audiences and the companies putting on the shows. What does this say about the theater scene here in Berlin?
          Two nights ago we went to a show at the Maxim Gorki Theater and it was the most diverse crowd and company I have seen yet. Not only was the audience and company diverse in race, but also in age. There were people of all ages there, young and old alike. The energy in the room was different from that of any I have experienced thus far. Maybe it was because it was opening night, and family members and friends were excited to see loved ones, but it was something wholly different than the theater goers at the Berliner Ensemble. This show at the Gorki was one of the most moving for me to experience. Was it because of the diversity I felt in the space? Could this diversity play a bigger role in the theatrical experience than we think? No idea.
          These thoughts are all a bit mushy and random, but I have been pondering these things for a while now, and I'm sure I will continue to do so as we continue into this week.