The use of art as a device for social progress and change is not a novel idea here at Tufts. Last year, productions such as "The Vagina Monologues," "Corpus Christi," "A Piece of My Heart," and "Uncommon Women" were successful in spreading awareness and promoting student involvement. The new student group Rat-a-TAT, an organization dedicated to advocacy through art, looks to expand that theatrical niche.
Christina Hanson, for her senior project for the women's studies major, set out to create a group on campus that would allow such productions to receive more attention.
"I felt that [political productions] deserved their own space so that organizations like Pen, Paint and Pretzels could focus on entertainment," Hanson said.
The group's name is a combination of an acronym (Tufts Activist Theater or T.A.T.) and a phrase that theater groups often perform before a show to warm up, "Rat-a-Tat."
"I thought it would be appropriate not just as a name, but because we want to make ourselves heard clearly and loudly," said Hanson.
While other drama groups on campus are certainly not excluding the development of plays for social change, Rat-a-TAT seeks to develop an open forum for people with that specific purpose.
Hanson created Rat-a-TAT based on a neutral system, in which students can propose any idea for the development of a production and subject it to a majority vote. "We are not affiliated with any movement, which lets us be very flexible in the different people we work with. It is also a crucial part of our constitution that we work with other groups on every show. This way, we can help different movements work together, creating a community among activists that we can use to be more productive," said Hanson.
Vice President Kasey Collins is a sophomore interested in women's and children's rights. She is currently directing a selection of three monologues from "The Vagina Monologues" for Rat-a-TAT, which will be presented at the Parent's Weekend show at the Balch Arena, an annual collaboration by many of Tufts' drama groups.
One of the longstanding benefits of all theater is its malleable form; it provides artists with an opportunity to comment on social injustice and share their perspectives with an honesty that is not always permissible outside of a stage. Rat-a-TAT is capitalizing on this exciting aspect, benefiting the entire Tufts community.
"[Theater] is an amazing space for social change because people are willing to give up all ideas of the world when they walk into a theater," Hanson said.
"'Suspension of disbelief' is a well known phrase in the arts. A pole can become an oar on a boat as easily as a sheet can become a dress. With this state of open-mindedness in the audience, we can say what needs to be said and be sure that we are heard, whether or not the audience takes it with them once they leave," said Hanson.
According to Hanson, Rat-a-TAT would like to eventually incorporate guerilla theater into some of its productions.
As a genre, guerilla theater capitalizes on taking theater out of the theater and inserting it in everyday life, often taking pleasure in both the scene it creates as well as its philosophical impact it has on its newfound audience.
Kasey gave the example of a scenario in which a staged fight scene would be taken into Dewick or some other area of campus not generally used for theatre. As a form, guerilla theater may be directed and structured but it also often incorporates improvisation.
The premise here is that, by entering unconventional settings, Rat-a-TAT would encourage the involvement of students who might not seek out plays in the Balch arena or other designated theatrical spaces.
The surprise element of guerilla theater will likely be an effective way of leaving its audience with strong impressions, which is central to the development of Rat-a-TAT.
