Jared Johnson spent last summer combing the streets of New York City armed with a video camera and this question: "What one question have you always wanted to ask a black person but never have?"
Needless to say, he got some interesting responses. "Can black people get a suntan?" "Do I call you black or African-American?" "What's your experience with racism?" "Why does your hair never look wet?"
Many of the questions — 99 of them to be exact — inspire the dialogue for a new play debuting at Hamilton next semester. Written by Jared and Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Mark Cryer, the play, titled 99, explores issues of racism by addressing 99 questions people may have, but are afraid to ask.
"People won't ask these kinds of questions because they think it's racist," said Jared, a theatre and government double major with a minor in anthropology. "The danger isn't in asking questions. People are genuinely curious and interested, and it gives us a way to take some serious topics and open up the can of worms in an entertaining way."
The play's dialogue features the perspectives of five characters ranging from a taxi driver, played by Jared, to a young black professional to a white rapper. While the actors are speaking, television monitors on either side of the stage and a large screen in the background show videotapes of the people asking questions.
"People shouldn't expect that we're going to give them all the answers," Jared said. "Questions lead to answers and more questions and more answers. It's an ongoing process."
Through his experience working with Professor Cryer and appearing in other Hamilton theatre productions, Jared has decided to focus on a career in acting. He is also a member of the Buffers a cappella group, chair of the Hamilton Honor Court and a senior intern in the Admission Office.
"The idea of a liberal education is broader than what happens in the classroom," Jared said. "It's about finding out what you want to do with your life."
