Spinning Into Butter: A Play

Using the old, and politically incorrect, story of Little Black Sambo as her controlling metaphor and the inspiration for her title, Gilman provides a look at the hidden racism within the white community, specifically a college community in rural Vermont. Students, deans, and faculty all examine their attitudes and behavior when Simon Brick, one of the few African-American students on campus, finds a hate note tacked to the door of his room. Dean of Students Sarah Daniels, in whose office the action takes place, is quick to respond with outrage, as is the politically correct faculty and administration. Though all have good intentions, everyone has an agenda, and the on-campus dialogue they hope to establish becomes increasingly emotional. As in Little Black Sambo, the "tigers" soon begin to chase each other furiously around the tree, until they spin themselves into a pool of butter. The characters are painted with a broad brush, and for each one we know only what will further the message or provide humor to leaven the didacticism. Sarah Daniels's on-campus affair provides plenty of opportunities to hold male characters up to humorous examination for their sexual biases. The administration wants to keep the racial incident out of the press. The Dean of Humanities proposes innumerable campus meetings where students and faculty will publicly examine and confess their attitudes and biases. A student founds Students for Tolerance because it because it will look good on his law school application, stating, "Where I'm from, I do not think people are racists." Conflicts within the administration rise to the surface, and Sarah's good intentions of securing a large scholarship for a minority student, if he will declare himself "Hispanic" or "Puerto Rican," rather than "nuyorican," backfires. Though this play was written in 2000, it feels more like something from the 1970s. During the past thirty years, college campuses have dealt with so many demonstrations about race and bias that administrators are, by now, universally sensitive to these issues. As a result, this "message play" feels dated, treating familiar issues of racism as if they were new, but offering few new insights into them. Because the characters here are shallow, there is little sense of audience identification to give universality to the conflict or a sense of catharsis to the "surprise ending." The important, and still relevant, subject of bias is hidden within a play which seems unsure of whether it is serious, absurd, or both. Mary Whipple

Gilman is certainly one of the most promising young playwrights in the world, and this play solidifies that. She has created a beautiful portrait of the problems created when those in power attempt to relate to different races, and the absurdity of an individual believing he or she can relate to someone with completely different life experiences. Gilman zeros in precisely on how political correctness has gone too far as to be almost absurd, instead of letting people have their own say in matters. When the headmaster of the college in this play attepmts -- with good intentions -- to intrude into the lives of her minority students, chaos ensues, and she realizes just how little she has learned about equality.Also wonderful in this play is the subplot about the professors and deans, who are all fighting for position and recognition among both the academic public and the student body, and how the wide infighting among faculty at colleges can affect its students.This play drives deep without seeming too, questioning just how many amongst us are truly racists without being aware of it, and how the road to hell really is paved with good intentions. A good modern read, and a playwright to watch.

George Bernard Shaw once said "I was taught when I was young that if people would only love one another, then all would be well with the world. This seemed good and very nice but I found that when I went into the world and tried to put it into practice; not only that the world was seldom lovable...but that I was not very lovable myself." This quotation applies directly to Gilman's important new work. Sarah is the dean of students at a mostly white university. When controversy occurs, Sarah begins to examine herself. Sarah's personal battle with the darkness within herself is perhaps a battle that we should all take up. read it!

I think this play is an important play, that should be read by everyone who lives and engaged life.

It has been years since I have read a new play with a message as important and relevant as Spinning Into Butter. Although countless plays have been written on the subject of race relations in the United States, this is the first that I know of to tackle the new brand of politically correct, closeted racism that is so rampant in our nation today. The racists in Gilman's play are not of the extremist, "I wear my hate on my t-shirt" variety. Gilman's racists are unique in that they are easy to identify with, and as you begin to point the finger at their actions, you can't help but point the finger at yourself as well. If you are searching for a genuinely important piece of theatre to add to your season, put this play at the top of your reading list.