Keep the Arrows: Interrogating Discrimination in Fandom Through Solo Performance

ABSTRACT Keep the Arrows was a 30-minute solo performance about the experience, and discrimination faced by Black people who are active in Futurist Fantasy Fiction fandom from children to adults. Framed in the context of the conflict between idealized fantasy worlds and societal racial values, the performer/author attempted to show the audience a view of the intersection of these opposing influences, through a performance developed through dramaturgy, devising, and accent exploration. In this practice as research study, the performer/author explored their own experiences in fandom as well as the experiences of Black professional level cosplayers, casual fans, and people of all ages who share the stories of being unwelcomed in fandom. The mission of Keep the Arrows was to define and dissect the discrimination faced by Black fans of worlds beyond race.