Spotlight on Tim Dowd
Guarding the Bridge was a production that not only made people think but our unconscious bias but also reminded us how uncomfortably familiar racism can be. This production features a conversation between a father and son where the father educates his son about how to he must “protect” his family from black people. We could not have found anyone better than Tim Dowd to play the role of the son.
Tim Dowd is a New York based actor, writer, producer and board recognized lord of the geeks. He has worked with most recently with Shakespeare and Company, The Pearl Theatre and Greenbriar Valley Theatre. In addition to his theatrical work, Tim is the founder of Plan Z Productions, an independent film company. Tim’s favorite roles include, Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, CB in Dog Sees God and Adam in North to Maine.
In Tim’s own words:
“Sadly, race relations are seemingly an ever-present issue in our country and the world at large. As a child of the 90’s from the North East I was raised on the notion that we were in a “Post Racial” America. That we had come through the civil rights movement and everything was all done. It didn’t take long into adolescence to realize that, that was blindly wishful thinking. Just because Jim Crow and systemic segregation had been outlawed didn’t mean that segregation and discrimination had not found more elaborate and harder to observe methods. We as a society patted ourselves on the back for not saying racial slurs on television which allowed us to turn a blind eye to fear, hatred and insecurity in our own hearts. I think that this play examines and questions the overt racism of the past and how it was the forefathers of the more insidious racism of the modern era. It’s a piece that makes us look at the darkness in all of our hearts, and the first solution to any problem, is admitting there is one.”
Spotlights are created by the Ripple Effect Artists’ Editorial Desk. Each Spotlight highlights people, productions and initiatives that inspire us. At Ripple Effect Artists, we believe in building each other up and giving credit where credit is due. Taking charge of the future of our world is a more three-dimensional responsibility than it appears to be. It is not just about identifying the most pertinent social issues that need to be highlighted and discussed. It is also equally important to make a difference every single day by exhibiting kindness, compassion and empathy towards everyone we come in contact with. It is important to recognize that everyone who is chasing a dream is fighting inner demons of fear and insecurity every day. In a society where anything off the beaten track is considered a risk not worth taking, these people are giving a new name to courage. Thus, we think it is crucial to build each other up and encourage everyone to be the best version of themselves. Every. Single. Day.
