The REP Performance is Over. What’s Next?

The unseen impacts of the production that has shaped the Middlesex community over the years

image by: Adam Richins

Marking its 6th show this fall, the annual REP performance has always been a deeply valued and respected bedrock of the Middlesex community, shaping community values and fostering a sense of belonging. As a mandatory component of the new student orientation week, REP introduces incoming students to kindness and inclusivity.

Originally known as the Racial Equity Project, REP was an artistic concept created by Tom Kane, former Dean of DEI, Erika Prahl, and the Sojourn Theatre company. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the media presence of Black at Middlesex — an online collection of anecdotes revealing the Black experience at the institution — REP became an agent towards institutional change by using the power of the arts to arouse empathy, connection, and humanity in the community. 

Today, REP is an abbreviation of REPresent, reflecting its extension to the greater inclusion of all identities and backgrounds since the Black Lives Matter movement. Performed at the commencement of the school year, REP acts as a proactive intervention. Indeed, in many ways, the impacts of REP are intangible. “You never know what instances of harm REP prevented,” explains Ms. Karlyn McNall.

To the current cast, the production of REP has been an empowering and fulfilling experience. Being a student-written and performed show, it was the “amalgam of sincerity and originality coming from the cast” that made the project remarkably special, explains Stella Pham ‘28. Through rounds of drafting, discussions, and selections of scenes, the script is intentional and purposeful to create a realistic, resonating, and relevant show. 

As performer Avery Green ‘26 affirms, “I think the most special thing about REP is just the fact that it happens.” As a faculty advisor and producer of REP, Mr. Sport explains that “students write the scenes with Middlesex in mind, and so the show is authentic to this institution.” Indeed, the scenes mirror the incidents of harm at Middlesex, a quality that makes the show invaluable for both the new students and the seniors watching the show. 

A prominent example is the gender divide on campus. New students are encouraged to mingle with each other without gender segregation. The seniors are asked to lead by example and disrupt the divides in the community. Regardless of class, whether it is walking into the chapel, the dining hall, or the classrooms, each audience member of REP will walk away constantly noticing and contemplating the gender divide. This consciousness, with the courage to take action, is one of the many impacts of REPresent. 

In addition to setting the community’s standards and values to new students, REP creates an immediate sense of belonging for students of color and of minority backgrounds. In many ways, REP almost serves as a source of comfort for new students who may come into a community not knowing how to fit in. “It’s heartening to know that [Middlesex] is a place where people work hard to make sure each student is included and cherished,” says Avery.

With its proactive, preventative approach, REPresent wields a profound influence on campus culture by presenting the most harmful and pressing problems in the community to both new members and senior leaders of Middlesex. This deliberate configuration forces the community to confront the inequities and exclusions on campus, and cultivates a shared awareness that, when united with courage, makes real and genuine change in the Middlesex community. 

Avery hopes that REP “never goes away from Middlesex.” Mr. Sport too muses on a lasting thought: “What are other ways we can make an impact? Better said, how can we keep REP going throughout the year?” After all, it is the commitment of the people of Middlesex that makes REP possible. How can that commitment and momentum continue into the school year?

Sixing Wang ‘26