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| During the coming semester, Oberlin Online will be taking a look at theater and dance events, concerts, and guest speakers in a series of online student reviews and photographs. Today's review continues this series of online articles with a look at the Los Angeles-based dance troupe Great Leap. | ||
Related Stories:
Los
Angeles Troupe to Present A Slice of Rice, Frijoles, and Greens
March 16
MARCH 26, 2002--Two weekends ago, the Los Angeles-based performance group Great Leap made a stop on its national tour in Oberlin, infusing Finney Chapel with stories of diversity, adversity, and multicultural identity. The two-hour show, A Slice of Rice, Frijoles, and Greens, was a collection of performance pieces by four artists from different cultural backgrounds.
The first performance was by Great Leap’s artistic director, Asian-American dancer/singer/actress Nobuko Miyamoto, who used a Tibetan music bowl and her voice to tell an autobiographical story titled "To All Relations." Miyamoto sang a Japanese song, passed down to her from her grandparents, that she had reworked, adding a hint of blues to better suit her singing style. She spoke about growing up in America, but not really knowing what "home" was or where she belonged. Miyamoto also explored her family’s history of marrying outside of their race. She herself carried on this same tradition, taking it a step further, she said, by marrying an African-American man and raising an Asian-African-American child who recently became a Muslim.
Next was Mexican-American writer/performer Paulina Sahagun, who used comedy to bridge cultural gaps. Because a number of Spanish words were incorporated into her performance, Sahagun provided the audience with a glossary of rather tongue-in-cheek definitions. For example, she defined "Chicana" as "a Mexican-American with a conscience," and "chingar" as "a bad, bad word, don’t say it." Much of Sahagun’s performance focused on the shame she feels about not being able to make tortillas. Tossing a mound of masa (the corn dough used to make tortillas) between her hands, Sahagun described her worst nightmare--meeting the man of her dreams, only to be told that he will not marry her because of her inability to make tortillas. Like Miyamoto, Sahagun focused on the problems inherent in growing up with more than one cultural heritage, eventually asking the audience in frustration, "can you find me an instruction book that tells me how to straddle three worlds?"
The highlight of the show was "What Does the Sun Sound Like?" a monologue performed by Arlene Malinowski, a hearing child who was raised by two deaf parents. Her story was both humorous and touching; as one student remarked during the question and answer session that followed the performance, she exposed the audience to issues that are rarely seen or discussed in an academic setting. During her performance Malinowski described her parents as "cultural tourists," navigating through a world that does not always make sense to them, and how--as both a tourist and a non-tourist--she often serves as their interpreter. The title of her piece came from a conversation she once had with her parents on a gloomy, overcast day. Out of curiousity, Malinowski's father asked "What does the sun sound like?" Rain and wind made distinctive noises, he rationalized, so why wouldn't the sun have a sound of its own? For the first time in her life, Malinowski realized just how little she really understood the world her parents inhabited.
The show concluded with a set from Chic Street Man, a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and activist. His songs were a blend of folk, blues, storytelling, and political commentary, and his style, relaxed and reassuring, was a reminder of the idealism of the '70's. The evening's signature song, "What Time Is It?" explored activism and peace, and seemed especially relevant during these uncertain times.
On its web site, Great Leap writes that they are a group "dedicated to the principles of deepening race relations and promoting harmony between the diverse cultural groups of America." With their performance here on Saturday, they did just that--using entertainment, music, and comedy to open a dialogue about the things that are difficult but necessary to discuss.
Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to online.news@oberlin.edu.
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