WHY: It’s hard to believe as you view Tanya physicalize thirty-five characters onstage – free, beautiful and vulnerable with the lights shining on her – that she was ever uncomfortable in her own skin. Tanya takes us on a global journey into Singapore’s culture as we find a woman battling for her identity, self-acceptance, and self-love… while discovering that colonialism has terrorized, infested and affected beauty standards around the world.
WatchingTanya’s solo show, I was reminded of the magic and necessity of sharing world dialogues onstage. Naturally Tan is a potent testament to how having a variety of bodies – different colors and forms – grace the stage as storytelling vessels expands the scope of American theatre. Multifaceted and multicultural theatre is essentially human and reminds us all of our similarities rather than our differences.
WHERE:Actors Company (LET LIVE THEATER) 916 N. Formosa Av (+ Live-Stream)
WHY: Black Woman In Deep Waterwas a breath of fresh air. As Makena floated onto the stage I was immediately transported to another time when choices came hard, in harsh conditions, for Black bodies. Makena brings us the powerful and heartbreaking story of Margaret Garner, a woman forced to make a horrific choice between a life of slavery or death.
It was the way Makena took what could be a tragic story but instead made space for love that became a lesson for the heart. It was the way music came from Makena’s voice that turned pain into poetry. It was the way she made room for silence while allowing us to take her in. It was the way she bridged the gap from Africa to America as she began to speak in the mother tongue that stirred old emotions and the everlasting old questions many Black Americans hold in the back of their mind and hearts: Where do I come from? What part of Africa am I birthed from? Ghana? Nigeria? Sudan?
Yet as I watched Makena onstage, the feeling of being lost began to fade. In her performance I found a connection to the past and it was not a reminder, but a memory of my ancestors’ perseverance and the whisper of Dr. Maya Angelou’s words: “I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.”
“First when there’s nothing, But a slow glowing dream, That your fear seems to hide, Deep inside your mind…” What A Feeling, Irene Cara
Well, Charley Karlotta’s passion for performing and love of music is no longer hidden deep inside. What a Feeling is only one of many songs covered, and many personalized, by Charley In her show, accompanied by a 3-piece band. She takes us on the journey of her life, spent largely being denied the opportunity to let her self-expression, her voice, her purpose shine. Charley brings many characters to life in this one-person show who offer moving insights and humor, too.
WHY: A hybrid improv and ensemble comedy influenced by “Pitch Perfect” and starring a uniquely adept cast who all happen to be Arab-American? Y’alla! If you love long-form improv and lebneh, this is the show for you!
WHY: In I Have Too Many Feelings, Bethany takes a painfully hilarious look at her very personal journey to achieve balanced mental health – navigating bedwetting, LGBTQ+ matters, ADHD, depression and addiction. But Bethany’s authentic storytelling – aided by her caustic inner critic, Demon-Debby and a host of other characters – allows us to join her journey, cheering for her recovery, and considering our own “too many feelings.” Maybe, they have a purpose for us, after all.
WHY: If you really believe you’ve committed a sin, second only to murder, how do you go on with your life, your marriage, and even more importantly, your faith? In this dramedy debut solo-performance from Tatum Langton, this question is answered with complete authenticity, courage and even humor. Get ready to be inspired by the possibility of redemption.
WHY: At a time when scarcity mentality in our world became as basic as hoarding toilet paper, award-winning solo performer, Carla Delaney (Voices), decided to share a story about “rebooting” your relationship to abundance. This hysterical music and multimedia packed performance will have you looking at your “credit score” from an entirely new perspective and smiling all the way to the bank.
WHY: In this solo performance, protagonist Kirsten is thrilled to have discovered the long forgotten American goddess, Columbia – an inspiring symbol of female empowerment on the heels of the 2016 election. But when Kirsten makes a commitment to anti-racism education, she uncovers truths about her family’s history that connects her to Columbia’s own problematic past. With guidance from many wise mentors, Kirsten and Columbia wrestle with being white and female – of being both oppressed and an oppressor. As a result, the audience is gifted with powerful edu-tainment and, hopefully, a new level of self-awareness.
WHY: In this lively solo show, Azo invites us on a vivid, funny and incredibly empathetic journey to Morocco. We get to witness Azo unraveling her life’s purpose, “changing the world one bitlma at a time,” as a Peace Corps volunteer. She has to learn the language, negotiate the currency, survive a Moroccan wedding – and somehow avoid the donkey poop. Will this young, well-meaning Armenian-American find her purpose and save humanity, or will she honor her mother’s wishes and end up married to an Armenian dentist? It’s an ending you will definitely want to discover yourself!
We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.
ESTRAWBERY FIELDS FOREVER gets me hyped up and excited for the future of theatre. In this solo show by Verenice Zuniga, a 2021 Hollywood Fringe Diversity Scholarship Winner, we will follow the journey of La Graduada, a young Latina grappling with the difficult truths of a post-graduate life as a brown educated woman. Through her we see the American Dream unravel as she moves back home to financially support her family while also figuring out her own path forward. Via poetry, this piece explores immigrant family dynamics, the financial impact of higher education on first-generation students, and the psychological toll of the American Dream, an issue not often addressed directly. I have a gut feeling this will be a richly poignant and moving show that will highlight the voices of tomorrow. What a gift this will be to us.
Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe? Why this year?
Verenice: I had this idea about five years ago and would always put it off until I felt “ready.” During the pandemic I found myself feeling really stuck creatively and doubting my journey as an artist. This piece allowed me to rediscover my passion for devising theater. After being stuck inside for a year I just wanted to dive into something fun and new. Like many, in this past year, I realized life is too short to doubt yourself. I’m very glad I took this leap!
Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?
Verenice: The biggest challenge of this has been finding movement in the show. The show’s language is very poetic and we wanted to find a way to let the language shine but also create a visual language to elevate that poeticism.
Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show? What has been the most surprising discovery?
Verenice: I’m enjoying the discovery of my own writing. As I act through the show and work with Kathy Arevalo, my director, I’m finding new meaning to lines and characters. I think this has also been a huge growth journey for me as an actor and writer. There have been many moments where I’m stuck asking myself “What the heck did I even mean by this? How do I play this?” It really has allowed me to be on both sides of this play and appreciate how the writing evolves as we workshop it on its feet.
Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show?
Verenice: I hope audience members leave questioning their version of reality and the different levels of privileges that influence their present and future. I also hope they feel seen and hopefully in these 30 minutes we won’t feel so alone in our first-generation struggles.
Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?
Verenice: It’s nerve-racking but relieving at the same time. I’m definitely ready to share it with everyone and set the work free!
For more information on ESTRAWBERY FIELDS FOREVER in #HFF21, visit http://hff21.co/7092
