Tuesday, March 13, 2012

C&R: Nice Title...So, what is the show about again?

This show is not to be simply summed up as a piece about womanhood or gender roles (i.e. women not being able to tell their story b/c of man’s influence); it may address the theme in the work b/c I happen to be a woman and our interview subjects (our mother’s) are female. It goes beyond our prescribed gender…it speaks to the universal idea that Western society has such an overwhelming influence on all aspects of our lives that through the American, multicultural female lens there is additional pressure to be “somebody” and we may end up stopping short.

Standard Cultural Expectations in America: Education is primary, date at a later age, respect your elders, you are a child until you have your own, what will the neighbors say if they found out about this circumstance, etc. Rajeeyah and I have 9 to 5 jobs, but our creative spirit endures. I am priviledged - I recognize my position in the global sphere (my ability to vacation, live in a home without the constant threat of religious or political conflict, free speech, etc). However, I graduated college and realized that my new friend, Sallie, needs to get paid every month. So I had to press pause and earn a living. Now, I want to get back to my spirit - telling stories. If R & I had limitless wealth, I am certain we would be performing and directly influencing the artistic sphere. This show is our debut, coming out party, quincenera – a proclamation of our artistic identity. Here we are world!

Additionally, we were affected by loss...it has literally stopped us in our tracks – witnessing and personally (i.e. parents, loved ones, relationships, pets), so we want to investigate how do we bounce forward after a significant loss?

Oftentimes, as accomplished as I may appear, I feel like I’m limited. Has the pressure to satisfy my cultural expectations mixed with the standard struggles of growing up overwhelmed me? I know that I am not alone, so want to explore this idea in a show. Especially in New York City, it is a city of DOERS, but are people nurturing their spirit? There are moments when I see this as a city of isolated people who happen to be clustered together. When do we deal with the pain of our traumatic experiences and allow transformation to settle in?

I believe that we are all shining, radiant morsels of LOVE, so my intention is to shed light through our creative lens that we do have the choice to grow, heal and be happy.



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