SPC: An Evening with !X Ethnic Theatre (Click photo to enlarge)
First they will click their name out, then they perform. This group from Sacramento City College is fast becoming famous in the valley, taking their performances from the classroom to stages that vary from Lunas to the California legistlature. On Monday, March 30 they peformed at the Sacramento Poetry Center, a performance dedicated to Oak Park.
Their basic message was that there is more to Oak Park than the ghetto images of violence, drug dealing and poverty. There are people there with dreams, aspirations, ambition. There is talent and the celebration of life.
The group mixed music, poetry and theater in solo and collaborative performances that kept the audience captivated. The question and answer session at the end gave the performers a chance to explain their art and what it means to them. Most of the performers said that when they enrolled in the ethnic theater workshop at SCC, they were new to poetry and performance and they now felt that they could pursue the art further.
Here are some pictures from the event:
Angela-Dee Alfoque, the director of the ensemble, giving some opening remarks.
Jenilyn Anderson, performing a piece entitled "Extrovert Turned In".
Aziz Muhaiudin, performing "Yo Ladies", which deals with the intricacies of how men and women relate, highlighting the importance of respect in such relationships. The poem ends with a question to the audience: "Do y'all feel me?"
Alicia "Mo' Batti" Pratt with "Abba Father", which she chanted like a prayer.
Cinnie Foster and Shallin Barbee, in an act called "The Historical Lecture". It was a powerful moment between mother and daughter, when the age-old wisdom was being passed (no questions asked) to daughter.
This piece by Sharon Singh, Kyle Lum, Arthur G. Meadows III and Vance Shek-Shepard was a touching representation of the ugly side of Oak Park, a realistic portrayal of the pain that can devastate, yet should give strength to us.
The victim in the poem realizes after years of resentment, fear and endless crying that she has no more tears to waste on account of her enemies, so she shifts from victim memory to victory motion. She rejoins the living.
A group performance of "Silent Statistics". This was the anchor poem showing that Oak Park is not just about the negative statistics, but a place with responsible people who have dreams. Tricia Cunningham, Cash Money, J-Fresh, The Asthmatic and Layla Oghabian produced a great act here.
"Don't judge us" using the stereotypes about Oak Park: "We are fathers, mothers, daughters, brothers, uncles, nieces, nephews" was the message of this performance.
The moves were spellbinding, entertaining, saying what words alone could not convey.
The final performance was by Vance Shek-Shepard and Mo' Batti, following up on the need to look at Oak Park positively.
The final bow. It was followed by a Q&A session.
!X Ethnic Theatre Workshop from Sacramento City College, after the perfomance.
Their basic message was that there is more to Oak Park than the ghetto images of violence, drug dealing and poverty. There are people there with dreams, aspirations, ambition. There is talent and the celebration of life.
The group mixed music, poetry and theater in solo and collaborative performances that kept the audience captivated. The question and answer session at the end gave the performers a chance to explain their art and what it means to them. Most of the performers said that when they enrolled in the ethnic theater workshop at SCC, they were new to poetry and performance and they now felt that they could pursue the art further.
Here are some pictures from the event:
Angela-Dee Alfoque, the director of the ensemble, giving some opening remarks.
Jenilyn Anderson, performing a piece entitled "Extrovert Turned In". 
Aziz Muhaiudin, performing "Yo Ladies", which deals with the intricacies of how men and women relate, highlighting the importance of respect in such relationships. The poem ends with a question to the audience: "Do y'all feel me?" 
Alicia "Mo' Batti" Pratt with "Abba Father", which she chanted like a prayer.
Cinnie Foster and Shallin Barbee, in an act called "The Historical Lecture". It was a powerful moment between mother and daughter, when the age-old wisdom was being passed (no questions asked) to daughter. 
This piece by Sharon Singh, Kyle Lum, Arthur G. Meadows III and Vance Shek-Shepard was a touching representation of the ugly side of Oak Park, a realistic portrayal of the pain that can devastate, yet should give strength to us.
The victim in the poem realizes after years of resentment, fear and endless crying that she has no more tears to waste on account of her enemies, so she shifts from victim memory to victory motion. She rejoins the living.
A group performance of "Silent Statistics". This was the anchor poem showing that Oak Park is not just about the negative statistics, but a place with responsible people who have dreams. Tricia Cunningham, Cash Money, J-Fresh, The Asthmatic and Layla Oghabian produced a great act here. 
"Don't judge us" using the stereotypes about Oak Park: "We are fathers, mothers, daughters, brothers, uncles, nieces, nephews" was the message of this performance. 
The moves were spellbinding, entertaining, saying what words alone could not convey. 
The final performance was by Vance Shek-Shepard and Mo' Batti, following up on the need to look at Oak Park positively. 
The final bow. It was followed by a Q&A session. 
!X Ethnic Theatre Workshop from Sacramento City College, after the perfomance.
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