Dynamic Performance at SPC by !X Ensemble

!X Ensemble, the theatre from Sacramento City College, delivered another electrifying performance at the Sacramento Poetry Center. Bob Stanley, Sacramento Poet Laureate, and I hosted the event, which ended before the audience were ready for it to end: it was that good. Let's see some pictures:

Bob Stanley introduced me.

I introduced Angela-Dee Alforque, pictured below, the director of the !X Sacramento City College Ethnic Theatre Workshop.

Angela in turn introduced the group, and from that point on, the group members treated us to a feast of poetry, music, drama and dance.

The ensemble, celebrating its 5th anniversary, is part of professor Alforque's Theatre Arts class, whose work culminates into a Spring series of performances at different Sacramento Venues. The SPC performance was the third Spring 2010 event. The group presented poetry and drama that covered issues like the miseducation of America, prejudice, the disappearance of arts education in schools, health issues, teen pregnances, stereotypes (as in "already deemed deficient"), and false assimilation.

A group performing a piece entitled "Prejudice".

John Castro, Amsale Darden, Chelsie Eugine, Diana Muhoro and Essence Sellers in "Arts Education", a piece that touched me. It was performed in the background of the song "So Dope" by the New Boyz and "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.

So there was dancing.



And more dancing.



The final drama piece was entitled "False Assimilation", which reconnected to the earlier "Miseducation". It was about dreams of educational success in a mis-educating system, of trying to fit in a social strata that's not accomodating, that does not nurture dreams, and most importantly, the piece was about fighting against all odds to attain those dreams that would otherwise wilt.

Akash in "False Assimilation".

More Dreams.

Another segment of "False Assimilation".

The goals of the Race and Ethnicity in Performance class at SCC and of the Ethnic Theatre Workshop are to:

Develop artistic expression of diverse experiences
Encourage community development through participation in the arts
Promote educational equity at Sacramento City College (and let me add, in the Sacramento region and elsewhere). The performers, most of whom appearing on the stage for the first time, but presenting their original work, are energetic and inspiring.

2010 !X Theatre Ensemble

And what's that in the background of all the photos? Those are ties that belong to a Sacramento tie collector. They will be on display until Father's Day. I liked this new look of the poetry center, so I got a few photo shoots after the event. Like the one below, of poet Lawrence Dinkins and me:



But here are two shots with a different background.

Part of the supportive audience that came to the event.

Quite a few ties in this one, which features some of the members of !X when they were waiting for me to finish introducing their director.



The next !X performance is at Sol Collective (2574 21st street, Sacramento).