So, this was the last performance of the semester for a few of us, and it was really enjoyable (aside from the weird elevator). I am so glad I went to it; the theater had such a nice atmosphere. It consisted of such a small space with few chairs and a stand, and it seemed as if many of the people knew each other. The audience was like a large community, and it was nice to be a part of it. However I can’t imagine the whole class coming to event, both because we’d take up most of the space and we are not a part of the community.
The first performer was funny and entertaining, everyone laughed throughout the piece. As each person read something they wrote, the theme of home and the holidays became clearer. Each reader had so much emotion, and it was interesting how each performer had a strong connection to the audience. Specifically, two of them read excerpts from their plays in order to get feedback from the audience. One person read a piece of his play about the search for his biological mother. He spoke so fast and with rhythm that it sounded like a song to me. I felt like I was part of the search and I started to become anxious, until the end when the rhythm slowed.
One woman read her piece about a rabid reindeer, and while the piece had that fictional aspect of it, the reader also had a message to give to the audience: leave the past behind in order to look towards the future. The ‘rabid reindeer’ helped her realize this message, in the midst of the holiday season people can be fooled by fantasies and wishful thinking, but in the end a person must always face reality. I loved this piece because it was funny and serious at the same time.
My favorite reading of the night was the one from the actor. He asserted there was no god because a woman he was so close to gave birth to a baby who died minutes later. The piece was so sad, and the reader was filled with so much anger, hurt, and confusion. It was amazing how someone could read with so much power. What really frustrated me was the end of this piece; the whole time I was enthralled as I listened, and then the last line was something in Spanish. No fair! I didn’t understand L.
There was also a woman who performed, and after reading a short piece she sang a song. It was such a beautiful song, but I could not understand that either because it was in Spanish. This made the song have a beautiful and mysterious sound to me, but I still wish I could understand it. I feel as if me and the other people from our class (unless they knew Spanish) were the only few to not understand the words. At the same time, that did not matter too much because these artists were presenting their culture and it was beautiful to observe, even as an outsider.
After all the readings, Christian Amigo played his music. He walked to the center of the room, casually talking while tuning his instrument. He told the audience of his grief after losing a mentor, and he confessed he was not sure what to play. As he began to play, his music was so dreamlike. It is hard to describe the beginning of the piece, because as I closed my eyes to listen better I felt so many things at once. It was so soothing and relaxing, it made me think of falling asleep near a fireplace on a cold and windy day. In this way it tied in with the readings about home and the holidays. It also sounded a bit like the grief he spoke of before playing the guitar. Then the music became happier. No words were necessary in the beginning, but he occasionally uttered a few Spanish words while playing. He began to smile while he strummed, and the music felt more content. I really enjoyed listening to the music, it was so soothing and relaxing and fit well with the snow that we found as we left the theater.
Going home felt magical. The flurries and lights and busyness were the best ways to end the class. It gave a stunning view of New York City that we have not seen throughout the seminar: the view of the city during the holiday times. It was spectacular.
