David Mamet's Race at the Philadelphia Theatre Company

A Review By Sojourner Ahebee

Last Saturday, I went to see Race, the smash Broadway hit, written by David Mamet. The Philadelphia Theatre Company is currently presenting Race until February 20th. This play, which takes place at a law firm, really takes you for an emotional ride. The three main characters are lawyers Jack who is white, Henry who is African-American and Susan who is African-American. They have to decide whether or not to take on a very complicated and potentially divisive case. The case involves Charles, a white, wealthy, prominent man, who has been accused of raping an African-American woman. You get the picture now?

Mamet is so effective in taking his audience out of its comfort zone and making people confront truths that have never been deeply explored. When deciding Charles’ innocence or guilt and debating whether to take on this case, it was uncomfortably interesting to hear the three lawyers bring their own prejudices to the table. I am pretty young and I know I am a little naïve, but I felt very sad to discover what I kind of knew and that is how race and racism dominates American life. I was so surprised how this play really moved me, even though it was to a feeling of gloom. Mamet is my new genius. His play Race makes you feel, makes you challenge your own racial attitudes and makes you think.

This play is extremely well written and well acted. You see another side to each character you might have not seen if race wasn’t a core part of the play’s premise. I also feel like the viewer of the play also brings his/her own prejudices and stereotypes to the play when deliberating in their minds if Charles is indeed guilty of the crime. It’s amazing how if the race of a character was flipped-for example if the accuser’s rapist was black- the whole dynamic of the play would completely change.

Also, throughout the play, the idea of justice came up quite a lot. The whole time Charles is trying to tell the lawyers what really happened, none of the lawyers want to really listen to the truth. For them it is not about right or wrong, it is about if they have a case or not. This scares me and completely destroys my expectation that justice is always the goal. It seems it is not. When I asked my Aunt Mona did justice exist, she answered by saying, “No, I really don’t think so. I think it’s just a theory.”

I tried not to give anything away. I recommend that ALL my readers to go and see this play. It is by far the best play (not one of the best) I have ever seen! I look forward to seeing this play again when I am a little older and have more experience with the world. Race will be playing at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre through February 20, 2011! To see dates and times click the following link.

http://www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/2011/race.html

Discover Vix Emporium and Sages From the Past Greeting Cards

I recently discovered my hair power and the sassiness of wearing fresh flowers to showcase this newly acquired natural confidence. My hair icons are Nina Simone, Angela Davis and Jill Scott. I like their style and take on the world, too. There is nothing like moving through time like a tigress with a plan and this brings me to Mary Church Terrell, who is featured on one of the Sages from the Past cards.

For whatever reasons, a lot of people are unfamiliar with Mary Church Terrell( 1863-1954). Both her parents were former slaves, yet she rose to become one of the most committed civil rights and women rights activists of her time. Her friends and colleagues were people like Frederick Douglass and Alice Paul.

Mary Church Terrell graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in classics at a time when most of her classmates were white males. She spoke three languages fluently-English, French and German. You know I like that. (Last summer I did a French Immersion program at Oberlin College and I can tell you that Oberlin reveres her. She is recognized by Oberlin as being one of its 100 most influential graduates.) When she traveled abroad to Europe to campaign for human rights, she often delivered her speeches in all three languages. I am talking about a real tigress on a mission. Please take some time to learn more about Mary Church Terrell and buy my card featuring her and her words of wisdom as well as other cards in this collection.

I am happy to report, in addition to buying my cards online and at the National Liberty Museum, at 3rd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia, you can also buy them at VIX Emporium, which is located at 5009 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia/University City. This place is truly amazing and so complements my ever evolving sense of myself. VIX Emporium is a store with the hippest vibe, as my Tante Mona likes to say, and sells the most unique handmade jewelry, hats, art, pottery, home accents, cards and many more things. I love wearing and giving things made by artists who put their hearts and talents into their creations. Entering VIX Emporium is like entering a treasure chest. Come out and treat yourself to a singular shopping experience.

VIX Emporium
5009 Baltimore Avenue-diagonal to the Firehouse
www.vixemporium.com

215-471-7700

Zuhairah McGill Headlined Hedgerow in Sojourner

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

How often does a person get the chance to see a play about the person he or she was named after? Well, this past weekend I got that chance. I attended a play about my namesake, Sojourner Truth. Exciting , right? This play, entitled Sojourner, written by Richard LaMonte Pierce and staged at the Hedgerow Theatre, presented the extraordinary life of Sojourner Truth. She was an abolitionist, women’s rights advocate and a confidante to President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Sojourner Truth’s example has always been a source of inspiration for me. Her strength and no nonsense attitude have always amazed me, especially since she lived in a time when African-Americans, especially African-American women were thought of as nothing. She stood her ground, preached what she believed and dared to say what others feared to voice. Sojourner Truth was neither conventionally attractive nor was she literate, but through the force of her personality and audacious spirit, she made known her view of the world. She demanded her rights as a woman at a time when even white women were being told to stay in their prescribed place. But what most impressed me about Sojourner Truth’s life is the fact that most of her children were sold into slavery and she lobbied and used the court system to get every one of them back into her arms.

Sojourner, the play, successfully portrayed my image of Sojourner Truth. I really felt her presence on the stage. Zuhairah McGill, the actress who portrayed Sojourner, did so with diligence and elegance. I did have a few disappointments with McGill’s version of Truth. Throughout the play McGill spoke in a weirdly southern accent, despite the fact that Truth was from the North and her first language was Dutch.

When the audience meets Sojourner Truth, she is very old and she takes us back in time to explore and recall her life. Even as an old woman, Sojourner, in my mind, was regal and commanding. McGill’s portrayal, I felt , did not capture this. Sojourner Truth came off, too often, as infirmed and broken.

All in all, the play captured all of my Sojourner’s important moments in history. I especially liked McGill’s version of the “Aint I a Woman” speech. What a performance!

Seeing the play Sojourner also provided another treat. I had the opportunity to discover the Hedgerow Theatre in Media, Pennsylvania. This theatre exudes a charm and a power that comes from its own history. This theatre was formerly a mill where free African-Americans, many of whom were run-away slaves, worked side-by-side with whites. It was both eerie and affirming to learn that the road right in front of Hedgerow was one traveled by run-away enslaved Africans looking for their freedom up North, in Pennsylvania.

Lastly, I just want to inform my readers that this play, which ended its run at the Hedgerow Theatre last Sunday, can still be seen. The cast is willing to come out to schools and other venues and perform Sojourner. If you are interested in this offer, contact the Hedgerow Theatre. The address and phone number are below:

64 Rose Valley Road
Rose Valley, PA( near Media )

610-565-4211
www.hedgerowtheatre.org

See FELA! at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

In my ninth grade literature classroom is a poster of Fela, who commands the room even in the mighty company of Emily Dickinson and Toni Morrison. My mom has a postcard of Fela on our refrigerator, displayed between the Dali Lama and William H. Johnson smoking his pipe. It is a card of Fela posing with an entourage of striking women and of him looking quite naughty. His gaze, jumping right through the poster and the postcard, is captivating, even if you have no idea who he is. Well, I really have a better idea, now!

This past Sunday afternoon, I had the awesome opportunity to go to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and see a live-delay simulcast of the musical Fela! from London. The National Theatre, in London, now broadcasts live many of its productions around the world to participating cinemas. Though Fela!, the Tony award-winning musical, recently closed its Broadway run, it lives on in London.

I was prepared to dislike Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. As an African girl, from Cote d’Ivoire, I never liked that postcard on the refrigerator of Fela and the nearly naked women surrounding him, barely clothed and pushing through all kinds of stereotypes I’ve been trying to destroy. But FELA!, this musical, was phenomenal in showing the very complex life of Fela and doing it with his music, with Bill T. Jones’ choreography and direction and a cast that won me over and made me challenge my own insecurities. And the actor who played Fela- Sahr Ngaujah- so humanized him and made you really care about Fela, despite his flaws. Mr. Bill T. Jones, in an interview during intermission, described Fela best- a kind of sacred monster who you can’t resist loving.

Fela was a Nigerian musician and political activist who challenged his country’s corrupt governments. He was from a very privileged background. His mother, who you will fall in love with in the musical, was a feminist and political activist in her own right and who was viciously killed by the Nigerian military because of Fela’s music and how he used it as his platform to criticize the Nigerian government. Fela’s father was a pastor, he had two brothers who were doctors and his cousin is Wole Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature and who I met a couple of years ago at Bryn Mawr College.

Fela! , the musical, is a must, must see. This is what I now know firsthand is a theatrical experience! The music, the beautiful and powerful women and men dancers, the band-those horns and drums , the replica of Fela’ nightclub, the Shrine, all help to tell the story of man whose example of activism should be shared. I so appreciated how this production communicated the major influences in Fela’s life-his mother, his culture, other African cultures, his time in the United States and his relationship with an African-American woman and her political and intellectual influence on him. And all this is communicated in the most intoxicating exchange-because you are a part of this experience-which you will not forget.

As an African-American-an Ivoirian father and an American mother-I was inspired by the example of Africans and African-Americans playing such a key role together to present Fela’s story. Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were the major producers of this musical.

You have the opportunity to give yourself a treat and a piece of real, mesmerizing history. You can see Fela! only tomorrow, Wednesday,7:00 p.m. at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. Click on the link for all the details. Go see it.
http://www.brynmawrfilm.org/films/?id=189

Also click on link below to read a post I did last year about the environmental devastation Nigeria has been experiencing for years due to big oil companies.

http://trumpetworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/then-they-came-for-me.html

For Tante Pat; The Breath of the World

*Thank you for your supreme example.

Ode to Sadness

by Pablo Peruda

Sadness, scarab
with seven crippled feet,
spiderweb egg,
scramble-brained rat,
bitch's skeleton:
No entry here.
Don't come in.
Go away.
Go back
south with your umbrella,
go back
north with your serpent's teeth.
A poet lives here.
No sadness may
cross this threshold.
Through these windows
comes the breath of the world,
fresh red roses,
flags embroidered with
the victories of the people.
No.
No entry.
Flap
your bat's wings,
I will trample the feathers
that fall from your mantle,
I will sweep the bits and pieces
of your carcass to
the four corners of the wind,
I will wring your neck,
I will stitch your eyelids shut,
I will sew your shroud,
sadness, and bury your rodent bones
beneath the springtime of an apple tree.

*painting by Michael Anthony Brown

Steve Biko-A Man You Need To Know

When I left Cote d’Ivoire, so did the African Development Bank. The bank’s headquarters moved from Cote d’Ivoire to Tunisia along with many of my friends whose parents worked for the ADB. So when the people of Tunisia recently took to the streets and demanded, against great odds and possible death, their rights to live decently and with dignity, I knew of Tunisians and cheered them on. I am doing the same for Egypt today. All of this is inspiring.

I was with my grandparents this morning and we were discussing the events in North Africa and my grandmother mentioned that Nelson Mandela had been hospitalized. My grandfather brought up Steve Biko, someone who I had never heard of, and said how he helped to inspire many young South Africans, during the apartheid period, to rise up and demand their rights to live decently and with dignity. Steve Biko was kind of the Malcolm X of South Africa. His contributions are ones that we all should be aware. Coincidentally, I had the opportunity to watch Cry Freedom, a movie about Steve Biko, on this snowy day. ( It’s On Demand/Comcast.) Learning about his Black Consciousness Movement and about the white South Africans who opposed apartheid was eye-opening and inspiring.

Steve Biko is someone who should be on your radar.

Listen again to this remake of Nina Simone’s Young, Gifted and Black. This song is sung by many of southern Africa’s rising young singers. It’s amazing. Here’s to you Steve Biko. And good health to you, Madiba!

http://kalamu.posterous.com/video-to-be-young-gifted-and-black-from-the-m

Happy Birthday Paul Robeson !

I took a writing course two years ago at the Paul Robeson House in West Philadelphia. The course was part of the Teen Writers Academy founded by Valerie Harris. You can imagine how awesome it was for eight African-American teenagers to discover their own voices and the history of Paul Robeson-a real renaissance man- while writing in the house he spent his last years.

This Sunday, January 23rd, will be Mr. Robeson’s birthday. Though he died in 1976, he remains a giant of a man who more people need to learn about. This week I’ve been reading a biography about Mr. Robeson with my grandfather.

Here is a link that provides great insight into Paul Robeson’s contributions and personality. Enjoy it and share it with someone.

http://www.whyy.org/community/robeson.html

Silence is Betrayal

Once a month, I will post an anti-war speech. I will post speeches from individuals from around the world. I will offer no comment other than an invitation to just listen and consider... The following is a link to an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech against the Vietnam War entitled Beyond Vietnam; A Time to Break Silence. It was delivered on April 4, 1967 at the Riverside Church in New York City. I can’t resist in saying so little has changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3zwcQlWsPU

Happy Birthday, Dr. King. I am trying to live the DREAM.

*painting by Heavyweight

In the Heights At the Academy of Music

In the Heights:
A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

On Tuesday the 18th of January, I had the utmost pleasure of attending In the Heights at the Academy of Music. This presentation was part of the Kimmel Center's Broadway Series. This was my first time seeing In the Heights, so I went in not knowing the storyline or what to expect. What I witnessed on that stage was pure genius; and that only begins to describe this musical.

In the Heights tells the story of a diverse Hispanic community trying to find themselves, find value in their culture while aspiring to live out the American Dream. The story that touched me the most was that of a young woman named Nina,who from a child had always succeeded in school . Her hard work and determination really paid off and she was accepted to Stanford University. Even though this was such a huge achievement for Nina, there were still a few problems. She found it quite difficult to fit in because the environment was quite different than of her home surroundings. Also, she had to work two jobs to buy books she didn’t even have the time to read. This is such a heartbreaking yet common story. It very much angers me. You never know what people have to battle before the school day even starts. Consequently, she fell behind in school and was asked to leave. It took Nina forever to tell her parents because she didn’t want to disappoint them, but eventually she did. You will be quite surprised and touched to see what her parents do to enable her to return Stanford. You really get to see their love for their child through their actions.

Okay ,anyways, let’s not forget about the fabulous music. I loved how the play predominantly used music to paint the heart of this tale. One of my favorite songs was “96,000”. It’s about a lottery ticket and what everyone would do with the money if they won. Through this song you understood the dreams and desires of the play’s characters.. You saw their desperation, yet you saw their passion to make the best of what they already had. The song is a very vibrant one that makes you wanna jump out of your seat and dance. I had actually performed it at my choral concert prior to this performance, so it was especially fun to watch. Also, don’t think this musical is only about the serious things in life; there is much humor throughout this musical.. For example, another one of my favorite songs was Piragua. Piragua is a Puerto- Rican frozen treat, almost like water-ice. This musical number was sung by a man who sold these frozen treats. He often sung about how the Mr. Softee truck is ruining his business. But, one day there is a blackout and he sings about the Mr. Softee truck being broken and what a joy this is to him. It is quite a funny performance full of humor and pizzazz.

The choreography was fresh and current, yet it reminded me a lot of the exuberance of the dancing in West Side Story.

All in all, In the Heights ended on a light and happy note. There is not one moment you are not being wowed out your mind! On a scale from one to ten, I would give this show a million! I would definitely recommend this to people of all ages! Everyone can relate at some point in this musical to its theme of identity and how we come to define ourselves. In the Heights is at the Academy of Music from January 18- 23, 2011. I hope everyone comes out and supports In the Heights. Below is a link for more information.

http://www.kimmelcenter.org/events/index.php?id=3706

Come and Enjoy the Pennsylvania Ballet's Production of The Nutcracker

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

The clock is a ticking. Today, the Pennsylvania Ballet will dance its final performance of The Nutcracker for this holiday season. Attending the Nutcracker is an annual event for me and one that never looses its aura of drama and glamour.

I attended a Saturday matinee at the Academy of Music. As usual the performance was spectacular and as always, put me in the Christmas spirit! When I reviewed this ballet last year, I retold the story of the Nutcracker, but I’m sure my readers know it by now. I wasn’t sure what to expect this year. I thought since I saw this ballet last year, it wouldn’t have the same mesmerizing affect. But to my surprise it did.

My mother accompanied me to the ballet with three of her students-Donjae, Akira and Latoya. It was their first time seeing this production and they were very much impressed. To see their smiles light up the room as they oohed and aahed at the luminous Christmas tree, the equally radiant falling snow and the jolly candy canes made my experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

The dancing is just one component of the Nutcracker experience. The choreography and artistry of the dancers is second to none. But, I always end up falling in love, again and again with the costumes and the stage design. Every costume transports you to the heart of the Nutcracker story and the stage design is majestic, mesmerizing and sets you in the middle of everything.

The dancer who stood out for me again this year and keeps me coming back every year is Jermel Johnson. He usually performs the Candy Cane role, but on the day I went he did not. This time around, he danced with the Sugar Plum Fairy, as her cavalier. OMG, he owned his performance! I was not expecting Mr. Johnson to dance this part but when he did you couldn’t stop watching him move! All in all, I hope everyone gets the chance to share with family and friends the Pennsylvania Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker. It’s a great way to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one. Happy New Year!

For more information, click on the following link: http://www.paballet.org/nutcracker.html