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Performance

The Singer & The Songwriter – Making Melodious Mixed Music

Mark, Chandra and I were so fortunate to meet Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran (www.thesingerandthesongwriter.com) when we worked together producing the 2012 Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival. They’ve changed their name to The Singer & the Songwriter (they were called Ampersand then), and are now running a Kickstarter campaign to fund their debut album! They only have about a week to go on their campaign – please head over to Kickstarter  (www.kickstarter.com/projects/thesingthesong/the-debut-album-from-the-singer-and-the-songwriter), listen to their wonderful music, and support them in any way you can! Do it for Beatrice 🙂

 

 

 

 

New Play Examines ‘Biracial’ Identity in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Annie Bosh is Missing is a new play by Janine Nabers that takes place in Houston when Katrina refugees are placed there to rebuild their lives. Their arrival upsets the ‘racial’ status quo in Houston – most especially for the play’s protagonists who have before then not strongly identified with ‘blackness.’ You can read a longer synopsis HERE.

We’ll update this post as more appearance dates are added – and let us know if you have the chance to see the show!

Mixed Roots Stories Partners with CMRS

MIXED ROOTS STORIES and CMRS Conference Partner

Mixed Roots Stories is partnering with Critical Mixed Race Studies in bringing arts and cultural programming to the 2014 conference. We are seeking submissions from performing artists and filmmakers whose work explores stories of racial and cultural mixing as a central theme. The overall theme for the 2014 conference is “Global Mixed Race,” and submissions that reflect this will be given special consideration.

 

We will be screening short films on Thursday evening, November 13, 2014, and holding a live performance showcase on Friday evening, November 14, 2014.

 

Films: 
We are looking for short films under 15 minutes. Your submission should include an online link to your film (private link is fine), a press kit, and a short statement (50 words or less) on how the film addresses the mixed experience and fits the theme “Global Mixed Race” (trailers for feature films will be accepted).

 

Live performance showcase: 

 

We are looking for stand-up comedy, spoken word, dance, short scenes, monologues, vocalists, musicians – or other forms of live performance. Your piece for the showcase should not be longer than 8 minutes. Your submission should include an online link with no less than a 2 minute preview of exactly what you will present, and a short statement (50 words or less) on how the piece addresses the mixed experience and fits the theme “Global Mixed Race.”

 

 

Mixed Roots Stories submission deadline: January 15th, 2014
Please e-mail Mixed Roots Stories submission materials to: cmrs@depaul.edu

 

Visit the CMRS website and Facebook page for updates:

http://criticalmixedracestudies.org

https://www.facebook.com/criticalmixedracestudies

 

We look forward to seeing you in November 2014!!

 

 

 

 

Romeo & Juliet in Black & White on Broadway

I’ve been looking forward to reading the reviews from this new production for a while. It’s not the first time a director has cast R & J as an interracial couple. There was an Ovation Award-winning version at the Theater at Boston Court here in LA a few years ago taking place in the antebellum south, and I’m certain many a college and small independent theater has addressed ‘race’ in their productions. But this is Broadway – and a Broadway show has the potential for impact on a large scale. So I was intrigued when I learned that film star Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean) and the emerging theater star Condola Rashad (nominated for a Tony for Trip to Bountiful, daughter of film and theater actor Phylicia Rashad) would be playing the tragic lovers. How would the director, David Leveaux, address the Mixed experience in this production? How might audiences react to the casting of a ‘white’ man falling fatally in love with a ‘black’ woman (an atypical depiction of an interracial couple in contemporary media). The New York Times review mentions ‘race’ in a brief paragraph: “That one of them is white and the other black may underscore the division between their families, yet it registers as irrelevant when they’re together.”

It’s not clear whether the reviewer sees this irrelevance as a good or bad thing, but it disappoints me. I’m still waiting for a production that takes on historical racial oppression. Even in the comments to the review, there is barely any mention of how this production addresses ‘race.’ In fact, I would suggest that some commenters’ opinions that the lead actors lacked chemistry may have more to do with their own discomfort in seeing intimacy by an interracial couple, than in the performances by the actors.

Granted, Shakespeare’s play is so well known that really addressing the behemoth that is racism will take skill, creativity and indefatigable research by a director and cast, but until then I am going to watch for the independent theaters and college presentations – who just may have more courage to do so.

1918 Interracial Love Story

 

Handshake between races a over white background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you live in AZ or know someone who does? Make sure to check out The Black Theater Troupe’s production of Wedding Band. There are shows Sept 19 at 2pm, Sept 20 at 8pm, Sept 21 at 2pm and 8pm and Sept 22 at 3pm.

Wedding Band is the story of an interracial couple in 1918. Near the end of World War 1, Julia a black woman and Herman a Jewish baker are deeply in love. They have been together for 10 years, despite the very real threat of arrest and criminal punishment under the laws of South Carolina for any interracial couple who marry or live together.

WB poster

 

Here is the website to reserve tickets:

 

http://blacktheatretroupe.org/

 

East West Players Hiring a Literary Manager

East West Players is the nation’s premiere Asian American Theatre, and they often showcase plays about the Mixed/Hapa experience. They are currently seeking a Literary Manager – click here for more info: http://eastwestplayers.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/east-west-players-seeking-literary-manager/

Babygirl-Media-Codependa-Love-Aholic

“Babygirl” chronicles a (bi-racial) TV/pop culture ADDICT’S journey through the Growing Pains of Childhood, the Wonder Years of Adolescence, to the realization that though media might be our 1st Love, sometimes we have to to press the OFF button to find ourselves.

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Babygirl has themes that resonate with both pre-teens and teenagers, both male and female. I have workshopped BABYGIRL in the suburbs, the inner city, as well as small towns and learned that it strikes a cord with people across the board regardless or age, sex, or racial and/or socio-economic background. But it especially speaks to YOUTH who lack stori

es that truly reflect them.

Over the years kids have come up to me and asked, “Did that really happen to you?” proving to me that my story reached them. They see me, learn my story, and see that I have survived, and are now empowered with the lesson, that they will too.

Recovering addicts have been touched by this piece as well and I’ve already started the process of reaching out to them as potential audience members.

This is a universal story that I pla

n to share nationwide and worldwide.

Come join Babygirl on her road to recovery!

Written and performed by KAYPRI

Directed by AYANA CAHRR (Black Women State of the Union)

WEBSITE: www.kaypri.com

CONTACT ARTIST AT: bookbabygirl@gmail.com (for future performance discounts put FRINGE 2013 in SUBJECT LINE)

Learn More at www.kaypri.com

CP Chang on Stories of Interracial Relationships

Author and storyteller CP Chang speaks about the challenges of interracial relationships and the challenges of telling those stories.  CP is with the Chicago storytelling collective,2nd Story, and a contributor to the anthology, “Briefly Knocked Unconscious By A Low Flying Duck”.  Interviewed and produced by Andrew Yeh.

One Drop of Love

One Drop of Love is a solo-show about a culturally Mixed daughter and her Pan-African father, both of whom are searching for their ‘racial’ roots. Currently playing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Click HERE for tickets and info.