The poetry slam started out with a couple of open mic slams, then an experienced sacrificial slam to help the judges, then six or seven actual slam poems for the competition, before ending with a poem read by the President of UM Slam Poetry.  My favorite part of the night was the opening mic slam poems, I think these students should have competed. Two of these poems talked about separating from old high school friends as they left for college, and how they know their relationship will never be as strong. Something I was able to relate too. These poems were told with strong imagery, one using Mario Kart and the other using the idea of a house falling apart. The other open mic was a very long but courageous poem about suicide and strength using strong imagery of fog and sinking ships.

Because this is a UofM sponsored organization the event was held in the Kalamazoo room of the Michigan League. I understand that space is hard to get and compared to most rooms at Michigan the Kalamazoo room is quite pretty with an older more traditional feel that can be quite nice.  Still, I am not a fan of the space for slam poems because it doesn’t feel intimate or have any way of highlighting the speaker reading the poem. There is no feeling of a stage present and no way of altering the lighting which has the room dimly lit throughout. I feel that the space makes a big difference to students reading slam poems, space can make them feel more important and emotional, and space can allow the audience to focus on the reader and get more enjoyment from what is being performed.

The President’s poem at the end was about growing up biracial and the disconnect she feels with Japanese people even though she speaks Japanese fluently. It was extremely well written (my favorite poem of the night), and it sounded like it has been performed many times. Being biracial myself I was able to connect strongly with what she said. However, the poem was also touching upon isolation we feel from our heritage and the cultures of our parents. Which I know many second generation Americans feel, multi-racial or not.

There were very few students attending the slam outside of people actually performing, their close friends, and club members. Because there were so few performers this meant that there were like 20 people in the room. Maybe Monday night isn’t very good, or everyone was busy getting ready for break. Regardless, I plan on attending the next slam December 6th, and I hope to see a full audience.

Passing Strange was a skillfully and cleverly produced musical. Not just because of its storyline, but also because of its creative choices in blocking, delegation of roles among the actors, and overall setup.

At first I was somewhat puzzled by the venue. The Arthur Miller Theater is pretty small. Once the show began, I understood. And I loved it. I was particularly intrigued by the utilization of the entire theater as the stage. The audience was seated so close to the actors, it was an intimate experience. Throughout the show, actors ran up and down the aisles, and flyers rained down from the ceiling into the audience during different scenes when the storyline called for it.

The production called for the use of the audience’s imagination which I really liked, especially as a writer who frequently uses metaphor and allegory. But the musical may not have been as accessible or enjoyable for audience members who enjoy more realistic blocking and representations. For example, snow looking like it’s falling from the sky/ceiling rather than supporting actors throwing snow over the main character to suggest that it’s winter. But this is a matter of personal preference.    

Another aspect I enjoyed of the musical was that each actor played several roles: usually a starring role and a supporting role(s) in the ensemble. I thought that was incredibly creative because I have never seen that before. The band was also integrated into the musical. It was physically set up and integrated into part of the set. And surprise, the pianist was also part of the ensemble. The cast was incredibly talented. All the actors had strong vocals, and the dance routines were incredibly energetic and entertaining.

The cast was mostly people of color which I think is relatively uncommon for the entertainment industry. I appreciated that the musical did not shy away from talking about race, the act of “passing,” religion, and privilege. There were also a lot of other relatable themes applicable to the audience member’s life regardless of their age or experiences: oppression, restlessness, (an artist’s) identity, belonging, and fulfillment.

What I especially liked, however, was how the musical explored the nuances of oppression and privilege. The musical recognized that yes, African-Americans face abominable oppression in America. At the same time, there are nuances worthy of exploration. As the main character ‘searched’ for his identity and belonging, he ‘passed’ as ghetto in order to gain social esteem among his peers and develop a (somewhat false) identity as an artist. When in fact, he grew up in a middle-class community.

I appreciated the musical’s exploration of intersectionality of race and social class and the nuances that result from it. It reminded me of the movie Love, Simon, which was also very well done. The movie explored a situation in which the main character had a family and group of friends who were loving and accepting of the fact he was gay. But he was so anxious and paralyzed about coming out, he lied and hurt a lot of his friends to stay in the closet. Both of these works, Passing Strange and Love, Simon, examined the ‘victim identity,’ which is of course a controversial topic. But nothing, unfortunately, is simple.

Overall, I really enjoyed the musical. It was thoughtfully produced, heartfelt, and it left me with a lot of ideas and themes to ponder.

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