REVIEW: LGBTQ monologues

 

By the time I arrived the lights were low and the event was about to begin, so I didn’t have time to sample the refreshments artfully arranged at the back of the beautiful Pendleton room in the Student Union.  My friend and I took our seats, pocketing the stickers we had gotten outside when signing in and prepared for a night of moving stories and personal accounts from members of the LGBTQ community here on campus.

The event had been arranged and sponsored through a collaboration between the student org LGBT Michigan and the university’s spectrum center kicking off Umich’s events for national coming out week.  By the time the first speaker came up to give their monologue, the room was completely packed.  Scanning the rows of crowded chairs it became a difficult game to try to pick out any empty seats as latecomers trickled in and slowly filled the room to capacity.  To maintain the privacy of the community members and students who so bravely chose to share their individual stories, I don’t want to recount the specific of any one story, but I appreciated the diversity and range of individuals represented in the monologues.  While it seems obvious that no two individuals would have similar experiences, I still found myself amazed at the amount of diversity of individuals and monologues that we heard packed into one night.  The crowd was delightfully receptive, laughing at the right moments, staying quiet when the mood was somber, and offering a perfectly respectful environment that everyone could feel safe in, both for the speakers and the other audience members.

I appreciated greatly that there was also time reserved at the end of the event for open mic time, inviting audience members with their own story to share to come up to the front and have a turn on the mic.  I was surprised at how well spoken everyone was, reading everything from a personal poem relating to the topic to a moving life story.  It was the perfect way to round out the night, and even the open mic speakers all delivered their monologues with a level of polish that was not expected or needed, but highly appreciated.  I think this event was the perfect place for those who might feel isolated or alone on campus to hear the stories of others that they might resonate with, or bring communities closer together.  I hope that this event becomes a yearly series and sincerely thank those organizing it for their dedication and effort.

PREVIEW: Intergalactic Pops

Fan of the Star Wars movies? Never seen the films but like the iconic music in it? Just a lover of music?

If you’ve ever watched The Planets, E.T., or Star Trek, you’re also in for a treat.

The Michigan Pops Orchestra is putting on a concert that will put you over the moon. Intergalactic Pops will appeal to people of all ages as it explores the music that transcends space and time. And that’s not all! It will feature a unique combination of vocal performers, multimedia, stage antics, and special effects, which will be sure to engage and entertain the audience.

Comprised of students from all fields of study united with a common love for music, the Michigan Pops Orchestra is the country’s oldest collegiate Pops orchestra and is the only student-run, student-directed orchestra on campus.

I can’t wait to hear all the talent the Michigan Pops Orchestra has to offer. Get ready for this out-of-the-world performance on Sunday, November 19 at 7pm in the Michigan Theater. Student tickets are $5 at the door or it is free with a Passport to the Arts Voucher!

REVIEW: Illuminations: A World Showcase

I must admit how much of a relief this show was from my typical attended performances. Don’t get me wrong, fine arts are truly extraordinary experiences that should not be often missed, but the dynamics of a student-run performance are far more different when compared to some of the best performers from around the world. An audience full of overflowing bursts of laughter, oohs-and-ahhs from edge-of-your-seat excitement, and the best part of all — enduring support from one another. Given that we are watching student performers who are not masters of dance or singing or whatever have you, there will be reasonable mishaps that occur on stage. Nonetheless, the support shown by fellow peers in the audience gives a friendly reminder that it is okay to mess up sometimes and those watching will only help encourage you to keep going. I always feel a sense of inspiration when watching my fellow classmates illicit such bravery in front of an audience to showcase their hard work that occurs outside of the classroom. It also makes me so happy to witness the enthusiasm of those in the audience whose friends are performing on stage.

I am extremely appreciative of the efforts made by the Central Student Government to hold this initiative of showcasing its diverse student clubs on campus. We were able to not only see respective dance moves but also respective clothing/costumes and hear distinct music as well. The lineup was as follows: Michigan Izzat, Rxn, Cangaco Capoeira, Maize Mirchi, Hipnotics, Revolution, Alpha Phi Alpha, Leim, Female Gayo, Michigan Ballroom, and Photonix. To point out some of my favorites, I was particularly engaged during the Cangaco Capoeira performance, mainly due to their moves being so intense that I was in fear of someone getting hurt…that’s how action-filled their performance was! Another favorite was by Maize Mirchi, a South Asian a cappella group. They even sang one of my favorite songs by Ellie Goulding! Lastly, I was fairly intrigued by the Irish dancing women of Leim.

Now, of course, I cannot fail to mention the campus-favorites who tend to usually appear at plenty of events — Revolution and Photonix! If you still have yet to see even a snippet of one of their performances, you are undoubtedly missing out. After seeing both of their performances on different occasions, I am convinced that there is something about seeing so many different colors flying around at once and objects pivoting across the stage that eludes to happiness. Perhaps it is though, seeing these activities bring back the best childhood memories of fun out of us. Thanks to this showcase, I am highly looking forward to seeing all of these groups in a full performance of their own.

PREVIEW: Shift Talent Showcase

Art is a powerful tool for community awareness and social change, which is why Redefine, a student organization that connects social justice and the arts, has coordinated Shift, an event intended to highlight the immigrant experiences of students on campus, as well as to champion diversity within the Michigan community.

Shift will feature artists from the Middle East, India, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Brazil, as well as from many more areas. There will be narratives that center around the experiences of immigrants, refugees, and international students. The event will feature multicultural performances, a two-hour art exhibition, and FREE FOOD.

I am a member of Redefine, and I know that the e-board has been working tirelessly for the past few weeks in preparation for this upcoming event, partnered with the student organizations Zeta Omega Eta, Refugees to College, Iraqi Student Association, Students Organize for Syria, and The Call for Humanity. Please check it out! This event promises to be a spectacular night.

Event details:
When: Thursday November 16, 7-9PM
Where: The Pendleton Room at the Michigan Union
Cost: FREE!!!

REVIEW: Joy, Despite

Despite having done some research and being really excited about attending a poetry event this semester, I went to “Joy, Despite: Poetry Night in Ann Arbor” not really knowing what to expect. I knew it featured Ann Arbor teens and I had researched the headliners Kyndall Flowers, Dylan Gilbert, and Zaphra Stupple, but that was all. It completely surpassed any expectations I wasn’t aware of having, to create a night of joy.

As Marty Roper said in the opening statements, this show was about “transforming pain into purpose”. The result of this transformation left me alternating between emphatic snaps and thoughtful contemplation of my own interlocking identities; it is my opinion that this is the sign of good, if not great, art- when I, as a viewer, become so invested in a work that I begin to internalize and apply it to my own life. This experience left me honored to be in a space with these wonderful artists and their families.

Pieces touched on topics of class, race, gender, anxiety, depression, access to clean water, and ethnicity. The bravery and vulnerability these teens harnessed in expressing their stories was humbling and inspirational. All these amazing works culminated in a final piece together that pulled phrases and topics from each work performed that night. They were woven together in one huge final spoken word piece about diversity and power. The result hung in the air and remains with me a day later.

This experience and the feeling of having witnessed something genuine and unique, from people at most 4 years younger than myself, lead me to do more research on The Neutral Zone- the program that worked with all these artists to bring this show about. Here is a brief history of the group from their website:

 

“In 1998, a group of Ann Arbor teens gathered to discuss the need for a place where teens could congregate after school and on weekends. From the very beginning, they felt this place should be more than just a hangout; that is could be a safe place to make new friends, mix with youth from different backgrounds, explore new ideas, learn new skills and do it all in a setting that was teen friendly and teen driven. Teens wrote the mission statement and the first grant proposal to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and, with seed money in hand, enlisted parents and friends to turn an old brick and timber warehouse into a teen center.”

Visit their website to learn more about ways to get involved and upcoming events!