SMC presents diversity series series
By ALLISON ROCHE
News Writer
Saint Mary's students had a chance to experience multiculturalism in a new way at Friday night's presentation of "Faces of America," a series of dialogues performed by various characters representing different minorities in the United States. The presentation, held in the Moreau Little Theater, told the stories of seven diverse characters all performed by the same actress.
The show began with an introduction recounting Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of an already inhabited land and the ensuing attempt by the Spanish to impose their culture on the native people.
The first monologue told the story of a "happa" girl, meaning half-Japanese and half-Hungarian, from Las Vegas. She told the audience that she learned to value her ethnicity by learning her grandfather's story about being held prisoner in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.
The other characters included a Chicano living in the gang culture of East Los Angeles, an East Indian college student raped by white classmates and a well-educated African-American male struggling with the stereotypes surrounding him.
The basic theme expressed in each monologue was the unity present among the great diversity of American culture.
Fran de Leon, the show's single performer, is also one of its co-creators. She said that the show is a product of research done with 60 people from across the United States.
"Some characters are straight from one individual, others are an amalgamation of different people's experiences," de Leon said.
De Leon wrote "Faces of America" along with Colin Cox in 1995. The show has now been performed about 500 times for universities, corporations and communities across the country since its creation.
The positive feedback "Faces of America" has received prompted the creators to write another one person show called "American Voices," which deals more with issues of religious and sexual diversity.
"Theatre is means for social change," said de Leon. "At the same time you entertain, you can also educate."
"Faces of America" was the second installment in the Office of Special Events' "Citizens of the World" series and was also sponsored by Student Activities.
All News Stories for Monday, January 27, 2003
