As I walked away from A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer all I could think was how grateful I was that these types of conversations were happening. Throughout the entire performance, I sat there in the audience listening to monologues that did not dance around sensitive issues such as race, immigration, sexual assault, and rape. The actors were honest and open and vulnerable. Words cannot do justice to the performance that they gave, they left everything on that stage and hoped that their messages would be shared. Believe me when I say, after the performance they gave, there’s not a doubt in my mind that every audience member heard their message.
After the performance, hosted by Alpha Psi Omega and Black Expressions, there was a talkback where some of the performers sat down with the audience and answered our questions. The biggest takeaway for me was that it was emotional, it was raw, and it was real. This was not a play with actors memorizing their lines with various blocking. The performers came out and read their parts of the monologues with a great amount of emotional conviction. When asked about their rehearsals they said the attitude backstage was completely different. They were able to joke around and have fun backstage, but when it came time for the performance they were overwhelmed with emotion and it took a lot to control themselves enough to perform. The amount of love and respect they had for one another was unmistakable.
Every single person performing had experience or knew someone who had experienced something akin to what the monologues had portrayed. They used these experiences to enhance their performance and help make the reactions that the audience felt that much more real. All in all, it was an amazing performance that demanded to be heard. So, thank you Alpha Psi Omega and Black Expressions for making this outstanding emotional performance and starting the conversation.
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