 The second one is the place where people come in. We have the audience and the process and stories that we're going through. We've made sure that this is not a practice program. The samples of women sharing what it is they need to share and how they do that. There's no way you can ignore that thing that's anymore. I'm going to talk a little bit more about this as well. Can you hear me? I've seen a lot of theatre for everyone. Yes, everybody. That's it for CUNY. I'm in the new theatre in the right place. So, welcome everybody to the Markney Theatre Center here, the Graduate Center CUNY. And thank you for waiting a couple of more minutes. Some people are late. I'm a supporter of the National Black Theatre who helped us. But I think we now want to go and start. My name is Frank Henscher and the director of the Martin's Theatre Center. And together with Ancher Uekel, who's my co-director of programs. Ancher, who's here, we prepared this, what we think will be extraordinary in evening celebrating the art and cultural life and spiritual forces of Yoruba. It's a fantastic project that was developed by the Royal Court in the Young Vic. And we have with us Elise, who is the mentor of the project. She coordinated all the five playwrights. She will tell a little bit more about the project just for you to know. She runs a program that is actually legendary in the world for over 25 years. She creates, runs and develops the international writers program of the Royal Court. I think it is without any equals around the globe. And it has done so much for the world of theatre, the global world and for an understanding. So it's a really big, big honor to have you here. She flew in from London to be with us and also to make sure we do it right. And we did, I hope. So again, thank you for coming. And she will say a very few words. Then our director will say some introductory words. The reading will be about 85 to 90 minutes. And there will be a little panel discussion here. You don't have to stay, but if you want, you come here. Then after the discussion as a reward, as a reception in case you are still here for longer. It is some wine, but I don't think you all can get it. But we have water and pretzels. And that's exciting. So now is the moment. If you have a cell phone, take it out and I'll do the same. And make sure it is off. Sound off. Yeah, is it? Oops. Okay, all that. So again, thank you for coming, especially in this busy time without the holidays. We need great theater, but we also really do need a good and great audience. So it means a lot for us that you come here. And I hope you will see the world a little bit differently whenever it comes to Yoruba and after the evening. Elise, give us a little... Just a little. The project started in 2007 more or less because by sheer coincidence, we were working, as Frank says, we were with writers all over the world. And we had a project in Nigeria. We had another one in Cuba and we had another one in Brazil. And I always say the project started on a beach in Lagos where some of the writers said, where are you going next? And I said, oh well, we have a long-term project in Cuba. And I said, oh no, no, you must tell us about our religion in Cuba, Santeria. And then it moved on where the writers in Brazil actually asked if I could bring some soil from Nigeria to them. And we did all of that. And it took many years, but by 2010, we had the young Vic on board and the director Rufus Norris. And by 2013, we produced Feast at the young Vic. And it's absolutely thrilling to see it having a further life here. Thank you. How are you guys doing? Great. Good. Thank you so much for being here. We have been working a little bit last night and most of today to present a little taste of this amazing play for you. So what you're going to see is a staged reading of this piece to bring to life a little bit of what the production was in London a couple years ago. There's music and projections and a little bit of dance and some amazing actors. But most of us wanted to say thank you for being here and enjoy Feast. Feast. And the unknown that comes in this week. The teacher proclaims war against it. The secularist proclaims his existence as never more than human error. Muslim and Christian in life pray to accept this. Insha'Allah, God willing, should mishap occur, then who am I to argue? But in Yoruba, we know that mishap happened. The Minada skins of life. The unimproving stone. The email lost in Sada space. The elephant trampling your chicken. Half of your race being enslaved and forced across the sea. The very inevitability of what's been lying. Mishap. You all look very beautiful tonight by the way. They tell you that when you walk in. You can, so mishap is a fact of life. And within its consequence and chaos is the opportunity to learn, to grow, to adapt, to survive. So we embrace it. We lay our head down in homage and chant, ha-she-she at the beginning of each new endeavor. Ha-she-she. Okay, you are with me, okay? I'm going to say ha-she-she and then you are going to repeat it with me, okay? Ha-she-she. Better. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. We are here now. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. Ha-she-she. The dancer does the samba carrying a tray of eggs. White five and six. The dancers clear the stage. Young and Shu returns. I am back. You thought I was done with you, hey? Okay. your head, ori the inner head, the entire Yoruba culture comes down to ori, to your inner head, who you really are. Whether you know it or not, the whole of this universal belief system comes down to this concept, ori. Your life's work is to know your ori and live by it. Know you and be you and do you whatever it is. Just do you. Self-knowledge. Orisha. OK, I have to break it down. I'm sorry. Orisha. Orisha. Orisha. Say it. Orisha. And hey, my man, that was good. OK, orisha. Orisha. Is the word for deity. These Yoruba saints are your guides, your parents. They act as the maps to your natural desires or warning manuals for your weaknesses. There are 401 orishas. And we are all children of one or another, then. You'll meet three of them. You'll meet three of the women this evening. Yemo-ya. Yemo-ya. Yemo-ya. Oshun. Oshun. Oya. Yeah, you'll follow them over 300 years of history. Along the way, they will meet me. Eshu. Eshu. Eshu. Eshu. Yeah, that's me. The crossroads dweller, the shake shifter, the trickster orisha who throws a stone today that hit someone yesterday. No journey is undertaken without Eshu casting his eye over one's chances of safe passage. World-bentide the travel who takes success for granted without first making offering to him. Excuse me. The chicken squalls. Old Eshu is revealed with the chicken and stew. Excuse me. I have to prepare a family meal, a birthday party. I have to make a cake. I need some eggs. This is Saint Anthony. He got reincarnated and he didn't go well. Saint Anthony is keen to bless the meal. I advise him to be careful for what he wishes for. Eshu speaks to the children. Eggs is Saint Anthony. Only a blind and deaf chicken will be trampled by the elephant. Eshu listens to the chicken. He says he who runs after an innocent chicken will trip on a shake shifter. We will see. I am expecting guest Saint Anthony. Three lady friends. They have been traveling for a long while and they will be hungry. Eggs. He sings a shake shifter. Oh, yeah. He hits the ground with his stick. Three proud women. Journey from one town to another for a family feast. Yemoya. The deep water. Caring and furious as they see. Ocean. The vain. Generous. Distracted and totally distracting. The forceful. Who kicks up a storm and pulls the women like a net. Three sisters, cousins, daughters, aunties, mothers. To a destiny they cannot yet know and probably would not choose. And here they are, approaching the crossroads of their life. Nothing compares to the pleasures of the crossroads. Saint, man and chicken, male and female, old and young, grand theater of the world, streaming past in the absolute certainty that each step will take them toward where they want to go. The crossroads, however, is never effer into the absolute. And the constant shadow of certainty is chaos. We hear drumming. There is a dance. Issue lays the leaves along the path and on the sand to the left. Welcome to my home. You are so slow. I'm exhausted. You are lazy. I'm not lazy. This is so heavy. It's ruining my hair. Then cut it off. No one will notice. Just because you have bush hair. I don't have bush hair. You have bush hair. Your hair is like a water buffalo. And your backside is like a water buffalo. Your face is like a water buffalo. A crossroads. We go straight. There is a shrine of Oshun this way. I'm sure. I'm not visiting any more of your boring shrines. They're not boring. You are just fully straight on. Or on those places to the left. We could check if he's still at home and travel with him. But we'll be late for the meal. Exactly. It's midday already. Shango will have been waiting for me since sunrise. Pig me. He's not a pig me. My darling is a pig me. Consult a doctor. He's a loving man. And where is yours? You know I can get plenty of men. No trouble. Very little men. You can get them. But can you keep them? I really can't see them. Shango, hello, Shango. Oh, down, down. I'm going to finish with you. The world has done me much harm. The world has done me much harm. How is that our business? You! Apart of the world. Give me a little food. And you are a fragrant younger lamb. I mean, not as a warning. We are not to blame for whatever harm was done to you. Oh, for you being so old and smelly. Hey, a little offering. Something sweet. The leaf that is sweet to the goat kills the goat. What's in goat's mouth? Ghosts are wine in Bon Bon. Hey, hey! Some food for the cripple. The goat should eat the grass where it is tied. Eat your girlfriend. Let's go. Pardon my asking, but where exactly are you going? We are going to a family feast, a birthday celebration. The only goat there will be the ones we will eat. You are not invited, eh? Come on, let's go. At least I am a goat at peace. I don't even know your girlfriend will envy you. Even though your boyfriend would. Poor shango. What is he talking about? What happened to shango? Oh, you don't know. Don't know what? Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh. What? You shouldn't have mentioned your boyfriend. Speak, you sniveling cripple. She loves that widget. What did you just say? Nothing. Better for you. Oh, yeah, be quick. All I want is a little food. You won't regret it. Peace. Oh, oh. Something bad happened to him? A terrible misfortune. What? He fell in love with you. Eat your girlfriend. You go kill him, oh. Move, move, move. What's funny? There was another misfortune. What? War. These goats. Eh, see the foliage on the ground? It's vegetation. The invaders used to camouflage their numbers as they passed. And why are you still here? A wolf or a tool should not kill a cripple. Eh, only a foolish snail tries to run a dog. Anyway, soldiers have no use for a crook or the goat. But you, but the three are you. Instead, we need to get to the police. We will find refuge at all whose houses there are just now. If you don't starve to death in the interval, that is. How? Baming. I don't believe this. Eh, can't you see they're saying they? They went and blew it in from the desert last month and killed everything. Let's keep going straight. Getting raped by soldiers is not of my overriding ambition in life. Why don't we go right? We'll take refuge in Ocean Shrine. No soldier would dare defy the sacred grove of O'Goddess. Slavers have no regard for men or God. What? Did you say slimmers? Eh, they'd be glad to lay their hands on you. He holds up a link shackle. Perhaps you can give it to them when you meet them. There, now, don't be hasty. Respect the crossroads, and it will let you pass un-troubled. You have one last chance. Give me some food. Blind idiots, I'm turning back. Can you hear that? Where? Who's coming? They're super, they're super. Two horsemen. Oh, he's not looking at the food. No, that's not him. Eh, three horsemen. He's trying to get the coat on, of course. Have you forgotten the family family? It's all right. You've got me, you've got me. Hey, drop your food. Have you forgotten me, sister? Yemoya backs away as the slavers approach. We see projected images of the roots around the world during the transatlantic slave trade and of sale documents. He has papers in front of him. You're free. In your hand over this. I won't say a word, not a word. I'll hide over there by the slave quarters. No one will ask and no one need none. If you stay, you'd have to start earning wages, you know that? You can't just give me food, that's all, that's all. Wages is money. You give me the money, I'll give it back to you. Not money, not housing, nothing. I don't want any blacks planting their riots on my farm, itching to slit my throat. From this day on, all I've got to give any slave is that open door. After that, the field gate open. Beyond the farm gate, also open. Beyond that, the road, Yemoya, the road no sheriffs, no patrols, just the wide open road. And then? And then the world. I've never seen it. Go and see it. My little senor Gino, didn't Yemoya give you milk? The nurse from the very first day gave you the breast. What, what have I? It was right. It was like that, it was, I think. I drank your milk. Right. Milk meant for your children. What became of them? After all this time, nobody knows anymore. No. No one knows, my father sold them all. For children in the house? No. How was his law? The milk was left for me alone. Just give me a little time. Oh, look, find someone to buy me, someone who needs an old black lady. Take care of the house, look after the mistress's children, just a little more time to buy to buy you. Are you dead? Are you mad? Brazil doesn't have slaves anymore. And if there are no more slaves, slaves can't be bought. From today, Yemoya is a free woman. The princess doesn't want any slaves in Brazil. So full of ideas. And I'm too old to put up with them. I can't take it. I don't understand young people, any big ideas. Not just ideas, law. It's by the order of the law that you have to get out of here today. See the sun? When it sets, when it goes red, you will be long gone. When day breaks, I don't want any more slaves here. Not one, it's the law. Well, I knew your father's law. My father is dead. His law is worthless now. Died with him. I lost a big chance. A fine opportunity. I should have sent you all away much sooner. I might have even gotten a special commendation from the crown. That would have been nice. Bankrupt with a commendation, a little shiny badge to show off in town, wear on my lapel at night, go into the theater. Now it's no slaves, no commendation, no nothing. My inheritance. You man jar sings, you mile, you may yard, I sheath you. Senor Zinho joins in, but then stops. You man jar then also stops singing. Show me your breast, you man jar. Does your breast still give milk? Does your breast still give milk? Senor Zinho, you were playing with me. No, I am asking. Seriously. Well, you don't have any more milk. But you saw you to me. You have no use to me for anything. From deep in my soul, I swear to you, I don't. I don't want any bad for you. And I don't want anything bad for you. But today you leave the farm. You're a free woman. You exchange your house and your bread, and you get liberty. But life is cruel. Don't look for your children. The wage is coming. If that means paying wages on my farm, then it won't be the blacks. Never. But I promise you, if they rise up here, you man jar, there'll be a lot of blood, and it won't be mine. If every black is now a citizen, he should know the law. Now he has rights. I hope he knows how to use them well. Ask your God and the saints for help. Ask your black God. You officer of money. Here. Wages for the milk of your sons. He throws coins down and sits. She picks up the coins, places them back on the table. That shoe is at the door. She takes one piece of food and offers it to him. The door opens. She steps through. Scene 4B, shelter. A dance. Now three and is roaming the streets of Brazil looking for shelter. Him a job touches the ground. Way on the trouble. Sit down, sisters. Sit down. Across roads many. So sit down in this house of God. And rest your weary bones. This is a place where we can all take a shovel from the mountain of Galilee and build our own promised land. And don't say I don't confide your minds to the ways of the devil. We no longer worship in the forest. Prostrate in ourselves to false idols. Cutting the heads off chickens. Walk away. I say walk away from the path of heatness and get to know the Lord your Father. Because a person who doesn't know his ancestors doesn't know his grandchildren. And even a turtle said that had Father been an easily acquired title everybody would have born it. Resist these temptations to dance with the devil because if there is no crack in the wall the lizard will not. I say he will not enter. The lion's den of the soul is not a playground for goats. And the crocodile that conceives gets birth only to trouble. For now behold tomorrow is pregnant. And nobody, nobody, nobody knows what it will give birth to. The civil rights law. Excuse me, excuse me sir. I'm thirsty. I'm going to order a tall glass of milk. But my throat is a diamond water in the Sahara. Indeed it seems you both have a rendezvous with life. Keep your voice down. Oh right, I forgot. I was supposed to just sit here and keep laying white folks beat up on me without so much as a peep. I'm hungry. You can leave whenever you want. I'm staying until they serve us. What more could they do, mustard? You look right fine in ketchup. You know what I'm going to have? A hot dog with everything. Onion, fries, pancakes. Take the time to joke around Eshu. Oil? You changed your mind about joining up? Mama sent me to bring you home. What do you got worth of doing to you? It's alright, just ketchup. How did you get ketchup all over you? Some white man who wasn't happy about having to sit next to a colored gal. Disgusting, it's going to stay in oil. At least it's not blood. This is blood. I should have known he was behind this. He's been nothing but trouble ever since we met him. I'm staying right here, Osho. We should be home, safe. But here you are getting in trouble at some sitting. Ain't no trouble here. There's about to be. They call the cops. Really? Yes, really, the police. Let him come. Oil you. Oshoom. You know we don't have the money to bail you out of jail. To say nothing of the fact that our family does not get arrested. We do not break the law and we do not have criminal records. That's not who we are. You're supposed to sit idly by and watch people just run roughshod all over our rights. I understand. You go off to college and certain people take advantage of your idealism and know the world is not as beautiful as it could be. But this won't do any good if you are in jail. He's riff-riffed. Oshoom, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Walking in here insulting people who just want change. I should be ashamed? You can go now. You never used to be like this. Like how? Mom and Dad didn't raise you like that. They didn't raise you to sit around like a sack of marbles when there's a fight to join. Do you know how hard it's been for Dad? Trying to build a practice all in zone as a Negro man? You ever thought about the years of work and sacrifice he put in to raise us? Of course I have. So what does it look like you sitting here breaking the law? Any second the police are going to rush in here and those sweet voices you hear outside singing are going to be replaced by sirens and dogs and billy clubs. I saw the papers from the Chattanooga newspaper. This is real life oil. These cops, when they get angry, they don't know anything about respect or decency or sugary. They beat women just the same as they beat men. You want the cops to break your nose? Black your eye? If that's what it takes. Well, I can't stay here and watch this. Thank you. I'm going. Here, I brought you some food. Food? I'm waiting to get served here. We can all just get along and eventually things will improve. I know you believe that deep in your bones, oh sure. But harmony now isn't the real way to please. You run from a fight long enough you won't ever be able to stop running. What am I supposed to tell Mom? She'll beat me senseless if I come home without you. You could stay here. I don't expect anything. I can't. I don't demonstrate. I'm engaged to be married. Oh, and I suppose we're all just promiscuous degenerates. That's not what I meant. Excuse me, sisters. Oshun, one day you're going to be an old, old lady. And people are going to know you were here. And they're going to ask you what you did. What you going to tell them? It's exactly that simple. Believe in this or you don't. If you don't, that's fine. You can drink out of your own special or shun water fountains and pay your own special or shun poll taxes. But if you believe in this, I'm happy to give you my seat. Trust me, it gets easier at the first couple of times. Yes, she wants to leave as you leave. Can you just be quiet, let me think. I need to go call Mom. Of course you do. I beg your pardon. Oh, sister. What about bail? Don't worry about that now. Yes, Oshun. Oshun. Oshun, stop fooling. Oshun. We're going to just sit here and enjoy this song. The sounds of the music begin to mix with the sounds of a growing and violent emotional voice. Oshun's hand. Turn me around. Turn me around. Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around. I'm gonna keep on walking. Keep on talking. Marching up to freedom. Scene seven. Identity. We see a series of photographs projected behind Belialdo Oshun. The images show moments of resistance and defiance. They soon transform into portraits of men and women who were arrested during the Civil Rights Movement, as well as numerous artists from that time forward. There is a celebration that is performed by the dancers on the top. The dance of joy. Since Baba Lu, there are also candles, cups of corn, glasses with small amounts of wine. Yemo Yau pours some ramen to two glasses, offers one of them to John. This is Cuba. This will look like your hotel room one day. Pouring? I'll be back in a minute. I just, you know, have to use the bathroom. Yemo Yau takes off her heels and goes into the bathroom. John goes up to the calendar and takes us for Dale's beard. Be ashamed to change all this. This place is fine, John. Your name is John, isn't it? Yes. Right. John Smith. Well, um, I want to spend the rest of my life here. So, I want to make it happenable. I thought you'd want leave. Then go away. Anywhere abroad? Why? I've heard that all Cubans want to leave. Well, I am the exception today. That's, that's strange. Why? Because you're... Oh, whore, yes. I am a communist whore. Yemo Yau comes out of the bathroom wearing a gown that's almost transparent. Oh, Lav, I'm dead serious. I am an anti-imperialist whore. You were about to go to bed in the enemy. Exactly. The two of us are going to do battle, body on body in that bed. The only difference is that you will leave this room fifty dollars poorer, and I'll be able to make a small contribution to my country's economy. So, you see, Cuba is beating the U.S., even in bed. And besides, I can't get out of the ocean. Yemo Yau puts out the salmon and czarro candles, takes his sheet and covers the sink with it. What did you do that? It's not good to take your clothes off in front of him. Why? Forget it. It's conflict. I want to know. I thought you wanted to cool off with me. Isn't some kind of secret the thing with the saint? No, it's not a secret. Issue is very jealous. If a woman gets undressed in front of him then later, she'll find it very hard to find men. He's a complicated saint, though. Why do you have it then? I'm his daughter. In the religion, you know? You don't get to choose your parents. Yemo Yau sits on John. Kisses him. He doesn't move. What's wrong? Nothing. You don't want her anymore? I'm fine. Can I do something to scare you? Of course not. Okay. I'm talking too much. I like talking to you. I like you to like doing something else. I like you that way, too. You're not excited. Yemo Yau. Who told you my name? You did? No. I never tell my name until I get paid. Someone in the bar told me you were Yemo Yau. The place is full of prostitutes. I wasn't the exact best offer there. Why would anyone tell you I'm Yemo Yau? Because I was looking for you? Yemo Yau sits up. She takes the sheet off San Lazaro and covers herself with it. I didn't ask you to leave. I didn't mean to give you a fright. You didn't. Yemo Yau! Stop saying my name! And tell me, why the hell are you looking for me? Because I'm bankrupt. And what's that got to do with me? I charge the same like every other prostitute. $50. Here it is. I'm not paying you. It's fine. The crisis. Yemo Yau. Yemo Yau takes a machete out from its hiding place underneath the altar. Don't be stupid. I am a black communist prostitute. I've got every reason in the world to mistrust someone like you. I bet your name is even made up to start with John Smith. Do I look stupid to you? What do you think I am? Hope a contest? God's sake. I'm just a normal American. Who's broke. Needs your help. Look. Here's my name. Look. John Smith. Loads of people. Loads of people are named John Smith in America. I come in peace. I don't care that you're a communist. I certainly couldn't care that you're black. I voted for Obama. Put that thing away and calm down. I swear that you voted for Obama. I swear to God. I swear on something that matters to you. I swear on my children. How do I know who you even got any? I've got their photos in there. Yau takes his wallet and is persuaded. She puts the machete back. John Smith. You're not from the CIA are you? Of course I'm not. Tell me what you're doing here then. A friend told me I should be. What friend? He was here three months ago. He gave me your details in the name of a bar. Remember the back guy with the beard? His name is Christopher. Yeah, I remember him. He paid me a double. Didn't even want to have sex with someone in the talk. Exactly. I still don't understand. How could that guy recommend a prostitute he didn't even blame? I'm not interested in you. It's a prostitute. What I need is a santero. But my friend got out of his mess because of you. I can tell you that he tried everything and been everywhere. None of it did any good. Only you. You've come to the wrong place. I'm going to give you the address to my friend. He's the one you're looking for. I came to this country looking for Yamoya. And you were mistaken. I am not no santero. I'm just a normal believer. Doubts and all. I look after my saint. I'm no fanatic. I don't have any powers or anything. This friend of mine, he is a pabalavo. He's closer to the oracious than me. I don't believe in your oraches. I wish a lot to come and see you. Give me a few minutes of your time. I thank you. All right, all right. That's enough. I'll pay you double as long. I can't help you. You helped Christopher. That's not even true. Everything you told him worked. It was all lies. I thought he'd find it exciting if I played up the exotic thing and started making stuff up. None of it was true. None of it was a crisis. Look at me. What could I possibly understand about capitalist crisis? We live in a bulk confirming crisis right here. What on earth could I possibly tell you? Anything right now, anything would help. I don't read shelves. I don't read hands or any of that stuff. I can't read your future. But I ask your saint. John. Troy, at least no. I'm going to prove to you that I don't have any powers. I'm going to prove to you that he's just a lump of plastic and you can fuck off. I told my mom I'd look after him. I don't believe in him. He's recovering muscle if he wouldn't see a naked. It's complicated. Just because I don't believe and it doesn't mean I don't respect this stuff. You don't understand. Can you stand over there? Yama, you'll light your candles. Then she lights a cigar and blows the smoke at the saint. Then she pretends to be in a trance. You have three children. Yes, yes. Yes, I do. I saw the photos in your wallet. I've only got two photos in there. I never told you there were three of them. Coincidence. I was dizzy. Maybe I saw three instead of two. Carry on. Just to prove to you that I'm making it up, I'm going to tell you that they are four, six, and nine years old. It's impossible. I told you. Of course it's impossible. I'm guessing. That's exactly how old they are. What? Don't fool with me. You got it right. Four, six, and nine in two months. Okay, I'm not doing this anymore. Carry on. You're pulling around with me. I swear to God. I'll tell the truth. Don't swear to God in my room. You don't even believe in God. I swear by my children. What do you do for a job? Lie to people? Yes. I'm a broker. My job is basically lying to people. My head hurts. Stop, stop. Please, I'll pay for whatever you want. This is life. Something. Anything. $100 for a piece of advice, John. More if you want to. You're a saint. You have power. I don't like chronic people. That's not what I do. I don't even wear makeup, so the clients can get a good look at the wrinkles they're paying for. If you want to go to bed with me, I'll be happy to, but if you're looking for a lie... Yeah, yeah, lie to me. What lie do you want to hear? Anything. You can tell me whatever you want. See those cobs of corn? I see them. Well, then go back to your country and make that what you do. Cobs of corn? Yes, there are a lot of people hungry in the world, you know? That's it? That's it. You see, useless. Corn? Flakes? No, please. Corn syrup? What? Thank you. Thank you. Thank the santo. She's sitting on the bed that's been defeated. John goes up to the altar. Neil's in front of Babalu Aye. He takes all the cash he has out of his wallet and places it at the feet of the santo. Then he stands up. You are incredible. He leaves. Yemoya stands and takes off her gowns. She is naked in front of San Lizaro. He smiles at her. C9. Exit. St. Anthony. Exit. Scene 10, London, UK. Sean stands with his protege and looking slightly edgy. Oya stands in matching athletic track suits. Oya has two ball medallions around her neck. Thanks for the lift, coach. You're all right. Make sure you get home all right. I don't want me to drop me in front of the door. It's not a problem. I'm just on the other side of the underpass. It's nothing long. I'll be fine. You all right, Sean? I'm all right. Good. I just want to say, straightforwardly, you did all right today. What's it all about? Isn't that it? Take what you're given. I'm not a man of words, you know that. You've been properly fooled me the way you shout instructions. Back straight. Head up. Chest out. Knees high, higher. Quicker. Quicker. I'm just a different animal. You said it, not me. Well, some moments don't need words. Your action says it all. Shane, you don't get to leave the competition with anything. Our reputation grows. Maybe one day we'll be the most feared trader in the world. You're not that ugly. Yeah, I did open up before the jokes get worse. Who's telling jokes? It's from them Rue owns you. I'm shaking. You should be. Oya tucks her medals into her zip tracksuit. She starts to exit. What you hiding, Oya? Whatever you're looking to find, I ain't bought it. That's not all right, Bill. Easy. She shook. Why would I be shook? How much are you worth, Oya? Is that a serious question? A serious answer. Can't say about calculating sponsorship. You should have asked how much she weighs. He can't even give me your best price. I'm not selling anything. Are you sure you're gonna sell out? Not funny. What's this about? I'm just wondering if there's a finder's fee. I'm thinking if there's no finder's fee, it must be a finder, keeper kind of arrangement. Everyone likes free-ness. I worked hard. Won my medals fair and square. You're gonna have to tear my skin off. You're thinking I'm giving them to you without a fight. I ain't here to scoff with you. I don't care who I'm fighting. They're not coming off. Fasty, huh? In it, though. Always been like that. That's why I'm drawn to you. Well, I've never been drawn to you. Hey, that's my man. Don't think you can run up your mouth, Mugow. Something unfortunate might happen to your legs. Are you threatening me? Just saying. Stop gassing. We ain't on that. Your legs are fine, but they are moving loose. Moving loose? Yeah, moving with Duffy. Like some puppy, like some golden retriever. Sorry? The man talking about who owns you. Why are you running? You don't have to like what I say about you. You just have to hear it. I don't want to hear it. Stop running. Take it as a compliment. I care. Compliments are like condiments. It's always nice to be offered. Offer it somewhere else. Here, it's a waste of both of them. Why are you liking some pink, too? Pink what? Duffy, always dropping you off. She's linking him hard. Are you grinding him? Putting that fat rump up for pork paws? That's jock, Tom. You his bike? That ain't your business. You run into me, it's my business. I don't business what you think. Do you know what you're doing? What am I doing? Disrespecting yourself. How do you work that out? You really want me to? How's a man like that? Some extra man like that. You really think he's ever going to treat you equally? Like a queen? You're just some trophy to be created. Looking hard, running fast. Maybe even a substitute. Some standing for his white cow, Mick Babies. Listen to your misguided... Talking about he owns you. Pink Toe needs to be dead. You know he needs to dead that talk. That means he's my coach. You run those races. You lead the field. An example of your power. And you're just going to let some pink Toe casually pour around for you. Why did you stop the dream? You got to ask yourself why you aren't thinking like me. We're talking about respect, right? Well, I'm good at what I do. And I know Sean respects... Why really are you just some prize pony? Because it's not just your coach or whoever he is. He's a whole fucking union jack. But I don't stop them from attacking you if you don't run fast enough. Wiping every part of you in the paper for not working hard enough. Because if you're flying your bridge, when you're falling you become the athlete originally known from that Commonwealth country. I was born here. This ain't just going to be my life. You think you're better? Like they're going to treat you differently. Check yourself. You need to do something to show your power, show your influence. Youngers are looking up to you. They want to see a positive example before it's too late and you're just getting slayed. Thinking that's it? That you've been accepted? So when pink Toe's beating up your pussy, what do you think he's thinking? Because he ain't loving you. He might be telling you that he's loving your skin but really he's just loving beating it up. Are you alone? Is that it? No, you ain't. Lake, we don't want no pups from you. You don't have to be me. You don't have some pink Toe. It's not just for a black man to catch you. You getting it? Catch it, pump it, walk it or whatever euphemism you want to use. You ain't for him. Don't you get it? How are you just going to give it to him like it's nothing? Why should I give it to a black man? A black man that doesn't value it. A black man's always going to have value it. Is that why they brag about that girl that they've just seen to their boys? Or why they're never around to raise their babies? Well, you can't find them for dust because the black of the berry, the quick of the ping, BBM, black brother's missing. Because you don't know how to look after them. Hold their attention, make them carry on wanting you. What are you doing if your man stays wanting me? He don't want you, as if. Tell her you don't want her. I never said that. He ain't saying that. What's he saying, then? Any man could just duck out and not care for his picnic. It's not just the black man. There seems to be more, though. Come like a trend, like it's cool. Look, don't stray off the point. From the time the white man has seen against the black man, mistreated us, and now you're going to let him just come up all in your garden, plant seeds in your bush like he has a right. A right to just walk up into your threshold like he has a right to do that, like he should have a free pass at his nothing. To say you don't owe him deeply. To say you just some loss, some exotic fantasy. An ethnic conquest. So Pato can go to the golf club and his members only can't taste built corporate ballroom and ramp to his floppy head. Steep up a little break and chat about, hey, you're not going to guess what I picked up. I scored last night. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're going to say, what? And he's going to say, a rubber lipped, holy head dyke. And guess what? What? They're going to say, and he's going to say, I liked it. And I'm going to go back and I'm going to do it again. As if you don't walk around sweating when you see a white gal with that porcelain glow, that mannequin figure walking down the street, jumping out of tension as if she just sneezes in your direction. She's running out of the way. Ain't nothing to catch no Pato, Jones. But you'll stick your dick in her, feeding her your name, making her feel like she's never going to feel anything like it ever again in her lifetime. You ain't thinking about your sisters, your black queen then, are you? Look to your own business. Revenge. Revenge, revenge what? Revenge, all these years of abduction, molestation, abuse and rape of the beautiful black woman. Get our own back. That's your issue. You know what it sounds like to me? Sing it to me, sis. I ain't your sister, so don't think you can come chat to me like we've found. Thirdly, you just ain't got no self-worth. I don't give a shit what you think of me, however you get it wrong. I ain't gonna try and make up excuses for your laziness, your lack of imagination. But stop picking fights where and whenever you want to start something because you ain't getting the attention you want. It's boring. I'm bored. Stick to your girl's weaves of hearing stupidness. You know, you want everyone to like you black, white, pinko, teletubby or whoever? The white world is out to get you. What if it is? Let it be for the right reasons, not cause of some dumb movements or second-rate complex logic. You're just a human being like everyone else. Stop caring what other people think of you and just do you. Whatever that is, just do you. And admit that you're attracted to me and I'll admit that you, I don't like your attitude. Now we can leave it at that. There's no more to say. I need to get home. The walled curtain approached her with the old issue in the door. He opens the door to lay up and she steps in. It's dinner time. St. Anthony said I would trip on a she-she, but I am still standing. Eggs or chicken stew, St. Anthony. The choice is yours. Scene 11, dinner. There's shoes seen to welcome the women. The women arrive. Scene 11A, dinner, USA. A large dinner table. I know. The cosmology, it's polyphysic, but unlike, say, states. Child, I'm well aware. You can't really conceptualize if I'm an American, you're a central point of view. And also in the U.S., it's different than the other regions in the diaspora. The British, they don't really think about that. Well, they claim that it's like a pigeon form of the Queen's English. What is? Black American vernacular. On TV? No. Wait, are we talking about TV? No. As opposed to its West African origins, the syntax, the sentence structure. If they want to claim ebonics, they can have it. But I don't think your average Brit caring of a black person here says for Anglophosphate. I don't flown to London or I already flew to London. They're too busy worrying about immigration and Nigerian drug lords, far as I can tell. So anyway. So, she comes home calling herself a nigger. She says, I am not a multi-purpose African farm race in America. Our history may have been eradicated by the transatlantic slave trade as opposed to what I'm thinking, the Chinese slave trade. I guarantee our village was not the continent of Africa. That's not what I said. What did you say? Because you couldn't have just rebelled like any other person. It goes way too old to search for our roots in Nigeria, not to mention walking around wearing a dashiki, which is a man's garment anywhere. She's not wearing a dashiki. I bribed her to dress civilized for the family reunion. I hear you. You can. Didn't she say she was a lesbian? Whoa. Okay, so your little soldier? Oh, your Tundi village. Is entirely a tourist trap for a naive back to Africa's. Um, have you been there? Been there. Before I edu-cify your little girl ass, let me go and break down. Okay. So she gets mad at Richard saying, I ain't picking up your cotton to death when he asked her to do some housework. Now, she's 22, not paying rent and mixing up metaphors. House slaves didn't pick cotton. Kids resent their stepfathers. It's natural. And he is white. Was that supposed to me? Yes, I noticed my husband is white and is missing dinner. Have you tried medication? Excuse me? Oh, sure. Uh, still here. Still here, people. To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- To su- Oh, I thought you meant something else. So, in other words... Oh, don't get me started. I'll be flying to London. She's not bipolar. Complain all she wants about her Jack and Jill upbringing, but this black mama know how to go, NEGRO ALL UP ON EYES! And I don't need to pay $50,000. Negrily, she's always been. This cover is delicious. Oh, thank you, honey. Too sugary. Too sugary. Where's your husband? I'm fixing a new business. Buying? Wait, are you calling my thesis? I mean, you stretch with the patois of the American people. Inhating. Excuse me? You're not to mention your overall point of view is highly confused. The lexicon is impatient. Most impatient with habitation. And your punctuation sucks. Okay. Don't you believe how long it took Obama to send help? If you have to be callable about it, why not be oral-historical? Isn't that your point? And wrap your thesis? I got an A. A! A what? Go! She got an A. This is committee, you know, her wife. Fuck her. Don't you dare denigrate my mental flair. Your points are fair. I do concede for validation I don't need. I'm not a multi-purpose African. I am a queen. Linguistic supermodel on the scene. I reign supreme. Watch me glean. Mental beauty is what I scream for. With Rosa Parks, I do sit-ins. Sitting, watching Oprah and Obama moving children. So join the truth calls to me. Can't you see? Chewing on indifference won't be. Too sweet. Too sweet. I proclaim what was lost overseas. Please let me breathe. Evoke my original Yoruba deities. Yemo ya, oh shun oh ya. The formidable three. Not confined to misogynistic ideals of what is sexuality. See? Never a pilot and always a pilot. For civil rights, I run a riot. Study this brainy sequel. Cool as Mary's sequel. I see through. Stand up for my people. Okay. Scene 11, dinner, Cuba. How to wait? It's bad manners to pick it through before everyone sat down. Who says? It's basic etiquette. You're 50 years of revolution and we still worry about that word? Well let's try to be decent. That's another word I hate, decency. It's the best, best thing to hypocrisy. If there are so many words you hate, perhaps you could do us all a favor and shut up. If you really want me to be quiet, let me eat. Just feed the sample first. But I'm hungry. You're always hungry. I'm killing. Morning to night, you can see my spine to my stomach. There's not enough cutlery. What's missing? There's enough spoons for everyone, but there's only three-fourths of three knives. Are you sure? I don't need a knife. Give mine to our guests. How are you gonna eat your meat? With my fingers. It gives me a headache just listening to you. He's got no respect for anything. Not even basic etiquette. Come on, sisters. Take a look around you. This isn't a tablecloth. It's a sheet. It's the sheet you sleep under every night, Oshun. The drinking water's in an old Coca-Cola bottle. Look, you think he's not gonna notice that? Even I can tell the difference between a Serbia and a bit of a toilet roll, and I'm a pig, according to Oya. So don't give me this etiquette bullshit. I ain't never seen you so edgy. He's not some stranger. He's our brother. You haven't seen him in 15 years. He's almost a stranger. He'll be exactly the same. No one's the same after all that time living in another country, speaking another language in a different political system. Is that all this? It's about for you? My brother is foreign now. That's the point. Don't say that. It's true. As soon as he decided to leave the country, we started treating him like a dog, calling him a traitor, throw him out of the house, threw eggs at him. He was a rat, a worm, but not now. Now he's a foreigner. He earns more than we do put together. We live off the crumbs. He sends us and he's here. And he's coming home like a prodigal son. Slay the fatted calf. You know what? This family makes me sick. Okay, that's enough. It's time to put things behind us. 15 years ago, we threw him out of the house because we believed in something. It was the right thing to do then. The world has changed. I don't care what he's turned into. He's missed us. And that's why he's been able to forgive us. This meal isn't the point. The important thing is being a family again. The country hasn't changed. If we don't throw eggs, it's only because we haven't gotten it. Knock at the door. Brother enters. Brother does the egg dance as the scene resets to Brazil. Scene 11 scene, dinner, Brazil. A modest dining room, a small dining table, simply laid with four chairs. Three of these places are occupied by sisters, Yaminja, Oshun, and Oya. I am just sick and tired of being happy. See? Can't a decent woman have her share of sadness and grief in this shithole city? They're saying that we'll have not one, but two carnivals when the World Cup comes to Salvador. Sometimes I just want to shove this carnival madness of that mayor's ass. Answer a shoe. Told you, didn't I? Didn't I sit out of here? Let me get out of here now before I kill this bastard. Please? Please what? You trickster? I'm offering you a chance to resolve this Muslim for all. Isn't this for the best? Shut up. Let him talk, Oya. Are you really taking his side after all he's done? After what he did to you? To all of us? No. I'm not taking his side. I want to hear what he's got to say. Say something, pig. I don't know. What do you want? Me to ask for forgiveness? For giving this role to shit that happened? I don't know how it all happened. You left the door open and I walked like a dog walking into a church or something. Is that it? I'm not a church, sister. No. Never been. And as for the door, it was never open. The door was closed. It might have been the other way around. No. No, it wasn't. And if it had been, I wouldn't have done it. Oh, come on. You fucking trickster. Hey, what happened? What can be done now? No, pig. I'm sorry. Why don't you stick your big sorry up your ass? You understand. You're older. You know. All I know is you owe me. You owe me and you owe them. If it's a question of money, Money! Give me your clothes. Eshu looks at Yamanja as if he hasn't quite understood what she has said. Oshun and Oya look at Yamanja too, but the latter pays them no attention. Get out there, take off your clothes. Money might come into it, but we don't need yours. Just take off your clothes. It wouldn't be the first time. Eshu stands up and moves away from the table. He hesitates. If this is the only way to put this shit away forever, continuing his distrust, he starts to remove his clothes. He takes off his shirt and starts to remove his clothes. What do you want now? Rip me. Burn me. Fill me naked. Dance. I want you to dance. How do you mean? D-A-N-C-E. Don't you know what that is? Up to dance, how? What was it? Eshu looks around. He looks at his ethicisters. It's as if he's about to follow Yamanja's order and dance, but he still doesn't do it. Dance. He dances badly. Yamanja stands at him for a time before finally moving towards the door. I'm going. No. Didn't we come here to eat? Why would we leave food behind? Because of him? Not today. Oshoon sits down at the table. Yamanja and Oya look at each other. Today we eat. Yamanja and Oya go to the table and sit down. The three girls start to eat. Their shoe starts to get it on. The girls start to take notes. Climbs on the table. They leave while he jarred it. He realizes they have gone. Scene 11D, dinner, weekend. The family and their respective places around the table stand up. Bama is sat stooped in a wheelchair. Yamanja slowly carries in a cake with lit candles. Everyone puts on masks. The Obama, the Queen, etc. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Dear, it's my blessing. Who's that? Mass. You don't like it? It's a lovely gesture, presided over and recognized by dignitaries. As opposed to as commoners. He's 100 years old. He's not getting a nighthood. He should. It's true. 100 years old. They should be here celebrating with him. If Papa was still in Trinidad, they would give him something. Give me my blessing. He's on his way. Again? I thought after last year. What happened last year? He was rude. Oh, let's not drag that up again. I hope one his shadow over today's guest. I was traumatized. What happened? Some sort of bush doctor. Oh. It was a witch doctor more like. Oh, watch your mouth. He wasn't a bush witch doctor. Just bush spraying water, chatting, slapping people with spinach, the whole shebang. I remember. He got a bit wavy. Wavy. He was like an African Richard Pryor, loud, drunk, offensive, cussing people out. He explained himself. He said I was caring and notchering. That sort of thing, not derogatory. He said some inaccurate things as well. Called Oshoon attention-sinking. He was rude. He claimed it was part of his foresight, judgment calls on people's nature. Like a tarot, palm reader sort of thing. It's a regular thing. Oh, okay. On granddad's birthday, a stranger turns up. An invited guest. Whispers to dad. He says, how long he'll live or something? Papa will be forever. Isn't that right? He called a reckless homewrecker. You shouldn't attack your sister like that. What? How am I? Are you starting with her? No, just saying it's not nice. Well, we don't know what he said about you. Quite a shocking accusation. I mean, talk about it. A womanizing drunk. That's what he said. He said not. I don't care about what you call yourself. You shouldn't be allowed to just crucify good people. I'm a good person. Is he coming again? It's not the same guy. It's a different baba lawo. A baba what? Baba lawo. That means crazy African bushtop in English. It does not. Please, please, please. Making fun of things he doesn't understand. Doorbell rings. Oh, uncle. Here we go. This guy coming is a serious thing. Reminds Papa of home. It's not a joke. It's a serious ritual. Baba. My blessing. Yes, I hope you'll be pleased. He's coming highly recommended. A man of great spiritual sense. And respect for ancient traditions. He's here to deliver your blessing. He's here to deliver your blessing. And he is baba lawo odilomi. Alan interest, dressed in African garment. Very happy to be with you all this evening. Please, sir, just call me Alan. This is different. Did you just say your name was Alan? Yes. This is exciting. You're telling me. He loves the pot. Oh, very African. I feel as if I'm intruding. Oh, don't be silly. You're invited. We were expecting you. Call me papa. What is this? Your blessing. No, don't mock me. I'm here to do no such thing. Just to bring you a laffia. I do not welcome this. What did you say it to him? Peace. A laffia means peace. Oh. That's good. Isn't it? Peace is good. Peace, Alan. This day's been a long time coming. What does that mean? Onomiji no latidebi ko ototemi. I've been your jury, are you? I share share. It's not a mistake. This is my culture. Your hands. I didn't hand him anything. Alan prostrates himself. Did you see me give him something? I didn't. Alan prostrates himself in front of papa touching his right cheek then his left cheek to the floor before getting up. I know who you are. The best to know who you have always been. I know you won't even hold your eye, young Hason. Scene 12, I belong. If I change my name tomorrow with my journey, stay the same. Hit your ride on a persona, arriving hall of fame. Should I reach a destination far away from me? Will there be a hall of mirrors revealed for all to see? You know that all their glitters is not gold, the stories have been told. That all and all will come to she who waits. So within ourselves are we divine, secret truth, and will we find that we are never meant to see what we can be. So one day, a woman sets off on a long journey. She pays homage to a shoe and asks all the orishas to accompany her on our address task. They set off as one, but as each crossroads presents itself, one by one, they find a reason to abandon her. I cannot cross the river in these shoes. I am late for my dance class. I have to help my father kill his favorite chicken. Only Oumila, the most steadfast of the orishas remains, but as the greatest obstacle approaches, he too makes his excuse. Even you cries the devotee. You have all left me when I needed you most. You are supposed to be my guides. Orinical says the deity. You only have your ori. In the ultimate test, it is only your inner head will guide you truthfully. Orinical, one other thing before I go, my uncle has inherited $14 million, which is as we speak, sitting in a secure savings bank in the house. However, he needs to transfer it to a recognized bank in the UK in order to access it. If you act fast and facilitate this transfer, you will be entitled to 6% or roughly $800,000 by Tuesday. Please come to me with your band details to take part in this huge bonanza. And my name is Eshu, and I will be in the bar after the... The chicken is on stage. Next to him, old Eshu, struck in the night. The company sings a sheshe. I'd like to talk to you. So here goes. I would like to comment on... I'm an optimist, not a globalist. I am a reader. But how long have you been量ing those sources? Not...? Not a fixed value of the stars anymore. I'd like to have a look and I have a positive feeling. Okay. So going easy, for staying into and first of all I think of oh yes the director but also the actress that deserve really another round of applause I ask Elise first what comes to your mind when you see the New York one-day rehearsal of a project you worked over four years just amazing and to see your responses is really just shows how the story works everywhere tell us a little bit more about the original idea it's such an unusual project tell us a little bit mention it but how did it work and with what countries would play writes how do you coordinate the well we had we had playwrights originally from the three countries that we've been working on in this project Nigeria Cuba and Brazil but we decided to bring in the United States and because there were so many great writers we could work with them because we know that there's you know that this is really related and of course how could we do that and not bring in the UK as well and there's a huge European culture there so we in the end we knew we would go for five writers but the original project had probably oh between 15 and 20 writers from all of those countries coming over to London on two occasions it should have been more but we couldn't always afford it and walking together in this workshop with Rufus Norris and myself and musicians we had a Cuban choreographer and we had a show like a King Boley who who did the music and Michael Henry so from Britain and over a period of time we had to hone it down to the five writers so Brazil was Marcus Bobosa Cuba was Junior Aguilera the UK was Bollahand and the US was Tanya Barfield which is a shame because she's an LA so so she's not here and I forgot one. Oh Nigeria was Ratsumi Babatunde so in the end those were the five writers and of course in weaving the stories the actors and the director all you know managed to to put that together too. What did you discover in the process of developing the project and it surprised you that you were almost the same thing that surprised me today that there are just some forces working in this story that's sort of beyond any of us and that touches all of us. It very specifically touches the journey that was made and the cultures that have been so deeply affected and have had such an effect on other cultures but I think anyone who sees this work really respects how much of the story is is part of them. I saw that here. Yeah so thank you Rufus by the way is now became the director of the National Theatre in London so that is also quite. His god Hisorisha is a Shossi who has one arrow but always gets a bull design. But that is amazing. How was as the last question how was the audience reaction London how long was the run and tell us the space where it was done. It was at the Young Vic beautiful theatre in the main house and there was and it was the audience was was absolutely packed and full and lively and participating. You can imagine you know there was lots of opportunity to participate so it was absolutely joyful as well as being a very deep and profound and tragic story as well. Thank you. We asked you some time ago but not too long ago when to put your teeth into this apple of that of a player. What was your experience. It's been amazing. It's been such a whirlwind. I mean for me the thing I was so excited about is you know I feel like we're in this moment in history where we get to kind of put pieces together that feel like they spent centuries getting torn apart. So it's really exciting to be able to think about your book culture West African culture African culture as a large and where the bonds between Africa and the rest of the world have been maintained you know and I mean it's so the kind of classic example of what this means to put everything together. We were having rehearsal today and Larry our amazing musician Max who's our amazing tap dancer who studied African music but he's from Austria and then our dancer who's from Cuba. We're rehearsing and she started doing a dance that is a leg buzz dance and both of them just started singing a leg buzz song and they just created this amazing music together. They've never met each other before. They come from three different countries but there is something that unites all of them. So it's been fun to kind of see where all those pieces are and to bring in these amazing actors many of whom are Nigerian some of whom are American and just kind of see what all those kind of connections and fusions are. So it's been fun. And do you have a personal connection also to Yoruba or how do you know you know it's so interesting. I mean for me what's been great is I also get to learn. So my family is from Ghana and but it's so interesting because as I was talking to a Nigerian Yoruba scholar the other day like my family my name is from the Ewi tribe in Ghana which kind of spreads from Ghana to Togo to Benin which kind of sits on the border of where Yoruba is also. So there's like even just linguistically these kind of connections even though it's not my particular culture or religion or anything like that. So for me it's been also a great learning experience too. You know I mean I think there's a lot of things within our larger continental African culture that we can all connect to. But learning about the different Orishas and the gods and all these kinds of things I've been learning for years to be able to bring that all together now has been cool. Yeah and so very often what we see in New York is in quotation marks the well-made British play. There's a beginning and an end and people sit around a table and then they talk and things. This is so different in the structure I mean the way it's a collage perhaps the great art form coming out of the 20th century but how do you feel does the work will theatrically and the dramaturgy of it would audiences respond to this year? What is your I feel like actually people can respond to it almost sometimes even more deeply when things are set up in vignettes than when they're set up in a narrative through line just because the way that we talk and we think and we remember the way that we have memory is not linear you know what I mean so it's really I feel like all of these vignettes it's about us capturing the spirit of each of those vignettes and letting those things live together but I think that that kind of floaty nature of it that feeling of oh this thing is present but it's also ancient those two things are living with each other at the same time so I feel like in a way it feels almost more natural than structuring everything linearly it's like it just our being in a way you know what I mean? Yeah absolutely I do and I do like the archaeology of the project it really feels like there was some digging over centuries and taking things out and the temporality that actually perhaps life on life force are not linear like one this one dies and maybe it is a circle maybe things are connected you know there is no you know history of theater it sort of was the Greek and then there was a time nothing then the French and the Germans and then Dada and this and then you know playwriting maybe you know there is something that connects us all on a on a level and especially of course this project so it really made me think of the ways how that's a temporality of the modernity of a culture and this archaeology could be brought on a stage in such a lively, lively matter and I thought it is quite quite inspiring to see and also perhaps a model for projects about many many other subjects about many other cultures because there could be the case made this is what it works here it could work for others and perhaps it is a playwriting of a 21st century to go away from the one author and to collage material and still have a dramaturgy. Shadei, thank you. Did you just discover that western culture isn't the only? No the linear part. No no no no actually we do a lot here. No no no but what I just mean is that what you articulated beautifully is the drumbeat of indigenous cultures around the world. We have been expressing ourselves from an indigenous point of view that has been powerful and that has created you know transcontinental languages and rituals and ways of understanding and being that have sustained this globe and I think that it's brave and exciting that this piece is brought here because what we can see is that this and it's reflective of what's happening in the world right now right these kind of the coming down of walls the coming down of colonial thinking of linear thinking ways to rethink our well-being and our holistic care of each other comes from these nonlinear kind of indigenous ritualistic cultures and languages that tip the kind of the the mainstream art world on its head and creates possibilities for what can be which is so exciting you know and like now more than ever in this day and age how exciting to have something where you can recontextualize something as traditional as the derivation of some of the institutions that brought this here with this wonderful folkloric stories that kind of are a quilt of indigenous culture so what was your reaction to the story watching it and seeing it my reaction that's an interesting question I would just say this you know National Black Theater was founded in 1968 so we kind of tackle a bit of that time period and what we were committed to when my mother founded the theater was ritualistic theater she didn't believe in the fourth wall she didn't believe in art for art's sake right so she believed that our purpose for creating art was to create dialogue to create healing within our communities and you couldn't do that if you didn't tell your stories from your purview from your PO view and and that if black folks in particular were going to find any liberation in a country that brought them here enslaved we had to have a past that did not begin at our enslavement and so that the natural connection would be to the continent now the continent is huge right why you're about and so what I found to be about this piece in particular that was so interesting what kept popping up for me in a way you did amazing job was that your culture was like the underground railroad right this common language spoken on transcontinental in transcontinental ways that created a common language hidden by Catholicism by colonialism by all of these things but its point of preservation was liberation and we see that from the 1700s to today in this play and so for me that was remarkable to be able to kind of trace through narrative this journey of our liberation by any means necessary the play did start in the 1700s you came I think a couple of minutes late but so it is truly and yeah a quite remarkable way of storytelling so would that be a play we're just in that that could be put on what do you what do you think would people come in New York we didn't have to be changed well who could put this on or is that something that is better suited for London no I mean so that's the thing we've been doing Yoruba plays since time immemorial it like since the beginning if you come to the theater all of our walls are created with art that tells the folklore of Yoruba who's it who's the playwright who's in the blue and brown waters so he's doing your yeah he's doing Yoruba stories so for so can it be done yes has it been done since for you know for centuries now who's the audience and how do you turn on an audience of traditional theater audience to something that may feel less traditional I think that's the key but will it work as theater it worked tonight it's worked for the last 50 years that we've been doing it it continues to work in modern playwrights and I'm sure what you found with all the playwrights that you worked with that it was an incredible experience that really translated to audiences but finding the audience that can really appreciate not only the cultural references but the power of what you were describing in nonlinear ways to perform and look at theater I think that's what we have to figure out completely any more comment people babies we open up to some questions but I think that I mean I think one of the things that's really tremendous about this piece that you hold a bit closer you that should is kind of touching on as well is is about where do store where do stories get told and how do those stories get told so for example the work that nbt has been doing for the past 48 years now is all about how to tell stories about black people from around the diaspora I think the thing that's really exciting about the piece is it's these these stories are stories that we hear I mean I'm first-generation American it's like when I hear them arguing around the dinner table it's like that's that's a story I know it's like I understand that that dichotomy of existing kind of also between two cultures it's very familiar it's it's so that it's not about is it understandable or relatable or accessible but more about where are all these stories gonna get told not that they are difficult to understand but who is getting to hear these stories and where the where the story is getting told and I think that in a place also where we are as a country figuring out how to rewrite narratives how do we write the narratives of who we are and kind of our popular culture we have to take all of the core of who we are and make sure all the stores are getting told so that we can make sure that we're telling a correct and true narrative of who we are you know what I mean thank you I think that's that is to also your comments and to see where is the audience but also might bring it in audience a new audience and another one so I can't wait to see to see that and I wish we I had a little magic head I say here's enough money do it work three months on it I think it would be a sensational production actually I do think quite a landmark play and that could be maybe even variations I think written again you know right now so another one so that is that is gonna would bring you back at least is actually a Brooklyn girl right and and now since 25 years at the Royal Court in London but maybe some comments or questions from the audience I'm impressed I think that would be very meaningful for Elise and for the direction for you to hear some yeah it's it's a great project but there is a little trap I mean it's too early to to see if you are gonna fall on the trap but it's kind of like a view of like the African identity from outside so it's kind of like and and you know kind of like a colonial view of African culture so I was so so my question that the segue is do you plan to do other projects let's say for let's say East African languages and stories and South African and you know because Africa I think it's not I think it's kind of like a colonial view that it's like this one unique like block but it's very diverse and very profound and very diverse and is the project gonna go there or you're gonna stay with the with the Yoruba project thank you I think I just want to say that I call all of this work told from the inside not from the outside and that all of the writers were telling it from their own experience which was mostly inside the culture but yes to answer your question we work all all over the world and we've just had an incredible project in South Africa with with 12 writers working in many different languages and and also we actually started our work 25 years ago in Uganda in East Africa so this isn't telling the story of Africa it's telling a very specific story but we always say the more specific the more universal it becomes I'm just curious why you thought it was not in any kind of what why what felt colonial about it I mean I don't know about the project but I you know I I didn't know if there were more languages like they're like picking Yoruba and then and then making the connections like that the Nigerian connections let's say with with Brazil and Cuba while you know why Nigeria could be like other places that's the that's the that's the seat of the Yoruba is in Nigeria so you can go to Osho bow to the bush go to the ocean groves I mean it is this it is the seat of Yoruba culture worldwide is in Nigeria and it has roots and diasporic reaches out throughout the continent and throughout Brazil Cuba America knees so yeah but maybe that's over you had it one and then two and then three then four maybe so that was definitely a provocative question I'm tempted to answer that but on but I think that more people have things to say I I want to say you know that I really enjoyed the play so you know I think everybody who was involved in it I'm a graduate student here in urban education and I'm particularly interested in linguistic so I saw myself reflected throughout it I'm also an initiated priestess and Haitian voodoo so I'm looking at it I'm seeing myself reflected I'm seeing the what I called you know in this trans language and happening this trend dialecting happening that I can relate to growing up in New York City being African American you know being growing up in you know Brooklyn New York Flatbush Brooklyn where there's all kinds of you know multi there's a multi ethnic black identity you know throughout New York City and then particularly in those areas so when I think about you know in terms of the audience I think wow how wonderful would it be for youth particularly in New York City to be able to be exposed to that so the children who were here you know it was that you know they were a little bit young for some of the content you know you know but I think from you know for more for more mature you know audience for high school I think that it's it's it's crucial to have this kind of work because it's speaking to their experience it's speaking to that you know to that third space right that you were talking about you know the you know kind of third world third culture children right it's speaking to that identity so I think it's really important and then I also want to say that as I was watching and I was thinking about you know I'm not too too much read up on it but I was thinking about very Clark thinking about literary theory I was thinking about you know very very Clark's idea of of of dial no what is it it's diasporic literacy right so it's something that I'm really interested in this idea that you know that you're interpreting that there's certain you know certain forms right certain folklore forms certain you know forms of expression that you know that it's critical you have to have this kind of diasporic perspective in order to translate in order to understand it you know so it could be because it's not rooted in one tradition but it's something that kind of happens like this creolization right that happens with with language with expression with identity and so that's what was running through my mind you know is this wow we really need more of this diasporic literacy we need more texts we need more you know just you know more forms of literary expression that that reflects that because so many children I mean I grew up in the 80s and you know forget about it now these children who are growing up now it's even more so so I think that a play like this is is something that more accurately reflects their lived experiences so I think that you know that it'll really take off in other you know really throughout wherever you you know wherever you have black people it's gonna take off you know and then I think other people be able to connect to it too but I'm particularly interested in the children thank you thank you what was number two was there yes thank you sir I mean with the gunion who soon will be gunion let I'm speaking Garifuna is a language that my ethnic group from where I come from speaks still and we strictly connected with Yoruba of course because the African from where with the sense came to San Vincent the Grenadines where then mixed with Caribbean and other indigenous people at a wax and we are the results and fear and still my my people still lives in Central America where we develop and still fighting something that is very important I really appreciate of this play is the fact that is not resolved what I mean by that is that you just picture yourself and identify yourself with that because you're looking everybody very well-defined but because you go deep into the spiritual part and you have to find yourself and I think that is very important thing for us to connect and not forget the aspect the aspect that really holds up Shadee that's your name you mentioned something that really strikes me very much is that you said that in order to identify yourself we have to go to all the aspects of the Yoruba tradition the religion aspect and I find that in us and it's important in order to be strong in this actual time in 21st century we need to connect and to connect with our identity and that force also I saw it in in the representation of the different deities is that we as a woman we represent that and we need to connect with that thank you hi I'm of course an academic and an Africanist and my work is exactly this I begin in Yoruba land and I go all over and I spend my summers between Nigeria Brazil Cuba and the south and I'm writing my next book is actually on dramaturgy and on literature and the connections in all of these using the Yoruba paradigms so I'm very interested in finding out if there's a text you know written text that I could use because I already have the paper in my head and where I can get it and also I would love to speak to you more because I work with a Afro-Brazilian theater group in Brazil Bando de teatro all doom and they're doing in Salvador in Salvador they've been you know one of the groups that have been involved in this and I was this is like this is exactly what they would do and you know kind of like bringing that stuff you know bringing it all together you know and I'm working in translations of the Bando's work so you know it's this is really bringing all the word full circle and I congratulate you on this tell us a bit what did you see in the play when you watched it what I saw definitely the connections and the way that the deities are expressed all across the you know in the different realms and even the fact that the very end you brought in the Shangot like well you brought back to Trinidad and you know I immediately thought of the Trinidadian Baptist you know and and then of course the white priest who was initiated there's a whole new layer of phenomena that's coming out in the African world and so it's like and of course assesé you know Yemoja the songs and everything that's those songs are very pan african pan diasporic there are various their songs that are very particular but those songs in particular that you use you find them everywhere everywhere you go and you travel that's those are the those are like the central songs yeah you know so there's so much everything is there and the characteristics of the deities it's all there you know I have to say I love the white bubble out because one you know you see more and more of it and it's always when you walk into a room but then when you think about it too like one of so my head is Yemaiya and one of the places that I was raised was in the Oshun groves in Oshokbo and if you've ever been it's a UNESCO sacred site and it's all carved with new sacred artwork and the mother of the grove is a German woman Susan Wenger who passed away a few years ago but she was a Oshun priestess and the work the artwork that has come out of Nigeria for the last however long she was really the foremother of protecting and making sure that that work got into the world and preserved and so I love that even that bridge I'm working basically like in in this genre as well but I'm just starting into it but from a dance perspective yes and I'm gonna do a project this this coming like spring so I was like that's why I came out to see it so I really appreciate this is going on and I would love it like the text as well but first I want to say that this particular format of non- linear storytelling kept me present so it was very like what she said that the children can really relate to it because it keeps you so present you don't have to think about the past and you're thinking about the past you're thinking about your present you're thinking about your future and that that non-linear thinking actually like affords us that and like lets us be able to create from this moment because it keeps us right here in the moment like while it's happening as opposed to thinking like things are happening in this timeline but things are happening and right now so that was I was really appreciated but I have a very specific question it deals with the like toward the end the last text when the the white Bible out came right and when he spoke at the end so I was thinking okay I would love to know like have a translation for what he was saying to him so that was the only part where I was like okay I was just very curious like I got the point but then I also wanted to know like think about it like opera really half the time you don't know what they're saying but you can feel it you know and I think it's powerful that the year yeah the year but a language was being spoken one of the plays that we developed through our playwright residency was in a BBO 30% of it was an in BBO so you the opening scene is two Nigerian women at JFK airport speaking their native language and the playwright who's a Ghanaian no Nigerian first-generation Nigerian she made sure that 30% was done in a BBO because because then this is what I thought you were getting at was Africa is not a country it's a continent and the tongue of our people is varied and we never get to hear our tongue right we hear English we hear French we hear all of the derivations of the colonial of the people who that colonized the continent but to have that moment where you actually get to hear your but you don't know what it is but you could feel it and that's what and it happens all the time the opera is perfect it's all in Italian what the hell are they saying I don't know but I love it and I'm a subscription older so you know I think it's just going off of that too and all these different things that we're saying about connectivity between places it's that you know like one of the really interesting things in in the script the way that the language is written out to guide the actors is phonetically so they can they can hear it but the Yoruba language is a tonal language and so when we think about the way language is spoken and then a language that gets stripped away but then gets pushed into other things like music right so suddenly there's like a new vocab like the music has taken over the vocabulary of the voice and that's something that has pulsed through time right so that even someone as a tap I mean a tap dancer the evolution of that form of dance is all connected to those rhythms so the things that he's speaking are the rhythms that we feel inside of us it's our pulse it's like the way we understand breath and who we are so even without even without the words I think that was the intent probably of having him speak and it wasn't projected exactly exactly and you in the sense that this person there's a truth to him that is connecting to the truth of the of the father you know what I mean yeah I should just add that of course the play was written partly in the Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese and they would and that bit was translated but so there were many languages involved in the play yeah I was just gonna echo what they were what they both talked about in terms of for me that the flesh point was the the white bubble I was in Cuba yesterday and I went to a rumba ceremony and half of the dancers were white and I walked in and I was really shocked but it was momentary because it was so everything just gelled it was like I saw that for a minute and it and afterwards I did ask one of the the performance I said oh how did you come to do and he said oh a British guy and true and he said oh I just took a million and one classes that's all you know but they it was with so much ease and just a communication between you know all of it and I it was really impressive for me and I really actually liked that about the ceremony that they were really that the language of the dances and the culture and was sort of transcended all of that right which you don't see here as much which is I think was beautiful for me and seeing it there just sort of again with the white guy just sort of brought it alive and and not to say that sometimes that is not that is problematic right like it's not and what was great about that scene was everybody had a different reaction you know and ultimately the blessing was recognized by the fuck the elder and that's what really mattered but to that dynamic is can be troublesome it's not all gravy I just wanted to to add that many of the people have talked to over the years one of the things they talk about is how Africa is colonizing everybody and how in fact the powers are being inverted through the spiritual paradigm and within the spiritual paradigm everyone comes to the sources of knowledge who are usually black folks and they're bowing down to these sources of knowledge because they recognize that this transcendent sphere this kind of other articulate this other knowledge is something that they need like the young man the man who needed the the instruction from Yemen to go get his biofuel wealth you know that their understanding that there is something else that they're gaining and so they're willing to forget or you know they transcend their ethnicities and their their colors in order to kind of bow to what Africa has given the world okay thank you actually I'm a Yoruba person so I grew up in Nigeria so I really enjoy the place so I like the culture and the tradition that it portrays and then the links between the rishas the Yemoja the ocean and I think a one thing that I mean that was missing like a we didn't see I mean I mean which is a very important ratio in Yoruba land as one of the I mean characters there and also towards the end I think instead of Babalawu you know revealing something of I mean it should have been Romila so because he's the grand priest so and I think another thing maybe in the play like a Kola not also play important role in Yoruba land and I think it may be that what could have also set certain stage maybe when you are talking about Rory for example so Kola not will have been an important symbol that can be used so in diary guide so so I really enjoy it I think it's really good and so many difficult choices to make because there were a lot of people who were in Yoruba but I agree that Ogun was is a very important deity to but I think that there's also something to be said for breaking from tradition because you're right you're absolutely right and I think that's the that when you start to link the tradition with theater and especially I don't know the playwrights but a lot of first generation have one step removed from the tradition tradition so they may not throw Kola not but they understand who's the Orisha for their head and I think it's important to start telling also first generation stories of how their culture got translated through their other their that third experience so you're absolutely correct about the symbols and the way the tradition is traditionally practiced I also want to add that there's something very exciting about the mundanity of the transatlantic translation of tradition and of course to focus on the women I mean that was a decision that all the writers made that they would choose the three female strongest female deities I was excited to see the children here I think that was I'm just so sad to see not here for the Q&A because they could have really given us an insight into their culture in late 90s I helped develop the New York City Board of Ed Project Arts website and one of the things that I tried to do and we did was try and look at where the kids were coming from and what their interest was and what was their interest but music language fashion and sex and so but a lot of their culture especially the black kids came from Africa and they didn't know that so one of the things that we were trying to do is show them their language and their music that it came from there so they would have roots because many of us don't have roots whether we're black or wherever we come from some other place and I loved your comments about what I call experiential storytelling the nonlinear storytelling because that really engaged and I love that it was in the middle because we felt like we were not just we versus them and I think that's one of the things that the question is how do you bring this to young people and revise it so that maybe they catch on and want to learn more about their culture I mean at National Black Theater we do I mean we've done Orisha plays forever I think the folklore of Orisha plays and indigenous cultural plays is just lends itself to young people but our founder my mother Dr. Barbara and here the point of putting on these kinds of productions were for I mean our our first ensemble like the our opening company were all teenagers I mean now they run the they run the show and their elders but it started out to give youth an identity in this country that gave them roots past their enslavement I would like I think that you know I think the really interesting thing about a piece like this is because it's something that we because something that we don't see very often I think we're tempted to frame it as something outside of ourselves when it's not when it's something that's very integral to who we are on every on every level so in terms of I think bringing young people in bringing all audiences in it's about just making the connection of who we are fundamentally as people rather than you know I was sick this about Shakespeare people say oh they feel like it's something outside of themselves it's not outside of you talking about something very essential to human nature and I feel like that's the thing that this play captures too it's like what is the how how is it can how what's the way that we're all connected not that we have to reach outside of ourselves to access something how does it affect us at our core you know I would like to as well sorry but one of the one of our actors how did it maybe come a bit closer here and you Chen can give you a mic but how did it feel to to be asked to be in the play what did you expect and what came out of it and so what was your experience actually I'm gonna try not to cry it's it was very emotional for me and I'm surprising because I have been in Washington State actually doing a teaching artist residency out there and I have a two month gap so I came to New York and then I think the day after I landed I got an email from a boy a like would you like to be in this reading I got your contact from Chinere Anyang Wu who is a really phenomenal casting director who really does a great job of staying in touch with actors of African descent usually first generation African American and it's been emotional for me because first of all I'm sitting in this room and I think for the first time in my life I'm realizing that I'm well I'm Yoruba and I'm first generation Nigerian American and growing up I grew up in New York City and I would meet people who were first generation Caribbean American first generation Puerto Rican American first generation Dominican American and I always felt some sort of tie to them but I never knew exactly what it was and now I'm 30 I'm gonna turn 31 on Wednesday and just being back in New York and specifically being in this room I'm seeing people who are from St. Vincent and I see the Yoruba and them Haiti and I see the Yoruba and them and Trinidad and I see the Yoruba and them and it's like whoa Yoruba is if most people there's a lot of people who are Yoruba you know it's not just Nigeria anymore it's so now I feel like okay I've got these cousins across the world and that's why all these years they've been somewhat speaking to me spiritually it's also emotional for me because when I have finished reading the script I was reminded of a romantic relationship that I was in was my first relationship and it was with a man who was Ibo American and he was a little bit older than me and he practiced capoeira and so he would tell me these things about if I and I didn't know anything about if I my parents raised me Christian my father was Muslim there are a lot of Muslims in Nigeria and usually people who go down that path choose to well I can't even say it's a choice because of the type of schools they go to they're not encouraged to embrace if I they basically have to cut it off and there's they still are Nigerian and they're proud but they the religious aspect is cut off so being in that relationship it it it it made me open my eyes and sort of reconnect with Yoruba heritage and so this play reminded me of that reconnection and how important it is for me to hold on to that especially now that I'm coming into a time in my life where I'm thinking about family and what am I gonna pass down to my children are they gonna be watered down or because I know I'm already watered down and I don't want them to water down anymore so it's been very crucial for me not just as an artist but personally to be a part of this reading and I really do hope that it becomes a production here in the US thank you so much thank you well I think that it was a wonderful I think a moment to keep in them in the room you know and think about it and approach it but I think I would like to thank you all for coming also you know thank you so much for a Shadee for joining us again this is a remarkable and at least to have the vision with the writers to create something it's an experiment you never know how do things work out do they come out as a very courageous I think you found something in there and it is really our hope that it works out so perhaps if you know people and who are in the position to make decisions you know tell about the story or maybe somewhere you do your own work or you know included whatever it is but I think this was a remarkable evening I'm so honored and proud that we could do this here at the Siegel Center I was the summer in Sao Paulo and I saw the Afro-Brazilian Museum and you told me about the the plan it was such a world some of something it spoke to me is that we now finally should do it and I'm really really on and also thanks I said no it's not possible yeah she said Frank forget about you can't do this that's a good reason to say yes we can but we went back and forth and but you have to watch the DVD at least yes but also one thing I'm here for helping us to make that happen and to everybody so thank you and join us for a little reception thank you