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Guest Review
By Cath Hellmann
I admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at the PeaceBook Festival held at the lovely Kehrein Center for the Arts in the Austin neighborhood. But it was a delightful evening filled with loads of talent and positive vibes.
The first half of the program featured six local films created during the shutdown. Because their social justice mission, even during a pandemic, “doesn’t stop,” according to Artistic Director Anthony Moseley, who is a delightful host.
A Letter to My Younger Self by Ada Cheng addresses racism against Asians and how students choose “not to make a scene” when confronted with hurtful comments about the coronavirus. They accept rudeness of strangers rather than rock the boat. “Silence can be a strength but it isn’t always a virtue.” Ms. Cheng reminds her younger self to “be the troublemaker.”
Essential?...”Tengo que trabajar/I have to work” by Jasmin Cardenas is a moving tribute to struggling essential workers and how they fared during the pandemic. One Spanish-speaking woman is a street vendor who loses three months of business during the shutdown. Another Latina from Back of the Yards lost many of her clients from her cleaning business. People tried to help when there were stories in the news about how Hispanics were hit the hardest by the pandemic. A young African-American man copes with trying to find work.
Cardenas was in the audience and gave feedback on how all three of her subjects are doing currently. The vendor came down with Covid and is recuperating. The other two have been, thankfully, working again. It was very inspiring to have the filmmaker present to give us an update on these courageous individuals.
Brother! Blackbird by Vernon D. Gooden and Back to Me by Darling Shear both feature stunning dancing and visuals. Gooden was especially amazing in his outside dancing under the el tracks and on a city street corner.
I Am North Lawndale by Willie Round featured several everyday heroes in his neighborhood. There is a restaurant owner who donates back to her community and wasn’t looted during the riots that affected other businesses. There is a woman who has fresh produce that she contributes to others in a food desert.
Oh, Colonizers! is a wonderfully witty film written by Carla Stillwell about racism. The commercials feature a beverage called “Drink of Audacity” and a phone company with a lot of nerve called “Confederate Cellular.” There was also a game show like the “Dating Game” where the American bachelor post Civil War must choose between: Reconciliation, Emancipation, and Capitalism. Hmmm...what do you think our young country chose?? Ms. Stillwell has script #2 ready to film if she gets the funding raised. I’d love to see another episode.
The second half of the show featured poetry/spoken word, music, and an awesome band with a wonderful percussion section and xylophone. The big name of the evening was Broadway star Karen Olivo who goes by K.O. because “nobody wants to be a ‘Karen’ these days.” ;-) I was soooo hoping to hear her sing, since she originated the role of Vanessa in In the Heights and won a Tony for West Side Story. But tonight was a time for thought-provoking monologues.
Molly Brennan is a force of nature with her very commanding presence on stage. She played a ukulele peace song. She’s mesmerizing.
Abad Viquez is a charmer who goes by “Shorty A.” He arrived on stage in his motorized wheelchair. Abad told his background of being born with a disability and his parents being told he would not walk, talk, or live to see his first birthday. Shorty A is now a graduate from Senn High School, an aspiring actor, and a winner in the August Wilson Monologue Competition. A theater program, and his very encouraging teacher, kept him looking forward.
The most powerful performance, imho, was Anthony Wolf talking about his mother and his admiration of the Jackson Five. Wolf is a painter and an incredible dancer. He also tragically lost his mother, who was murdered five days after Christmas, by one of her johns. She was able to get her hands on $5k from another john to take her son to see Michael Jackson himself. Very moving story of love, devotion, and great dance moves!
Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved my evening at the 6th Annual PeaceBook Festival 2021. My date even bought me a Collaboraction t-shirt! I look forward to more in the future.
Cath Hellmann is a teacher, mom of three, theater lover, good troublemaker, and teller of tales, most of them true.
Collaboraction has long been a favorite of ours for social justice theatre and community based work. My son, Dugan, a Northwestern theatre undergrad, interned with their After School Matters teens the summer before last, crafting two original productions based on students' works. Prior to that, he attended the program for two years in high school.
Collaboraction asks the hard questions with thought provoking theatre, and unflinching looks at our city and beyond. Check out their excellent Peacebook Fest lineup. We'll be out today to recap the event, one of our top weekend picks. Don't miss this.
