It’s been a couple of months since embarking on my Silence is Violence (SiV) journey.
Reflecting back, I think about how special it was to have had the opportunity to really dive in and explore the massive cacophonous timeline that was and still is the COVID-19 pandemic. A time when folks were continuing to deal with their own personal journeys, while also processing life, death, political upheaval, a civil rights revolution, etc. For 3+ years, individuals, our families, our communities, our country, and the world faced something together and no matter how isolated and lonely we sometimes felt, there was at least one other person who was sharing similar thoughts and moments.
Silence is Violence: New Normal was a perfect reflection of that time. Monologues, poems, and scenes expressed a wide array of experiences such that, I’m pretty sure, all of us involved felt personally touched by at least one artist’s contribution. Hopefully, the audience felt that way as well. I hope they were able to see themselves and their stories reflected back at them. And in the moments that did not hit as close to home, that they felt empowered to hold space, honor, process, and appreciate the diversity of life in our community.
I hope the audience, like me, appreciated the time to reflect. To think on things that maybe some of us hadn’t been given the opportunity to think on, in the name of “moving on” or “getting back to normal” because capitalism needed us.
I’m thankful for the time we took in rehearsal and performance to pause and consider. To listen and to be heard amongst this talented group of artists in a safe space, where masks and tests were mandatory and provided, was a gift.
YPT has been a supportive home for me for most of my career, and it was a thrill to be creating work under their mission again. Work that was thoughtful, fun, and community building.