WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED - A declaration of Resistance

That's the title of this year (2005)’s Artists Against Rape Performance.

The performance as a whole was powerful however, unassuming. At some point, I was tearful and I noticed that almost everyone seating around me was crying.

Ok, may be they were tearful and I was bawling, can’t tell for sure, everything fogged up.

Anyway, here are some of my favorites:

The Shiva Temple by Sandhya Sood
She has incredible sense of timing. The whole piece was artfully constructed and well performed but I just could not get over her PERFECT timing! She must have been well trained in classical Indian dances. Her gestures, even in the slightest, expressed meaning, sparse and none wasted.

Anyway by Khalil Anthony
His gentle, soothing voice steadfastly plodded along so, ordinary; it draws you in like a cuddle.

No, Stop, Crazy by Staa Jabu
Looking at this silvery haired woman reading her poem, you cannot help but see a ten-year-old – the voice, the tone, the body language… and that bewildered innocence I am sure she still holds.

Fear by Nazbah Tom
It struck me that a poem like this one could only be written by someone who grew up with a ‘circular’ rather than ‘linear’ religion/ philosophy. She did not intellectualize nature, the earth and nature is part of her. It is ingrained in her being; it is the giver, the taker and the preserver of life. Indeed, it is life itself.

The Poem I was Going to Write by Katy Zofia
This young woman took her audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride, albeit a cushy one. Her poetry aside, she is a born performer; her comfort and ease on stage carried us along effortlessly with her swaying… as you being to feel the gentle breeze, she peppered you with a sprinkle of cool reality, still easy, no shock, never any shock. Ok, one shocker, according to the program, she is only 17.

Amalia Alvarez’s poem was empowering; makes you want to jump up and start a movement! =)

Roopa Singh’s Ask Yourself Questions was personal but not private; it was open and honest with universal appeal. Loved it!

Other Performers include Sara Flores, Tamara Rahman, Raven Kaliana, Melissa Rose and Erik Sanchez. All in all, it was beyond my expectations; the performers were remarkably talented.