yesterday i was blessed with the opportunity to see the broadway play "stick fly." i say blessed because this play opened back in december and it was one of those things i placed on my "to do" list, but i felt like i had a million other things that needed to be prioritized first. thank god i came to my senses (after much word of mouth from friends and buzz on twitter) and saw this play.
everyone needs to see this play...as in everyone. talk about cramming in topics ranging from FAMILY, love relationships, culture, economic status, race, interracial dynamics, etc into 2 1/2 hours of broadway magic. this play was nothing short of fascinating. to end my pitch, you still have 1 opportunity to catch this play...tonight at 7:30pm. call telecharge 212-239-6200. if you are strapped for funds, try to scrap together $40 for a rush tix at the box office. it will be one of the best investments you make. and here's why...
one of the main reasons we go to the theatre is to take a break from our own lives filled with responsibilities, expectations, obligations (the list goes on and on and on). we want to be reminded of who were are. daily life usually requires that we stifle our real emotions in order to remain sane and civil...or atleast appear to be. well the job of an artist is to cook our emotions into a nice simmer so that they rest right on the surface...then be able to simultaneously access and express them...so that everyone else can too feel their own release, see a bit of themselves in the process, and understand that at the end of the day what connects us all is our humanity. stick fly did that in a way for me that helped me tap into an area of my life that i tend to ignore or place on the back burner.
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| production still from the show |
"the first man who loves you is supposed to be your father. you were supposed to love me first. and best." - cheryl, stick fly
upon hearing the uber-talented actress condola rashad recite that line, my heart center immediately opened. whoa. a surge of energy warmed up in my heart and released itself right then and there.
you see we accumulate years and years of experience in the form of pain, disappointment, tragedy that if not fully released or expressed, these emotions set up shop and ground down firmly into our bodies leaving us numb, resentful, confused, forgetful, fretful. thankfully, my actor and yoga training help me deal with these emotions but some topics, i.e. my relationship with my father, can find a way to bury deep into my psyche and physical matter and hide away until that is...an experience in the present moment triggers a reflex from the past or i witness a piece of art that tells me it's okay to acknowledge and move through the pain.
please go to the theatre. release, purge, express, feel.
and if you're so lucky and able to do so, go see stick fly tonight. it will help you.
thank you's to the writer: lydia diamond, the director: kenny leon, the producers: alicia keys and reuben cannon and last, but certainly not least, the actors: ruben santiago-hudson, mekhi phifer, dule hill, tracie thoms, rosie benton, and condola rashad.
*image sources: www.stickflybroadway.com
