Theater Preview

Race, gender, social and economic status all come together in the Women In Color second annual theatrical production, which opened yesterday.

Titled “InterseXion,” the show seeks to examine the point at which all of these variables overlap. This juxtaposition of social phenomena is also reflected in the very nature of the show, which includes a myriad of performance art forms ranging from Spoken Word to dance to acting.

Each art form is significant in that it demonstrates and depicts the specific issue being addressed in a unique fashion. Dance segments, for example, choreographed by Onnyi D. Offor ’05, Stephanie J. Dorvil ’05, Kimberly H. Levy ’03, Monique C. James ’03 and Kristin K. Bailey ’04, address issues of body image.

Producer Victoria A. Shannon ’03 elaborated on the improvements that the audience can expect to see in this year’s show. “Last year’s show was disjointed, and there wasn’t a natural flow from scene to scene,” she said.

This year, directors, Marie “Bernadette” Devine ’03 and Helen L. Istvan ’03 were careful to ensure smooth transitions for the several pieces of the show.

All of the segments of “InterseXion” are written by students, and the decision to utilize Common Casting provided for a diverse cast, which Shannon hopes will attract a wider audience. The show itself is a collaborative effort, drawing on the talents of various different student groups.

The student writers, including Jennifer N. Hawkins ’04 and Jasmine J. Mahmoud ’04, who is also a Crimson editor, often drew from their own experiences and were more daring with regard to subject matter in comparison to last year’s show, Shannon said.

She elaborated that the organization was trying to expand the production so that it was not only “women of color talking about themselves,” but also “[women] in color” showing their vibrancy. “We’re trying to pull in all these different communities, and show that [we] have more in common than we think,” Shannon said.

The themes of the student written skits and monologues are universal and range from sexual harassment to sibling abuse, abortion and life as an immigrant.

With “InterseXion,” the directors sought to develop and expand the idea behind last year’s show, “The Women in Color Project,” so that the end result became a more polished production with regard to both content and structure.

Though much of the show treats topics that are hardly frivolous, Shannon promises that there will be levity in some pieces that will challenge our notions of gender and ethnicity without trivializing the issues.

“The Women In Color Project” laid a promising foundation for future productions, and with the many efforts at improvement, “InterseXion” promises to be a quality show that will not only entertain audiences but will also stimulate them intellectually.

Shannon adds, “Theatre enthusiasts will be impressed [as well as] social activists.”

“InterseXion” runs through March 8, 7:30 p.m. all nights and 2 p.m. Saturday matinee