Ramble-ations: A One D'Lo Show

“Gay Hindu Hip Hop- These 3 things make me but don't allow for one another.
This is my attempt at fusing these elements
of my being (and my imaginary friends) onto the stage”
– D’Lo

This show raised a multitude of issues surrounding the topics we've studied individually in class. While it is great to separate certain elements of our being (i.e., culture, dress, gender) in order to understand their significance and individual qualities, the reality is that these elements often cannot be separated from our being or understanding of self. In D'Lo's Ramble-ations, she relates how the essential elements that define her very being are also in constant conflict with each other: her sexuality, ethnicity, and gender each seem to contradict what the other prescribes her to be. It is fitting then, that this show came at the end of our semester. Being able to see the complexities of these individual characteristics and how they interact with or conflict with each other was powerful realization of all our readings and discussions combined. It was enjoyable (although sometimes uncomfortable) to experience this through a live performance and recognize the reality of what makes us similar but different.

Most striking to me was hearing D'Lo express the grief, anguish and distress she felt in her own skin; yet, she says, she keeps this body for the theater. Keeping herself in a body in which she feels uncomfortable the majority of the time for an art which can hopefully express some of her difficulties and relate this to an audience is a gift. While I can hardly begin to understand how D'Lo must feel, I do relate to the fact that at least once we have all felt uncomfortable in our own skin. Similarly, I feel that we all have gifts and are put on this earth for a reason: to share those gifts with others. Although her gift is also a burden, D'Lo bears it in the hopes that she can communicate to and educate people regarding acceptance, understanding, and the complexity of the human race.

After hearing Pangea founders, Meena Natarajan and Dipankar Mukherjee, speak, I was even more impressed with Pangea and its mission. Named after the original land mass from which we all originated, Pangea World Theater in Minneapolis gives a voice to those who are often under-represented in theater or the arts (or perhaps even in the world in general). I was also pleased to hear that Pangea not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. They epitomize their different philosophy not only in the work they produce, but in the ways they audition and hire actors, hold meetings, and generally operate their company.

During our class discussion, Dipankar posed some thoughtful questions that related to our previous (Wilkins) reading on space. He questioned rather we need space for legitimacy and if it is possible to create a truly secular space. While he was asking these questions in the context of Pangea's space verses the Guthrie, this same question applies to culturally expressive spaces in general, and leads me to question: Is cyberspace the only truly secular space? In cyber- or virtual space, we can mask our identities, or claim new ones, and create a democratic, secular space in which the threat of persecution is minimal and our expression is welcomed. Exploring virtual space as a identity constructor and an adaptive environment conducive to change was a concept that informed the i+TiBET project that Carrie and I worked on this semester, will continue to filter through into my thesis work in the coming year.