A medley of seven languages chorused throughout the main stage theater at Syracuse Stage during the opening of "Tales from the Salt City," on Oct. 17.
The cast members introduced themselves in their native languages, noting their native countries.
Lost Boy Lino T. Ariloka from Sudan, Gordana Dudevski from Macedonia, Rebecca Isabel Fuentes raised in Mexico, Cuban immigrant José Miguel Hernández, Syracuse native Albert Marshall, Cambodian refugee Emad Rahim and Jeanne Shenandoah from the Onondaga Nation made up the cast.
"You are going to America!" exclaimed a cast member during one of the scenes.
It was the world premiere of Ping Chong's latest installment in his Undesirable Elements series. Chong, an award-winning director and playwright, said the series of shows is intended to promote acceptance of others.
He travels to various cities creating shows based on residents' lives and came to Syracuse after he was invited by Syracuse Stage's producing artistic director, Tim Bond.
Seven Syracuse residents chronologically shared their experiences of immigrating to and living in Central New York with a virtually full house.
The stage was set in a semicircular rock salt pit which sparkled iridescently underneath the stage lights. Seven black chairs sat behind seven reading stands along the inner edge of the semicircle.
Performing in a chamber reading style, the performers remained stationary throughout most of the show, moving only during transitions.
It was evident that the performers were chosen for the depth of their stories and not according to their training as they occasionally and noticeably stumbled over lines and spoke on top of one another. However, there were some who outshined others conveying their tales with accurate intonation and expressive faces and gestures.
Chong usually casts real people to tell their own stories, perhaps because the shows are in the genre of documentary theatre.
Using examples from the performers' lives, the show tackles the issues of war, drugs, racism, identity and stereotypes.
Chong, along with co-writer Sara Zatz, recreates a rainbow of motions throughout the show.
They include cringing moments such as the explosion of a woman who stepped on a land mine in a Cambodian concentration camp.
There is also romanticism in the show as Dudevski recounts her husband's proposal to her in Macedonia.
Chong, who has a background in visual art, included a projection screen behind the actors. The pictures on the screen progress during transitions from maps of the world to family snapshots to Syracuse landmarks.
A sense of pride and disappointment in Syracuse was presented through the performers' descriptions of Syracuse's history. Topics include the schooling and assimilation of Native Americans, the Salt City industry at its height and its role in the Underground Railroad, the pollution of Onondaga Lake, the Civil Rights Movement, September 11 and the development of Carousel Center.
The dialogue is musical, accompanied by claps that signify transitions and introductions of new and important topics. The claps intensify dramatic moments such as the fall of Cambodia's capital.
Several native songs were performed throughout the show, giving the audience a break from the constant dialogue.
Some lines were delivered in a choral manner as the performers said "We are Undesirable Elements," "Knowledge is power" and "Welcome to America" in unison.
Marshall's taste of a cold pig ear sandwich, and Ariloka's and Hernández's first experiences with Syracuse winters served as comedic moments.
The show concluded with each performer explaining whether or not they will return to their homeland and their reasons for remaining in Syracuse if they do.
Surprisingly, throughout the show, the audience seemed very receptive and open to the themes presented.
Universal experiences of the pursuit of education, the loss of loved ones and hope for a better future suggested that we may be more like others than we think.
pmjackso@syr.edu
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