My overall impression
I really enjoyed this show. What it lacks in structure it makes up for in heart. A mostly young cast was full of energy and the need to be heard. It is an important story of America that needs to be heard.
We are luckily told at the top that this is a workshop intended to bee seen at schools. So we in essence give it a huge break from our typically snobbish theatre selves (maybe just me) and allow ourselves to enjoy what we are shown.
The students enter performing a traditional dance until one breaks out into modern club dancing and a fight ensues. It is unclear why or where the students are gathered at the beginning. They then proceed to have different opinions about the US boarding schools for Native children and how these schools stripped, or attempted to strip, Native people from their heritage. . They act out some of the horrors from these schools from turn of the last century to now. They seem to be using some actual lines from government reports but it is unclear if that is true. These series of vignettes are somewhat awkwardly presented from the group arguing over the necessity of change vs heritage. It’s fairly biased, of course, but kudos for presenting contrary opinions. In the end, I finally got it when the students come out performing another traditional dance and then all dance free form, including the charleston, and synthesize a modern student’s need to be cool with a passion and respect for traditions. It is not perfect but it theatre from the soul with something important to say. Well done guys!!!
