The homeless or previously homeless individuals who partook in the LAPD "experience" all manifested some sort of magnificent spirit or unmanufactured soulful beauty. I think this energy they have, one that is many times inherent in those who have seen the dark side of this world, allowed our group to be at ease in our varying confusions. We were able to love these people and sit back, and yet know that questions should be asked. Their willingness to share themselves, their openness to performing for a group of privileged Calartians, their lack of petty judgment, their honest laughter was much more moving than the "show" LAPD had planned for.
However, I am not sure this is the way that I should have been moved. I think that we are past realizing the beauty of gritty humanity. I think we all know that impoverished people have dreams and aspirations. Yes, this is touching, but I do not think we went to Skid Row merely to marvel at these survivors. We went to see a theatrical presentation.
The pace of the show lacked umf, many of the skits seemed quite unrehearsed, The skits, quite honestly, were not well written and very timidly skimmed deeper subject matters. I am only being so harsh because it is obvious that the Skid Row performers had something serious and special to bring onstage that got lost somewhere. Their "magnificent spirits" were not put in the scripts. There was a scary gap between the vivacious energy available in the performers and what LAPD made of that energy.
(Holland?? What are these people talking about?)
Ahlam
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