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Last Updated: Feb 1st, 2008 - 09:56:02 |
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| Photo by Jean Jacques Tiziou |
Low: Meditations Trilogy, performed by Rha Goddess at the Public Theatre in Manhattan, transports us to that world where one out of ten people on the streets is a woman begging. It explores invisibility and a dire state of life, amplified by the intersection of marginalized identities and circumstances.
The topic here is addiction, the dependency that arises from medical prescriptions, as experienced by people with fragile familial and communal structures. Lowquesha comes from a family where the women in her life do not provide the love that she desperately needs to do well in life. She starts taking anti-depressants and other medications during her late adolescence. Years later, after physically attacking her mother, Low is kicked out of her mother’s house. Meanwhile, Low’s sister prioritizes material security instead of fully devoting her attention to family issues. The sister serves as a telling example of the choices people make in an individualistic and capital-driven society. The other characters, appearing in brief glimpses, are not wholly demeaning. Their desire to save themselves reflects an alluring pragmatism. Left to her own vices, Lowquesha experiences the realities of being on the street and her particular vulnerability as a female is exploited.
The linear progression of the show is coupled with Low’s mental and emotional regression, yet is energized by Rha Goddess’s electric portrayal. She reveals the interior deliberations of a person who is often seen as a spectacle and fully exposed. She reveals how a sufferer like Lowquesha is most silenced when sociological and psychological mishaps turn into a physiological disability.
This melancholy story does have its comedic moments but, despite the humorous commentaries, laughter does not come easily. The bitterness of Low overpowers its sweetness, leaving only the possibility for us to display a courteous smile or fleeting chuckle that can easily mistaken as a sigh.
This is a narrative that cuts close to the bone.
Low: Meditations Trilogy Part 1 will be showing as part of The Under Rader Arts Festival at the Public Theatre, for more information visit http://undertheradarfestival.com
For Rha Goddess’ upcoming shows and the partnerships with health initiatives visit http://rhaworld.com or http://www.rhaworld.com/LOW-SpecialEvents/index.html
Astride Charles is a writer living in New York City
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