“The Light” Julia W. Rath

Collaboraction Theatre is currently featuring “The Light”, or the second annual Chicago Youth Theatre Festival. From dancing to poetry slams to serious and funny monologues on the state of our times, college-age students take the helm: all of whom were chosen through a competitive submission process. Comprised of ten different short segments, each written and produced by these aspiring young artists, the production varies so widely in content and artform that it would not be fair to attach stars to this review.

“The Light” is cutting edge, timely, and up-to-date… and takes place via video on Zoom. The show consists of two acts, seventy minutes in all, and is moderated by a young woman named June, who also appears in the closing scene and rouses us with her cheerleading: “Now it’s time for the standing ovation!” While the Collaboraction Theater website lists the short videos in alphabetical order, the actual performance moves from one type of artistic expression to another, with a break between each of them to run credits.

The very first scene features Teh’Ray Hale Jr., who envisions himself being a dancer in “Make Your Mark.” It presents his excellent hip-hop style as a part of a cleverly-produced dream sequence. This is an especially appropriate performance to open the show, because it demonstrates how all of the participants have a dream for themselves in addition to the actual performance that is soon to follow on the virtual stage.

My personal fave is “Today”, a short drama written by 20-year-old Christian Aguilar, who combines his expert writing skill with a maturity well above his age. His sketch internalizes current events and boils them down into one anxiety-ridden conversation between a loving father and his trusting but naïve teenage son, a young man who understands love but not the ways of the world. The larger theme is that we are taught to love thy neighbor, but what about the current situation: where we fear our neighbor? “Today” takes place near the end of the production; it is well worth waiting for.

A notable spoken word piece is JJ Binion’s “Make America Great Again”, which is not only performed in the first act but repeated in the second. A solo performance featuring the poet-author as an invented character, Binion, who is black, fleshes out the words of a fellow student from Drake University and a black Republican pastor who supports Donald Trump into a poignant critique of government and politics. His original song, “Don’t Trust the New Niggers Over There” is one of the highlights.

Another feature is Daniela (Dani) Mauleon’s narration of her own story as an undocumented immigrant who was once detained by ICE in Sandusky, Ohio. She describes the emotional roller coaster which has become her life. The question is an easy one, “When will I get citizenship?” The answer is not so simple. Aria Mallare likewise speaks about whether America will live up to its promise of ensuring liberty and justice for all.

Other performing artists and writers include (but are not limited to): Ethan Akins, Cari Bermudez, Antwon Funches, Greyson Smith, Graffiti Rhythms Dance, and the Collaboraction Peacemaker Ensemble, all of whom are buoyed by a professional tech team.

This online show is a counterpoint to the heavily produced Democratic and Republican conventions that are currently being broadcast on television and streamed on the internet. But this youth-generated program is no less important—far from it—despite the fact that it is far less polished. It displays what young people can do with their burgeoning talent and how they choose to speak their mind about social justice issues and other relevant concerns. In an era of COVID, there is still the need for these performing artists to connect with one another while taking proper steps to maintain social distancing from cameras and sound equipment and from each other. And of course, we the audience get to see the happy result online from the safety of our homes.

Audience members can watch “The Light” and get access to other digital programming by subscribing to the Together Network for $5 per month. Go to https://www.collaboraction.org/

for more details.

Collaboraction is Chicago’s theatre for social change. Please consider a donation of any amount to support Collaboraction’s 24th season Transcendence Matching Campaign by going to Collaboraction.org/donate

UNRATED- To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Light”.