Emil Iqbal - Sitayana Blog

I had the pleasure of playing in the Gamelan for Sitayana this year, and lemme tell you guys that it was such a great experience. I think that Guru did a wonderful job of putting together such a great performance, and every person involved in it brought such enthusiasm and commitment to the project.

I'm very glad that  I played Gamelan, especially because I previously had no music experience whatsoever. In fact, I could pick out a beat from any song. And now, I can maybe somewhat keep a beat..sometimes. Point is, I learned alot about basic music, about how theater productions are put on (..many many long hours of rehearsal), and about the epic story of Sita and Rama. Thanks Guru for putting this all together, and thanks for everyone who came to see it!

Emil Iqbal - Blog on Class Presentations Blog 9

(Blog 9)

I just wanted to tell you all about how much I appreciated everyone's class teaching projects. I think that everyone did a splendid job. What I really appreciated is that everyone chose a topic that really interested them and ones that added value to the class. It was nice getting a quick glimpse of a wide variety of topics related to Sex and Race. I made a list of movies that I wanted to watch! I'll have to wait until after I get through finals until I get to watch them though!

Blog#11 Sitayana

Sitayana is a story of womanhood that draws from one of the the world's richest cultures and touches on fundamentally human topics, that are universal. In director Tanglao-Aguas' vision, which is beautifully adorned with exotic auditory textures and colors, there is a reversal of perspective, a small-scale paradigm shift as Sita's becomes the lens through which the audience understands the world.

Sita is that which allows civilization to exist. Born of the interactions between man and land, she is the personification of fertility, the momentum that allows for human stories to continue. Her bow is a symbol of her self-respect, which grows into faith- in herself and her lover, Rama. Even when Rama is exiled she dutifully follows. When she is captured she waits for her hero and only her hero. 

Sita's purity and honor forces the world around her to act accordingly. Though she is not a mother, there a rather maternal influence that she nurtures. And like all mothers, she sacrifices herself for the satisfaction of others. 

The reason why this is such a pertinent end to our discussion of race or boundaries in general, that delineate the difference between one or another individual, should be obvious. Every one of us have mothers and to one degree or another, we can identify with that. The contribution of director Tanglao-Aguas' work is such that it makes salient the fact that we are all sisters and brothers, despite all the evidence of the contrary. 

Rachel Fugate Sitayana Make Up Post: Shred the Veil, Till There is Nothing Left

Well now that Sitayana is over I have to say that I feel like my learning experience for one semester has never been so rich. This class was such an excellent accompaniment to the show that I would not have been able to see this class without it. Sitayana explored something that until recently I had not given very much thought to. Women and their roles in society in the past, now, and the future. Up until this point I was laboring under the impression that there was no difference between men and women and that the problem was a thing of the past. Therefore when I started the show I thought we were more showing a historical trial of women and not actually touching on something in our society today. That is why this class was so crucial to my understanding of the Sitayana because it brought about the underlying message. Spivak I think was crucial to this.

Queen Mondodari's trusty fan

            In one section of the play I feel like there was something that was done that no one but a select few actually understood. Those fans that I and the rest of Ravana’s harem had were not just for flare and spectacle. They represented something so important to these women. The ability to speak. In the traditional representation of these epics, the hands are the main form of communication. Without them the voice is restricted, trapped. The fans were the chains that bound our hands and therefore our voices. But when Ravana died we cast away the fans, symbolizing that we are free. Free to speak our minds, do as we please, live for ourselves. While this is a much more happy ending then some of the women that we were introduced to in class, I still felt it had a very powerful message. The harem freed themselves, Sita was not their savior but she was happy for them.

            Sitayana created this world around me that was so rich with a culture that I can still now barely comprehend because it is so different from my own. Like most of the communities that we have met in this class, it has left me with more questions then I care to admit. But also with this sense of exhilaration that the world is not as small and simple as I have previously believed. And while certain things both in this class and Sitayana have rocked the foundation of my understanding of what is actual reality, I am still ready to shred even more of the veil that is in front of my eyes and see the world for what it truly is. 

Sitayana Makeup Blog- Jessie Dzura

The Asian performance piece Sitayana takes the audience into another realm where gods and goddesses experience womanhood the same way as the every day person. You are swept into this other world by the enchanting music of an authentic orchestra and a fabulous multi-purpose set. But what is it that brought me into Sita's world? It was two things: the costumes and the lack of dialogue. The costumes transformed the entire show and made me believe in such a performance piece. Before any dialogue, dances, or noises, the costumes showed someone's personality to a t! As an audience member, the second someone was on the stage, you know what their part in Sitayana would be. There was the wise old man trope, evil demons and monkeys, brave princes, etc. Additionally, the costumes were emphasized by the limited dialogue throughout the show. At first, I was extremely skeptical about the show when I saw the screen and projected dialogue. I thought it would be distracting and would keep me from watching the intricacies of the actors' movements. However, I found myself enthralled by the costumes and actors rather than the screen. For the most part, as an audience member, you could interpret the action without reading the plot summary. As they always say, "Actions speak louder than words!". I was also particularly moved by the cut to intermission. The scene with the bird and the demon reminded me of a swan song and a moment of redemption for the characters! It was incredibly moving and a way to keep audience members trapped in the world of Sita.

Laura Menzel Blog #11: Sitayana

Wow.  Let me start by saying that I am so impressed by the work put into Sitayana.  The attention to detail in the performances, set, music, and other aspects of the play was mind boggling.  Everyone who had a part in the production should feel immense pride for the good work they have done.

"wisdom is born in the minds of all, so all must be asked, all must speak, all must listen"

Sitayana encompassed everything Sexy Racy is about - the voice of women, Spivak and the voice of the subaltern, and community.  Sitayana also had an important message that is echoed in our class - that all have the right to speak, if the world will only listen.  We seek to watch movies that are not as mainstream so that we hear the voices that might not otherwise be heard.  In class discussion, everyone has an opportunity to speak if they so choose.  The story of Sitayana came to the audience from many different mediums.  There was only a brief speaking part, in Korean, which many audience members would not have understood without the translation.  Although the story was outlined by subtitles on the wall, this made up only a small part of the communication of the story.  The full story was conveyed by the movements and dances of the actors, the smell of incense, the sound of the music and chanting, and the expression conveyed in the occasional singing parts.  Sitayana was a performance that reached all the senses, and reflects the diversity of communication.

When we first discussed Spivak and the question, "can the subaltern speak?", we reflected on the example of the burning women in India - those that voluntarily lit themselves on fire to protest the custom of burning a wife when a husband wishes to marry again.  These women protesters took such drastic action because language was not a privilege to them.  As a class, we wondered if this was actually the subaltern speaking.  If no one cared, and no one listened, did it matter?  Sitayana has shown that even if no one is listening, we must all continue to speak, and speak loudly, until someone does.  Now that we have been educated in the plight of others and exposed to different forms of expression, it is our duty to listen, and listen hard, to what they have to say.  Moving on from this class, I hope to continue to listen to and learn from all forms of speech.

Mackenzie Wenner #10

Address your journey in 332. Did you change? What did you discover about yourself? Your community? What will you do with what you learned?

Throughout my entire life I have valued the fact that I am an individual before I am a member of any group. Part of what resonates most to me in the idea that has become the United States is its individualistic spirit. I believe the greatest achievements are inspired by personal motivation and freedom to innovate. These beliefs have not changed. However this class has given me a greater appreciation for the kind of learning based community we created this semester. As opposed to the classes I am accustomed to taking in the Gov and Econ departments that are focused on the individual student, the group focused style of this class resulted in 30+ professors and countless points of view all presented harmoniously. And while I was initially uncomfortable fully joining the circle, I found the experience was not complete if my questions and perspectives were not addressed by the group.

The community taught me another form of communication. Early on in the semester I told Francis I was much more comfortable in group discussions that were aimed at a specific question and stayed on topic. But as I gained respect for the group and its many voices, I found myself enjoying the meandering dialogue the circle produced, and found value in that it could end in greater clarity and understanding than the specific discussion of any one topic. 

Mackenzie Wenner #9

What is private and public in the community? What is the place of nation in your personal life?

Let me start first by addressing the second part of the question, the role of a nation in an individual’s life. Though admittedly not something I’ve thought long and hard on before I would say the difference between a “nation”, and a “country” or a “government” is most clear when viewed from the perspective of this question. The nation impacts the individual in nearly every facet of life but on a subconscious level. Belonging to a nation brings with it an adherence to a set of cultural norms and beliefs that are held deep within a person and play an active role in how we all live out our lives. This is contrasted by the state, which also has a pervasive level of influence on personal choices, though through very different means. An American may aspire to work hard and buy a home, because it makes him a part of a community, and it’s the course he knew his life would take from a very young age. The same man will also likely on most occasions stay reasonably within the speed limit while driving. Though the latter he does not because of a community tradition and deeply held desire to operate a vehicle safely, but rather to avoid a fine (or in the case of Virginia the savage persecution of the state). Such is the place of the nation in one’s personal life, an unending, subconscious list of reminders as to the general course one should take.

As to the boundaries of public and private within the community, I don’t think that’s a question that can be answered on a general level. I think each community decides for itself where do draw the line between public and private assets, be they physical or intellectual. There are communities you can only join by telling your deepest darkest secret, that no outsider knows. Similarly there are communities that demand the physical equivalent, the communal distribution of property. Most communities set a much lower “membership fee” but thinking on this question I would have to posit that every community one can join demands the individual give something up to the group. In our class that might be measured in time and attention. If we all had spent the majority of every class focusing on things for ourselves, like emails, or papers for another class, or online shopping that class would not have worked to produce the community it has. Opinions are shared within our class because they are listened to, and their value is reliant on the attention they are given. I think every community must demand some private asset be given up to the group to function. The test of a worthy community is if it in turn gives a greater value back to the individual. 

Ashley Murphy, Sitayana Blog

I didn't really know what to expect upon buying my ticket for the show. I had never been to a William and Mary play production but as soon as I entered the auditorium I could tell that it was going to be extravagant. I felt like I was transported into a different time and place; I could smell the incense and see the gamelan, see the decorated stage.

As the gamelan lowered in front of the stage and Sitayana began, I can only use one word to describe the performance: epic. I was captivated by the multifaceted aspects of the production - from the Korean in the beginning, to the dancing throughout, and the fight scenes. I cannot fathom the time and energy that went into it, but I certainly appreciated it.

I am still trying to fit the message of Sitayana in my own life and relationships - how Sita was so selfless and forgiving, willing to sacrifice her happiness to be with the one she loved. Her struggle definitely related to Spivak and the subaltern, did her message fall on deaf ears? The play touched on many themes - womanhood, gender, coming of age, love and lust. I loved all the costumes and all the props and hope I can take some of the creative energy that was expended into my own world.

Sam Quinn: Sitayana thoughts!

First of all, Professor Aguas, I want to congratulate you on all of the hard work, energy, effort, and cooperation/collaboration you put into the making of Sitayana. I think that sometimes people forget, that regardless of whether or not they “liked” a performance or a piece of work, that someone put a lot of effort into it, and it deserves to be recognized. I hope you felt you got the recognition and support you deserved after your amazing presentations this weekend, because you certainly are worthy of it!

That being said, I would like to describe my experience of observing Sitayana as an audience member, which for me was an unusual but formative experience. In fact, I can confidently say I’ve never been to a production like that before, and wonder if I will attend one that rivals it again ever. I didn’t know what to expect, so when the music began, and the words began to flash on the backdrop I was taken aback! However, several aspects of the show that left a major impression on me. First of all, the set was spectacular. It looked so ornate and realistic, like a real stone building! The moving/rotating doors made for some entertaining moments during the show, and I even thought the hidden smoke machines were clever. Additionally, the props and costumes were clearly well thought out. I’ve NEVER seen such beautiful and intricate costumes, and the use of bamboo trees during the dances left the entire audience in awe. Beyond the visible surface features, I thought the message conveyed about women and relationships to be so insightful. Especially coming from someone who I know is a loving Dad, who has lived in many environments and experienced both good and bad in life, I was touched to see how it translated into your play. The inclusion of your kids was a special surprise, and I can only imagine how excited and eager they were to participate! Another aspect I really appreciated about this performance was the sound. The music was so well connected to each different scene of the play, and the eastern-sounding instruments always appeal to me. I loved the deep drums and the chimes, and the noise created by the bells worn by Sita! Lastly, the screeches and noises made by the actors were well executed. They really committed to sounding animalistic and evil at times, and in such unison the chants left the audience rapt with attention focused on the stage.

I’m so glad I got to spend my Thursday night watching this with friends, and also felt a strong sense of personal pride to know that someone insightful enough to direct and produce such a play was my teacher! I only hope I can do half as well for the final presentation on myself, because Sitayana was great; definitely wish it was in theatres another weekend in a row.

First of all, Professor Aguas, I want to congratulate you on all of the hard work, energy, effort, and cooperation/collaboration you put into the making of Sitayana. I think that sometimes people forget, that regardless of whether or not they “liked” a performance or a piece of work, that someone put a lot of effort into it, and it deserves to be recognized. I hope you felt you got the recognition and support you deserved after your amazing presentations this weekend, because you certainly are worthy of it!

That being said, I would like to describe my experience of observing Sitayana as an audience member, which for me was an unusual but formative experience. In fact, I can confidently say I’ve never been to a production like that before, and wonder if I will attend one that rivals it again ever. I didn’t know what to expect, so when the music began, and the words began to flash on the backdrop I was taken aback! However, several aspects of the show that left a major impression on me. First of all, the set was spectacular. It looked so ornate and realistic, like a real stone building! The moving/rotating doors made for some entertaining moments during the show, and I even thought the hidden smoke machines were clever. Additionally, the props and costumes were clearly well thought out. I’ve NEVER seen such beautiful and intricate costumes, and the use of bamboo trees during the dances left the entire audience in awe. Beyond the visible surface features, I thought the message conveyed about women and relationships to be so insightful. Especially coming from someone who I know is a loving Dad, who has lived in many environments and experienced both good and bad in life, I was touched to see how it translated into your play. The inclusion of your kids was a special surprise, and I can only imagine how excited and eager they were to participate! Another aspect I really appreciated about this performance was the sound. The music was so well connected to each different scene of the play, and the eastern-sounding instruments always appeal to me. I loved the deep drums and the chimes, and the noise created by the bells worn by Sita! Lastly, the screeches and noises made by the actors were well executed. They really committed to sounding animalistic and evil at times, and in such unison the chants left the audience rapt with attention focused on the stage.

I’m so glad I got to spend my Thursday night watching this with friends, and also felt a strong sense of personal pride to know that someone insightful enough to direct and produce such a play was my teacher! I only hope I can do half as well for the final presentation on myself, because Sitayana was great; definitely wish it was in theatres another weekend in a row.

Rachel Fugate Blog #9 Savage Nights Reactions Distraction Can Provide Realizations

Savage Nights: Unlike any movie that I had ever seen...

So I did the live blog during the watching of Savage Nights. It was a very interesting experience due to the fact that through most of the movie I was not entirely sure what exactly was going on. The live blogging definitely help me gather my thoughts in a way that was more cohesive and I was find things that I was confused about in the beginning and became clear later. I realized that I have a very different view from what was right and wrong when it came to this intimate topic than the people in the movie and I think this fact was what drove most of the conversation after the movie.

So my reaction to this movie went a little like this

"So far I don’t really understand what exactly is happening. And the comment that you made on the lymph nodes makes no sense to me and we keep jumping around to where I have no idea what is going on. All I’ve got so far is that he is a camera man. Is he gay… ? So yes quite possibly gay but he does seem to like women which is odd because he always seems to just look scares when he is around them or almost in awe. I am very confused. Okay even more confused buy I think the guy from the club is back. The interesting bit with the cross dresser did not make much sense but I think that….lost my thought. He is jumping between men and women so I am almost certain now that he is bisexual. Ha I guess right J she is an odd person. This guy is a play boy. I haven’t seen the camera in a while and now he plays the guitar. Why is it that his guy is always smiling like he knows something that no one else does and those around him just look unhappy? Ohhhh that’s what the lymph node thing was HIV I got it now. And I just can’t figure out what this guy is the black is who he is. Worst opossum impression ever. Oh god please don’t tell me you are going to tell her on her birthday. And it all comes tumbling down because you are an awful person buddy. This girl is dumb…and this guy is very selfish. Why is it her automatic reaction to fall in love with him when he is so obviously not a very good person? And then you take him to meet you mother, I don’t like you anymore either. How dare you let this guy disrespect your mother. This child is going to  make me want to slap her repeatedly is she. This guy has slept with EVERYBODY. Hmmm I wonder if the boyfriend and the girlfriend know each other. Cu   jonnorocks and now jonno has attacked my key board so this is getting to where I just don’t feel like watching it anymore because these people are so stupid. Stop hugging him he is a selfish BEEP. And how old is this guy anyway. Oh poor you you are a whore and now you wish for people to feel sorry for you well that is in no way something that is going to happen. And now I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. Some kind of brothel house maybe but I can’t tell it the rugby guy is the one who is working there or not. I kjkkjhn vbnj m and jonno strikes again… I am not sure if anyone is actually understanding what is going on in this movie. This chick is quite perspective but I think she is quite…lost thought new one. This guy is destroying every person he touches just like the disease that he has manifested itself into a thing. Stop grinning you stupid idiots. You better not sleep with him or you are just going to completely plummet to worst person ever. And now we have stopped."

I think as the movie went on I saw the more what is private and what is public dilemma that we are trying to get at. I felt that all of this was a private affair, but within that private there is the need to be honest with people. I find that things like sex and personal lives are private and they only involve the people that they affect. As you could see I was rather put off by some of the things that happen in the movie. My language and thought process just became more and more sporadic and uneducated. I didn't want to go into it because I feel like it has been hammered away at in our lives much to much, but this argument, the first thing that it brings to my mind is the issues of gay marriage, abortion, or even laws about sex and sexual activity in general, which actually exist as we know. And what question always comes to mind for me is why is it the laws business? I know the arguments so please don't feel like I need to be enlightened, and this is just my initial reaction to all of these things. What business is our business and what is public business?

Please take in stride the more distracted moments in my live blog. I wanted to include everything that I (or Jonno) because I feel like if I got rid of it then it would not capture the entire essence of how I reacted during the movie. :)

Journey & Sitayana

Experience with Sitayana –

I was a part of the wardrobe crew for Sitayana.  Now, it was my first time working backstage for a production.  Through my experience I learned how different this play was compared to the others I have seen.  Professor Aguas would always say “ Up to youuu”  to any question that would arise.  There was a legitimate effort on the part of the students to develop a connection with their characters.  The first rehearsal I went to lasted around 4 hours and I was wondering how I would survive the rest of the week.  But then, one of my friends said that they had been doing this for the past 5 weeks.  I only got to participate in the last week but what I got out of this experience is truly amazing.  Being able to share an epic without talking is quite a feat in itself.  The way the actors took on their roles and performed with passion was astonishing to me.  Even with a small role, the actor put their best forward.  It was as if that they were living as the character for the moment all working towards sharing the story of Sita and promoting peace.  

As I observed backstage, a lot of the actors seemed to be fully comfortable out of their comfort zones, all together they produced a beautiful production.  The universal power of body language and emotion shined throughout the play.  Everyone’s hard work and effort showed through each act.  What was saddening though was the fact that William and Mary would not be able to see a play like this for another 7 years.  I then thought about how lucky and thankful we should have been to be able to participate in such a rare show at the college. I only hope that in 7 years, there will be an even bigger audience to reach out to. 

On the first day of class, I was wondering how on earth I would be able to survive through the discussion based course. As each day of class passed though, I felt less and less intimidated.  As my definition of a community developed, so did my paradigm on generalizations and preconceived notions.  There is a saying that says your hometown is defined by the people you were with, not the place you were at.  This brings us to the question that brought us together in the beginning of the course, “Where are you from from?”  

We are all from the same earth, brought together to occupy the world at this specific time, made up of different passions and aspirations, that ultimately lead to one same goal of reaching happiness.  Of all the things I have learned in this class, I believe that our community has had the crucial opportunity to step back, and reflect on our lives.  Something that is otherwise overlooked in our busy lives.  So, one thing I ask of my community is to never forget the moments of reflection we observed together, and to never forget that we are here for you.  

Blessings and Makasih J

Clarissa Blanco, Blog 10: My 332 Evolution

                      Today at work, a coworker of mine told me "You better not get your hair all in my smoothies!" Usually at work, when I work the stations I wear a hair net since I work in the dining hall. But today, I worked cashier. Therefore my hair was as free as my spirit! But, my coworker, who was a couple of feet away, obviously didn't appreciate this. When I responded with "But I'm not even close to your smoothies!" she hit me with an accusation, in her Jamaican accent, that I thought I would never here: "White peoples' hair fly"....

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHPAUSESTOPTHESHOWHOLDUPWAITAMINUTEBREAKTIME

White??! Out of all of the things you can call me...you choose to call me white? You couldn't say people with long hair, curly hair, full hair, thick hair....? You had to call me white? I was mind blown. Could Ms. Beverly not see the facial features that differentiated me from the white race? How could she call me something that I obviously was not? It was at this offensive moment in time that I realized and had a nothing-but-REAL experience with the racial issues that we've been discussing in class all semester. I realized that while I have nothing against "white" people, I don't like to be accused of something that I am not. Why is it that because my skin as not as dark as Ms. jamaicanBeverly, I'm the extreme(white). Is it REALLY all about skin color? Due to the amount of respect I have for older people, I didn't  disrespect Ms.Beverly but I definitely defended myself. "Would you consider an African American man and Jamaican man the same?" I hit her with the question I knew would make her think twice. Because, you see SexyRacy, every Jamaican woman has told me the same thing about men: they would NOT date anyone who was not Jamaican. For many reasons (these are reasons that I've actually been given by Jamaican women) :

1. They just "get it"
2. They're "the best" in bed
3. They understand the culture
4. They're easygoing

When Ms. Beverly responds with a "Yes", I make it personsal: "Oh really? So do you think Mr. Errol (Jamaican co-worker) and Mr. Charles (African American co-worker) are the same?" She then revealed that they are NOT the same, but only look the same. Oh really Ms. Beverly? Is skin color really THAT important? And here is where she threw her own self under the bus "In Jamaica, there are people of my skin color, your skin color, his skin color..." To which I responded "So if I were Jamaican would you call me white?" NO RESPONSE FROM MS. BEVERLY!
           Wow, I'd always known that skin color was a big deal in society, but never until now had I had a face-to-face experience with this issue; the culmination of our expected life lesson learned in 332. We learned that due to the efforts of Robert Kennedy, Hispanics earned a "checkbox" along with Whites and Blacks. WE ARE OUR OWN PEOPLE why try to classify me into "whiteness" just because my skin is not as dark as yours? If this class did anything for me, it helped to evaluate and analyze situations just like my encounter with Ms. Beverly. It helped me to open my eyes and see the big picture as struggle that comes with any race, because within every race are HUMAN BEINGS. We are  human beings: blood, organs, tissues, cells, emotions, families, knowledge....all of us are connected to each other by the simple explanation of how we all function. This class most definitely enhanced my sense of community with others, and the importance of partnership and building relationships. While skin color is most obvious, it should not be the only difference we notice or what we see that sets us apart from others. Its important to notice the differences, but more important to embrace them, learn from them, and use them to help us grow and individuals that add something significant back into our community. Ms. Beverly may have pissed me off, but thats okay because she still has to learned- she probably has never had a Professor Aguas in her life.

Thank you Aguas for helping me begin a journey that will never end.

Jonno Marlton Blog 11: Sitayana and WMT's Objectives

As a college production Sitayana is going to be evaluated on a few typical, but not always apparent criteria.  The William and Mary Theatre (WMT) has a fair number of stake holders, and it (probably) attempts to satisfy all of them.  But, with a season of four mainstage shows a year, it is a given that it is the big picture that is designed to achieve those objectives, not necessarily the smaller parts that make up a larger whole.  The point I am getting to is that the educational and business objectives at WMT do not always line up as well as they could.  For example, the theatre majors be frustrated that they didn’t get a chance to do an Irish play this go around, the public may have preferred to see the Lion King because Broadway’s just too darn far away and William and Mary only charges five bucks, or the professors could be frustrated that their acting students are not getting to focus on a certain aspect of the performance craft.

I look forward to seeing the box office results of Sitayana.  I went Thursday night, and there was a good sized crowd there for opening night.  As I watched the show, I realized how lucky we all were.  The performers were lucky because the majority of them will never get an opportunity to do something like that again.  The audience members were lucky because the show was entertaining, and there were opportunities for the spectators to become involved.  The professors were lucky because they can prove to everyone else that William and Mary truly does care about diversity (or at the select few that worked their bums off to put on that massive production.) 

As a built-piece outside of the Western tradition, Sitayana was not like anything else I’ve seen.  The acrobatics and strong physical movements, coupled with the fun and involving music, seemed to say that it is alright to be on stage and have fun.  It’s ok to show up to the theatre and feel moved to shout or “ohm,” or clap during a scene.  As far as I can tell, the show upheld its end of the bargain as an educational effort.  Students (some enrolled in the course for credit and others not—I think) were able to learn an art form not typically taught in a liberal arts theatre program.  Not only were the students exploring a new craft, but they were dealing with content that is thought provocative.  Arguably, because the words were either spoken in languages other than English or projected in English behind action that pulled the reader’s focus, some of the plot or content was missed for the spectacle of the event.  For the theatre, spectacle seems appropriate, especially if it sells tickets and allows both the participants and the audience to learn something.  Sitayana has the potential to ignite conversations about the place of woman, acting technique, Hinduism, Antonin Artaud, and what-have-you.  The list goes on.  We can pull a lot for the play, but we really have to jump into and think critically.  I left feeling both delighted at what I had seen and thinking that I ought to have read book or two on Rama, Sita, and the theatre in Bali. 

Currently: @ Sitayana (Intermission Time)

First things first : PROFESSOR AGUAS YOUR KIDS ARE ADORABLE

Now that I've gotten that out of the way:

      The beginning of Sitayana was absolutely knowledgeable and entertaining. Right from the beginning, I was intrigued by the singing. I feel that it is awesome that all of the cast has learned these songs in a language that most probably don't know. Also, the beauty of the "wedding ceremony" was great. I found myself sitting and waiting for them to speak....but the fact that this play does not include verbal communication is actually what makes it special. The fact that these actors are not actually speaking strengthen the sense of community and "oneness". Noone has to worry about having the same "accent", speaking the same way, of any of those specificities. I feel like the language barrier is invisible and everyone in the play is the same, the crowd does not have a hard time trying to make connections between the way an actor and his character in the play. Also, I actually have to pay attention to body language and the backdrop, and in this case actions really do speak louder than words. The actors are passionate and play their roles really well. I love that there's the use of Asian and Indian characters in this play. It infuses cultures and also encourages the crowd to embraces other cultures as well. Favorite quote so far:

"For a happy marriage: ask your wife, ask her often"

Ugh, so beautiful! This play obviously enforces the meaning and beauty of familial ties. I was a little confused in the beginning regarding the situation with the three wishes and Kaikeyi, but I do get that Rama is in exile. Sita reminds me a little of myself...she is loving and gullible yet very strong. I love her relationship with Rama, a relationship in which she offers advice, loves him, and is not afraid to be a little mean! Well Rama stepped out of that circle protecting her from demons I was all "Ohh no girl, what are you doing!! You better step back in that circle cant you see its a trap?!" This play evokes all kinds of emotions from the audience and encourages the audience to participate verbally and passionately as well. I may not be able to finish this play because my work shift starts at 4...but hopefully I do!!

See you after the intermission, SexyRacy ;)

Ashley Murphy, Blog 10

Address your journey in 332.  Did you change?  What did you discover about yourself? Your community?  What will you do with what you learned?

During the first weeks of class, I was a bit intimidated by the structure and openness of discussions. As a class, we were instructed to voice our opinions, even if they were not politically correct, to transcend the bounds of society, and to accept one another unconditionally. I didn't really speak up unless I absolutely had to. Looking back, I wish I had taken more of a vocal role in class; I was definitely an involved listener, however I could have made a more significant impact to the class.

I think this class has changed me. I have learned to not accept anything at face-value and to question the world around me. I think this was especially exemplified in the activity in which we grouped ourselves based on our heritage. I am still struggling to discover who I really am so that I am able to project the most accurate view of myself to the world. 

In class, I discovered a community of people that truly cared not only about the class community but the community of our school, our nation, and world. I didn't love every movie, but that helped me analyze them more critically. As I embark on the second half of my undergraduate education, I will be more vocal in my classes and participate in discussions. I will be more confident in giving answers and voicing my opinions in and out of the classroom. I'd like to thank my classmates for providing such an entertaining class and being so enlightening. I'd also like to thank you, Professor, for challenging us to think and question society. 

Brittany Liu's Blog #10 Thanks For a Sexy and Racy Time

It's hard to sum up this class in one sitting.  Sexy Racy is very dense, context wise and it covers such a broad range of topics.  I think if I write this blog my senior year I will have something completely different to say because the knowledge I have gained from this class now will expand and connect throughout the rest of my academic career.  I'm so glad that I was able to take this course as a freshman.  In high school this is what I had hoped college classes would be like, but I didn't think it was accurate.  This course really opened me up to so many academic possibilities.  As a freshman I have never been that comfortable sharing my personal opinions on certain topics and this class taught me to feel confident in what I believe.  This is all because of the supportive environment our professor and our entire class has created.  We are such a diverse class full of different races and ages, which created so many unique perspectives.  I not only learned so much from the material we studied and from our professor, but also from my fellow classmates who made up our community.

This course specifically was able to make connections to material in my other classes.  After we talked about third cinema I had an assignment to read a film article called "Towards Third Cinema" in my World Cinema Before TV course.  In my World Cinema class we really learned about that style/technique of film and its origins, which complemented our emphasis on the culture and context of third cinema in Black Girl.  This class also taught me how to look at film in a new light.  Someone was giving a presentation on a Spike Lee film in my World Cinema class and talked about the lighting difference between dark skinned and light skinned people.  It is much easier to shoot silhouettes of black people versus white people.  The techniques brought up in the presentation really made me think about what kind of message film conveys to the audience about race and how it differs from other mediums.  I'm very passionate about theatre and film and I have taken classes based on technique, but this course really showed me how much these art forms can express about humanity and our world.

One of my favorite parts of this class was when we all grouped ourselves by race, but then we found our bridges and connected ourselves into one big circle.  I think that was the moment we became a community.  It taught me to stop ignoring race and embrace it!  When we did project three I learned how difficult it is to be a teacher!  I may understand everything in my own brain, but how to you convey that to students effectively and in a way that also stimulates questioning?  I love the idea of always formulating new questions because learning is infinite.  One of my favorite quotes is by William Butler Yeats, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."  I wish I could take this class again because I feel I could get so much more out of it now that I truly understand the scope of the course and what it has to offer.  Thanks to Professor Aguas and our Sexy Racy community, this class has taught me how to think, expand, and connect.

Matt Raimondo, Blog #10

As I write this, I only have one week left this semester (as do the rest of you) but I also only have a few weeks left at this school.  This conclusion also ties into the curtain call on my college career, so I have a lot tied into the remaining days we share as a class as well as the time I spend in any classroom at the College.  

Before I go any further, I think that it's important to look at Jean's own journey in Savage Nights.  He went from reveling in destructive behavior to eventually understanding the importance of love in a human's life.  Jean at the beginning and Jean at the end are two very different people, and that transformation is quite representative of a journey in my opinion.  

 

The first day I came into this class, I was a bit cautious; Im a business and government major, so I'm used to lecture-style courses.  I knew this course would be different, but I was willing to listen and open myself up to the new experience, especially Professor Aguas's challenge for the class to become one community.  I did like that we were not required to share immediately, especially because I like to warm up to a class before I speak; the acting and creativity parts were tough, but I survived!  And the class always created an atmosphere of support, so that helped everyone adjust.  

I saw so many films and plays that I never would have seen outside of our class.  Each film offered a different perspective and life angle that allowed me to see things from beyond my own eyes.  I grew up in West Virginia, which is as white a state as one can find.  I moved to Northern Virginia when I was ten, so I became used to seeing diverse faces and interacting with people from different backgrounds and lifestyles.  College further served to develop my own experience of understanding other perspectives, but this class went ten steps further.  We had an atmosphere where we could all share openly, and share in our understanding of what other people see from their own shoes.  People felt comfortable talking about themselves, and that's something that is rare in classrooms today.  I can personally say that I really valued what everyone said, and I feel like everyone helped me (and others) to understanding what things look like from different perspectives.  

I feel that I did change throughout this course; I feel that I am much more open to understanding how the world works, as well as how others view the world too.  I will always value my own perspectives as a base, but I will always consider how others see and feel the same issues as well.  I discovered that I can adapt, and be flexible when an environment or community demands it.  I pushed my comfort zone in this class- even with just the blogs -and I feel more complete as a result, especially when Im about to join the real world.  I also understood what a community looks and feels like, and how quickly one can form.  I think we can all agree (and embrace) that we are all individuals with unique ideas and experiences.  These unique pieces can be a part of one community, and our class was a living, breathing example of such an event.  I thoroughly enjoyed coming to class, and I looked forward to seeing how everyone would react to whatever movie or play we watched as a class.  In the future, I will look to join more communities- be it church groups, work groups or more family events.  Being in a community is tremendously valuable, especially when trying to understand and process the world around us.  Being a "lone wolf" simply won't cut it, and I will always look to connect from now on as a result of our class.       

Kadijah Webster; Blog 10: My journey

First off, I have to admit that this course was much more than I expected.  This is good because I got a little worried that I signed up for a class where we'd sit around, watch movies that no one would be interested in, and reflect.  However, I ended up really enjoying all that SexyRacy had to offer.

After being in within this community for only a matter of months, I know for a fact that I view the world around me differently.  I used to make assumptions about others at first sight, everyone does!  Now, I try to remember that everything is not what it seems.  I learned this lesson from one of the exercises we did in beginning.  I found that not everyone fits into society's stereotypical perception of their race.  It's wrong to go around grouping people who I know no clue about.. This is something that I've always known, but never really tried or at least succeeded in changing.  Since joining this community, this transition has been much easier for me.  I even try to make others understand, but I really can't be anyone's mother.  

Before I joined this class, I was very passive when it came to racial or sexist comments.  I'd like to think that now I don't let these comments pass as easily.  Over the semester, like other members of the community, I have grown.  This class was just a piece the journey that I will be taking for the rest of my life.  I am ever changing and this is thanks to the community established by Professor Aguas that we have all been given the opportunity to join.

Jessie Ede Blog 10

332 has certainly been an experience. I was pretty unsure about the journey I was about to embark upon after the first couple of classes, but the beauty of GERs is that you need them to graduate so I resigned myself to a semester of weird. I am a very independent, introverted person and while things like public speaking do not bother me at all, acting things out or simply discussing my thought process out loud with people I am not close with does not really appeal to me. I am alive, though, and I think I managed to learn something about myself in the process. This class made me realize that I do not fear change with graduation, but the absence of change. Savage Nights claims the majority of credit for this epiphany. Jean is confronting the reality of his impending death, something that cannot possibly seem real to anyone who generally looks and feels fine. He acts out in order to feel alive to make sure that he really is still alive and not going slowly towards death like his disease dictates. He needs things to constantly go, to change, to bring excitement in order to hold on to the feelings of being okay. Watching Jean recklessly pursue life made me wonder if all of my own anxieties about the future are because I fear transitioning from undergraduate life and letting that part of me die. As it turns out, I am much more afraid of being in this weird early twenties state forever - generally competent and educated, but not to the point where I am qualified or asked to do anything of serious importance. That, for me, is what "real" life is, and working a random retail job or as a secretary or something would just be a continuation of where I am now - no living, no progress, just the same with no substantive change to myself or experiences. Graduation does not scare me because it represents new experiences, but because there is the chance that it might not. Sorry if that got a little dark, but I think this is an important distinction that I have been wrestling with for the past year. This is the type of fear that does not paralyze, but rather acts as a driving motivation for change, so I guess I have come out of this class with a renewed drive and energy for doing something substantive with my life. It is not as though that was ever really out of my hopes, but momentum is an easy thing to lose and I think the facing of this fear will give me an extra push. So thanks, 332, for putting an articulate thought to how I feel about post-grad life.

Tonisha Spratte Blog 10

Blog 10:  Savage Nights! (rawr!)

That French movie we watched was really something else.  I know it was based off of a true story but it just didn’t seem realistic!  There was just so much going on in that movie, it just didn’t seem to slow down, as one classmate put it.  There were quite a few different themes and subjects being touched on.  There was that of love, death and mortality, relationships, sex, race, and sexuality to name a few.  I realized that the main character, Jean, reminds me of Charlie Sheen in the way he lives his life, wild and fast.  Jean is really confused as to what he wants to do with his life.  He doesn’t know if he wants to be with a woman or a man, be in a relationship or not, he doesn’t know how to be faithful and is really self-absorbed.  Which I can understand to some extent, he does have AIDS and is dying slowly, but dang.  I just think they are naturally crazy people.  I think that the old saying, “birds of a feather flock together”, really applies to this situation.  Jean was a narcissist, Laura was crazy, and Samy was a sadomasochist who didn’t love people but inflicting pain on people and himself.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of Iris Young’s article on the lived body.  It seems that Jean and Samy didn’t fully embody all of the typical stereotypes of a masculine man or all of the stereotypes of a gay man.  There were many times when gender roles were challenged or crossed.  At one point in the movie Laura says “two men together, it’s so strange” or something like that.  Also, Jean wasn’t a flamboyantly gay man, he didn’t seem gay to me until he started eyeing Samy like he wanted to take a bite.  He did many masculine things such as boxing, having sex with girls, and being selfish.  He was much more open and accepting of his sexuality than Samy, who, in the beginning of the movie, denied that he was gay and towards the end, when someone asked if he was gay he just ignored the question, left the room, and went to go have sex with Jean.  I’m thinking that Samy was gay but his biggest attraction was to pain.  So there’s a dichotomy between two gay guys, one who is open and out of the closet and one who is engaging in sexual activities with men, but just peeking out of the closet. 

And speaking of closet, what about that closet case, Laura?  That girl was just plain crazy and, honestly, I do not think it was love.  I think it was craziness.  But I digress.  So in all, this movie was a wonderful addition to the course, it really embodied a lot of the topics we have been covering in class allowing us to see them in action.  Although the movie did have me confused at certain points throughout the plot, it was still good.  This leads to the question of is this a representation of gender roles breaking down in society or is it just in this one community?  Because, there seemed to be a wide acceptance for gayness and queerness throughout the movie and I wonder if that can be pervasive throughout the Western world or is it just a French thing?

Sarah Smith Blog 10: The Journey

It was obvious from day one that this was going to be a class unlike any I've ever taken. The format was different. The curriculum was different. The dynamic was different. Early on, I was mostly intimidated by it. In a class about sex and race, I didn't think I would have a lot to say.

I've been challenged. I grew up in a homogeneous environment, and through this class was exposed to a lot of things that previously only existed in my periphery. I didn't identify with some of these struggles because I had never experienced them. I think of Twilight, of Vincent Chin, of Black Girl and American History X. I think you can know about racism, you can experience little bits of it here and there or read a newspaper article about it--but that isn't the same as participating in the story, of experiencing the film and trying to really empathize with the characters. Not just to sympathize, but to empathize.

For me, that's been crucial to my journey. To understand their journeys--the journeys of those characters--as I seek to understand my own journey. To learn about my classmates, each of whom comes from somewhere, in both a physical and metaphorical sense, and through learning where they come from and learning where they are now, we grow together. I'm so grateful to have had a class that wasn't just teaching to teach, but also putting it into practice right there in the classroom. Because a big part of my journey has been looking at myself and looking at where I come from, because I believe that my story matters just as much as anyone else's. And that's when you begin to understand that everyone feels that way. Every story matter. And if we forget that all of the people around us have stories too, come from somewhere and have goals and ideals and memories that have shaped them, then we all lose.

I think Savage Nights demonstrates this in the selfishness of the character Jean. Though perhaps not central to the plot, his selfishness brings him to treat all of the people around him--these people who genuinely care for him--as objects. He only thinks of his own plight, and it's almost as if Laura is just something that will come and go, and be unchanged. It's that attitude that I don't want to have. I'm grateful for this class, for helping me to see it and to see how important it is to value each and every human experience.

Coleen Herbert Blog 10

Did I change? I think so. Taking this course exposed me to new ways of thinking about and discussing issues of sex and race. As other people have already addressed, this class personally pushes you out of your comfort zone as does Guro. Never have I had a professor be so personally invested in the lives and education of the students and for that I am extremely grateful.
I discovered that I was much more uncomfortable with these topics than I appear to be. My past neo-liberalism does catch up with me sometimes; it haunts me from my high school years.
So, that's one thing that I discovered about myself, this trepidation.  Like Sam said, I'm not done changing after this class. These topics effect me each and every day and I recognize now that I need to be more proactive about this. Because I'm a quiet person, I tend to sit back and let things happen to me. But this class taught me that everyone's opinion is valuable, including my own.
 Queer community reflections: I remember hearing people associate things like "offensive" and "cruel" when certain queer slurs came up on the slideshow we watched on Tuesday and the reactions to Savage Nights were strong. The isolation  that Jean suffers resonated with me. His silencing was devastating; here is a character who uses sex to speak. But other than this film, sexuality wasn't really touched on in the course and I would have liked to have seen more of it. Most of the projects approached race. People are more reluctant, I think, to talk about sex because it is considered to be "private". The last discussion we had on love was lively, however. I would have liked to have more discussions about sex and sexuality as a community, mostly because I think they would have been significantly more uncomfortable than our discussions about race and racial violence. We voted for the course to take this direction and this is the direction that the course took. I guess the question I'm trying to ask is whether or not people are comfortable with talking about sex and sexuality. Are these topics more taboo?
Reflections on women: Although the course introduced several impressive woman characters, our discussions still focused on race and nationalism more than sex. We observed some women-centric ideas in the projects, but the issues raised in the presentations did not make it into our discussions. Are women taboo, too? Is sexism private? Foucault might agree with me if he observed our class.
Overall, an excellent course. I learned so much and I am grateful to both my peers and Guro for their support and contributions to my academic career here at the college.

Tenille Jensen Blog 10

There has never been a time where I have taken Guro’s class and not learned something new about myself and grown for the better. I’ve always come into his classes with certain expectations and have left with an entirely new perspective on EVERYTHING. Guro met me as a first time transfer with absolutely no idea what I was doing at William and Mary or why I even decided to transfer in the first place (I was totally out of my comfort zone and absolutely regretting my decision). It probably wasn’t the smartest decision to take THEA 333 (Asian Folklore and Performance) my first semester here but it was certainly the BEST decision I ever made. Francis completely pushed me out of my comfort zone in that class while also creating a safe haven for all of the insecurities many of my peers and I had both in and outside of the class as a college student here at William and Mary (something many students never had in any of their courses before).

THEA 332 was no different. I was able to experience a new sense of community by taking myself out of my comfort zone. By discussing touchy subjects such as race, gender, sex, and nationalism, I gained a new insight into the different voices that make up the William and Mary Community. The dramatization of these topics through theatre and film has also allowed me to think deeply and critically analyze how it relates to society and most importantly me as a member in society. What I loved most about this class was the fluidity in class and the opportunity Francis gave us to really sit and listen to other people’s opinions, criticism, and concerns. Many of the thoughts that bounced around the room I could relate to - and there were also times where I didn’t necessarily agree - but it allowed me to view a subject from a different lens which I have greatly appreciated. That is the biggest form of growth for me; taking something I didn’t quite understand, agree with, or necessarily think about and turning it into something I could appreciate.

Aside from the discussions that were at times touchy and uncomfortable, I also REALLY appreciated the movies that were uncomfortable. An example of this would be the movie we just watched last class, Savage Nights by Cyril Collard. Although it made me really uncomfortable to watch the love triangle of a careless bisexual man with HIV, I learned something really powerful about the trials and tribulations of sex and disease through the lens of a bisexual man and young heterosexual woman in love. Despite how insane the movie seemed to be, it speaks the truth of someone’s reality and forced me to think about where I fit on that spectrum. That is the special thing about this class; no matter how distant a topic may seem to our reality, we are all in some way connected and impacted by the realities of others so it is very important to take a moment to understand things that are often times foreign and to force ourselves to talk it. That is the ultimate form of knowledge and I thank Guro for facilitating that knowledge.