Me Me Me Me Me Me Me

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Is that how you write the sound of a total freakout? I hope so, because I AM IN A TOTAL FREAKOUT!!!!!!!!!

What’s the problem? Has Tarte stopped making that awesome and mostly non-toxic lip gloss crayon I’ve come to love so much? No.

Have 5 of my favourite retailers refused to sign on to a plan to make clothing factories safer places for workers? Well, yes, but my reaction to that is a kind of resigned sigh, and a shrug. Adios, cute maxi dress I’ve had my eye on….

Did I agree to create and perform a late night solo jam right at the end of the quarter when school is at its most hectic and also during a period that immediately follows directing three back to back shows? DING DING DING!!!!!! Yes!!!!!!!!!

I do poetry readings all of the time. And regularly perform at places like the Paper Machete. And lord knows I am not afraid to speak on a panel. But for some reason, the following words have me in a panic: Late. Night. Solo.

First of all, I try never to be awake past sunset. Second of all, there is a big difference between being on a lineup with a bunch of other talented people and BEING ALL BY YOURSELF ON STAGE WITH EVERYONE STARING AT YOU AND YOU ARE THEIR ONLY CHANCE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE TO GO WELL.

Is it any surprise I specialize in ensemble-based work?

AND WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT FOR [50-75 minutes, which is how long MPAACT Solo Jams are supposed to be but which seems awfully long for 11pm at night so how about we call it 35 minutes with a long meaningful pause at the beginning?]

Oh well. It must be done, and it must be done THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 1st, at 11pm! People always ask me where I’m from, usually with this very suspicious tone in their voice like I am purposefully trying to confuse them, and I used to really struggle with this question but now I just say Nowhere. And Everywhere. And then people really think I am purposefully trying to confuse them, but oh well. It ain’t where you from, it’s where you’re at… Which is what I talk about in my show: Hip-Hop, being “Black,” not being Puerto-Rican, white girls, volcanoes, road rage, guaguas de pan, and how mad people get when they realize I understand all the sh*t-talking they’re doing in Spanish.

So, come! Saturday, June 1st. 11pm. At the Greenhouse Theater (part of the MPAACT Solo James series). There’s a bar where you can buy us both a drink! And if you reallyreallyreally are unable to catch this, I’ll be doing a totally different piece about prom and frenemies NEXT weekend, June 9-10, for 2nd Story. That one I’m totally calm about, on account of it is with 3 other people who are brilliant.