September 28, 2004
Black Cultural Center sponsors one-act play titled 'English Only'
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's Black Cultural Center will sponsor a performance of the one-act play "English-Only" at 7 p.m.on Thursday, Oct. 14, in Stewart Center's Fowler Hall.
The James Chapmyn play is a situational drama about the lives of three friends who encounter the effects of racism on the African and Latino communities in America. "English Only" explores the challenges of assimilation, acceptance, denial and consensus. First written about two brothers, the play was recently rewritten to replace one brother with a Hispanic and will be performed at Purdue with the new script.
"The play was rewritten this summer to include a Latina – a Hispanic woman – and also a third person who is deaf and mute," said Chapmyn during a phone interview from his Columbus, Ohio, studio. "Each year we hire new actors, and this year the Latino is a Latina. So I had to revisit the script. The theme is still the same, but the way we approach it reflects the attitude toward Hispanic women."
Chapmyn said he uses theater as an entry point to self-discovery, dialogue and understanding. He will lead a discussion after the performance.
The characters are Anna (Denisse Bojado), Hector (Shalom Auelua) and Jay (Ron Jenkins).
Chapmyn wrote the script with the intent of stimulating introspection and discussion about the freedom to communicate in different languages in America.
"One freedom we take for granted in this country is the freedom to communicate in many languages," he said. "Those freedoms could be curtailed if we as Americans don't speak up to protect them. What does it really mean when we say a town's official language is English?"
Adding the third character to the script, a man who is deaf and mute, adds a different level of interest, as the character interacts not only with the other two actors, but also with the audience, Chapmyn said.
"I really try to push the envelope as far as how we should all examine our beliefs about language, pluralism, diversity," he said. "I don't want to answer questions, I want to pose questions. Actors have a set of questions they will pose to the audience. If we do our jobs right, people will leave examining how they feel about these issues."
Chapmyn received his training at Bethel College, Trinity Lutheran Seminary and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. His most significant training, he says, came from his own life experiences.
The play and discussion are free and open to the public.
Writer: Reni Winter, (765) 496-3133, rwinter@purdue.edu
Sources: Renee Thomas, (765) 494-3091, rathomas@purdue.edu
James Chapman, (800) 783-4226, james@chapman.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related releases:
Black Cultural Center lineup
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