Mary Mary Mother Mary
Some thoughts as I finish a run performing "El Niño" with the Metropolitan Opera
Last month, I made my debut with The Metropolitan Opera’s for their contemporary production of El Niño. I found myself dancing with some of the most talented Black and brown dancers that I’ve seen in New York City. When I entered the studio for the first day of rehearsal, I was so impressed with how the choreographer, Marjani Forté-Saunders, was able to get so many of us *points to the back of my brown hand* in one room. The show, composed by John Adams and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, is a retelling of the Christian tale, the Nativity of Jesus. I’m sure you know the story: Mary is visited by an angel who tells her she will birth THE Jesus Christ via immaculate conception.
But it doesn’t end there. Cut to King Herod, a king of this land called Judea. He hears a prophecy of this future king (Jesus), feels threatened by the child, and orders for the slaughter of every young male child. This is the impetus for Mary and Joseph to travel and find shelter to give birth to this divine child in that little manger in Bethlehem.
*pause*
I did NOTTTTT learn about that part of genocide in Catholic school……..
Moving on…
It was emphasized early in the rehearsal period that the goal was to portray Mary as a concept to represent the thousands of people trying to protect their reproductive rights all while taking dangerous jourmeys to destinations that they are not at all sure of. Julia Bullock and J’Nail Bridges (their voices ya’ll omg) portray the story of two different Marys. One is traveling by sea on rocky makeshift boats while the other travels by way of a dry deserted land. Two different mothers traveling with a community of migrants (the dancers) seeking the bare minimum of a home, food, and water. As they travel, they collectively face the constant threat of death at the hands of violence, climate crisis, and hunger… That should sound familiar.
All that has been on my mind during this process is the ongoing occupation and genocide of Palestinians at the hands of Israel and the bombing of Sudanese people living in tents. Whether you believe in religion and the stories they preach in their old books… those books have stories that seem to reflect a truth in our world. The truth is this: there are, and have been for a long time, groups of oppressed people migrating away from violence.
I hated writing that…
When will we see the end of human suffering and why does it keep happening? I care so much… I want to do something or be apart of something to prevent and end it. What do I do?
For now, I will keep educating myself. What I am learning from El Niño is that there are Mother Mary’s everywhere on Earth trying to protect their children who we should all consider innocent and heavenly.
“Blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
From Palestine and Sudan
to Atlanta’s “Cop-City”
there are people struggling towards safety due to ultra-violence.
But there are also people helping them and each-other survive.
And you and I will pass their story along.
And as always, ceasefire now.
P.S. Climate scientists use the term “El Niño” to describe a climate pattern of “unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.” Great food for thought as you witness us “Sea Migrants” get rocked on our boat by the waves (see the photo of me above getting tossed off ship).
See The Metropolitan Opera’s El Niño running until May 17th.
Discount code for $50 tickets: CONNECT5O