Theater & Film
Latiné Culture, Civil Rights and Live Music Collide Onstage at MTC
Composer/performer Satya Chávez (photo by Jay Towns)Brian Quijada wove a tale from true life experience. When he was in grade school, his teacher was mid-lesson on the Civil Rights movement in the United States when Quijada raised his hand and asked a question both simple and profound, “where did we sit on the bus?” Asking about the reality of the Latiné community during such a pivotal time in U.S. history started as an honest inquiry, but Brian’s teacher met his question with anger and resistance — and no answers.
Later as an adult, a playwright and theater artist, Brian crafted Where Did We Sit on the Bus? with its current director Matt Dickson. As the piece evolved, Satya Chávez became the central performer, a musician, vocalist and actor who provided additional compositions and a voice as the lead figure. This one-actor tour-de-force become the show going up on stage at Marin Theatre Company for the month of May. Throughout the show, Chávez transforms characters, plays instruments and sings with a voice designed to shake the rafters.
The play itself brings Quijada’s memory to life through Chávez’s performance: during a third grade lesson on the Civil Rights movement and Rosa Parks, a Latina child raises her hand to ask, “Where did we sit on the bus?” Her teacher can’t answer the question. Performed by a dynamic actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and intersectional feminist, and infused with Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and live-looping, this solo exploration follows that kid into adulthood. Audience’s will be riveted as she navigates growing up in an immigrant family, her identity as a first-generation American and what the world might look like for her children. Where Did We Sit on the Bus? is a high-octane theatrical experience that examines what it means to be Latiné in America.
A unique perspective and revelatory insight into one of the greatest movements in history all delivered through transcendent sound.
Where Did We Sit on the Bus? Runs May 4 to 28 at Marin Theatre Company. Tickets are available at MarinTheatre.org.
Contact the box office at boxoffice@marintheatre.org or call 415.388.5208.
