The Scene: HOT L BALTIMORE
Posted by Evan Silver on 6/09/2011Your face is illuminated in a flash of light. You are a diva now, straight out of the psychedelic seventies. You strike a pose, your prodigious afro struggling to grip onto your psychedelic scalp. Your exceedingly retro sunglasses obscure your funky intentions. You’ve been through troubles, but you’re here, right now, living fully in the moment. This, my friends, is what it means to get into the world of the play. This is The Scene: Hot L Baltimore.
On Saturday, April 30, over one hundred high school students from all over Chicago crowded into Yondorf rehearsal hall after a Saturday night performance of The Hot L Baltimore. The event was hosted by us - the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council. For a manageable price of $15, high school students from every walk of life witnessed the gradual collapse of the Hotel Baltimore and the fierce resistance of the people inside.
After the show, glow stick-wielding members of the Young Adult Council expertly directed students down Halsted Street to Steppenwolf’s administrative building. Student guests were ushered into Yondorf, where they immediately gravitated toward the food, soul music, and a 70s-style photo booth.
The friends I brought debated nonstop. Which character had they liked most? What was the play really trying to say? What was the significance behind the nameless ghost? Their enthusiastic babbling did not stop as they filled their plates with fried chicken, pasta and salad. They were still eating and talking about the play when they realized, with a rush of excitement, that there was a 70s photo booth across the room, complete with afros, weaves and threads. For purely sanitary reasons, I’d prefer not to know the number of people who wore the afro that night.
The room, bursting with true enthusiasm, finally began to settle in. Slam poet Shannon Matesky laid down her words and rhythms for all to hear, expertly connecting the themes of the Hot L Baltimore to the gentrification of Chicago. Two members of the Young Adult Council, one of whom won this year’s Louder than a Bomb Indie competition, also performed their spoken word pieces. One poet after the other, the audience watched intently, devouring every word. The poets had the absolute undivided attention of over one hundred high school students. A friend shot me a knowing glance — we were in the midst of unmatched passion and skill.
The night moved forward into an artistic discussion about the play with the cast. Many students who had never to a Scene event were surprised at how accessible the actors were. Those with more experience waited eagerly with their questions. Two members of the Council engaged the actors and audience in a discussion about what it was like to work with director Tina Landau, what role music played in the production, and the significance of the unscripted ghost character. As students raised their hands to ask questions, it was time for me to do one of my jobs. As the “band point person,” I had to ensure that our live music for the night, the ever-funky Aniba Hotep and the Sol Collective, was well-fed, hydrated, and ready to rock and roll. I introduced myself to the band, making sure that they knew I was there in case they needed anyone for anything. Then I gave them their five-minute warning. It was time for the party to commence.
Some people hesitated at first to move to the center of the dance floor, worried that they might make a fool of themselves. However, no one could resist the soulful beats of Aniba Hotep and the Sol Collective, and in no time, a crowd of people had gathered in the center of Yondorf, dancing their hearts out. All were uninhibited, arms flailed joyously, and the Council knew the night was well on its way to success.
Alas, the evening eventually came to an end, and my friends could not stop raving. One friend remarked that he wished Aniba Hotep and the Sol Collective would play at our school’s prom. Others were simply moved by the play. All I really heard was a resounding, collective, “That was awesome.”
My penniless friends aren’t generally willing to pay for anything more than ten dollars. However, they are loyal patrons of our Scene events. They come to see quality theatre for a low price. They come to analyze theatre with people their own age, with whom they can relate. They come to celebrate the world of a play, to eat, dance and to have a great time. This event was our last of the year. For those Council members who are graduating seniors it was both solemn and celebratory night. The Scene: Hot L Baltimore allowed students from all different backgrounds and from all around the city to come together, envelop themselves in the world of a play and be enriched by each other.
This is Evan Silver, Young Adult Council member, tuning out.