A history of theater at the Nuyorican

“At the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, our theater exists to document the history of our passions.” This quote, by Lois Griffith, from the book introduction of Action: The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Theater Festival, is of the place where the Cafe finds its origins. Life became art, Lois says, to protest injustices, to color the public eye with tragedies and heroism of folk and communities disenfranchised for being all too present.

Theater is confrontation and healing. The poem breathing in labored characters, song and dance to the gods within. Theater reaches, night after night, like dreams recurring for the dreamer’s redemption or further seeking. In the awful history of murders witnessed and neighborhoods destroyed, there the freedom song wailed. The work of exalting spirits and neighborhoods.

We will take the measure and continue to challenge the absurdity of our lives. Shango, will preach and rap, pride in his dance, and refashion the world that has been taught to ignore us, nuyorican existence, hyphenated and hyped. There is no smoking during the performance. Thank you.
©1999 Nuyorican Poets Café