On the Town: Performance featured stories that were sometimes humorous, other times disturbing
As every storyteller knows, the best stories reach deep within people’s souls and touch them with an emotional impact.
That fact was clearly known by those who shared their stories during the recent presentation of “Diversity: Stories of Connection in an Urban Jungle,” which was staged as a fundraiser for the Family Service Agency of Burbank at the Colony Theatre.
Produced and directed by Suzanne Weerts, this powerful sharing of true stories delivered impactful messages that, while positive, sometimes, humorous, awe inspiring and uplifting, were also, at times, horrifyingly disturbing and downright shocking.
The storytellers, representing a spectrum of races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, recounted what, in some instances, were brutally candid, heartbreaking and heartwarming accounts of dealing with and overcoming prejudicial hatred.
“I selected this topic because of the frustration that I, and so many of my friends, are experiencing over the divisive rhetoric we are currently seeing in this country,” Weerts said.
“I wanted to give people who have experienced injustices firsthand the opportunity to share their stories, so that we can better understand the ways in which we are more alike than different,” she added.
Sharing their stories to a sold-out audience that included state Sen. Anthony Portanino, Burbank Councilmen Jess Talamantes and Bob Frutos, former Mayors Marsha Ramos and Anja Reinke, Family Service Agency executive director Laurie Bleick, and senior vice president of operations at Universal Studios Hollywood Scott Strobl, the evening began as former firefighter and paramedic Horus Ra shared an unbelievably horrific story.
Responding to an emergency call that an elderly woman was suffering an apparent heart attack, first responder Ra was not granted admittance to the home by the woman’s husband because he was African American.
After wasting precious time by making repeated calls demanding another paramedic be sent, the police demanded Ra be allowed into the home, where he found the woman had died.
The evening also saw Janora McDuffie tell of how she achieved self-acceptance with being gay and dating someone of a different race, Iranian-born Hedia Anvar explain how she has come to terms with her culture’s views of women and Lila Lee Silvern share a powerful tale of prejudice and redemption.
Silvern, a former school teacher, reminisced about a young girl from a poor family who was one of her students. The girl had greatly admired Silvern until she learned she was Jewish. Within time, the girl ultimately accepted their religious difference, gave her a small gift, and wished her a happy Hanukkah.
Accompanied by musical interludes played by guitarist Peter Skrabak, the evening’s cast was rounded out by Carlos Lacamara, Megan Dolan, Liza Marquez, Suzanne Skrabak, Katsy Chappell as well as Shannon Noel and Stacie Burrows, who perform as the comedic duo Mommy Tonk.
Sponsored by Cusumano Real Estate Group, the Burbank Human Relations Council, Alisa Cunningham Properties, Universal Studios Hollywood, Volpei Gussow Real Estate Group, Color Images and Susy Shearer Photography, the event raised funds that will benefit Family Service Agency’s work of providing counseling, education and advocacy to empower children, adults, families and military veterans, so they can achieve psychological, emotional and social wellness.
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
