A Small Stage Narrative Fusion

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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - Where Did We Sit on the Bus?

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - Where Did We Sit on the Bus?

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre fuses one-woman narrative theater with synth-pop dance music in Where Did We Sit on the Bus? A young Latina wonders about her place in the cultural tapestry of the U.S. in a journey prompted by a history lesson on Rosa Parks. Playwright Brian Quijada carefully constructs a narrative that allows plenty of room for the music and lyricism as Kellen “Klassik” Abston weaves a musical backdrop for the story. Director Brent Hazelton fosters an environment that blends Klassik’s musical presence onstage with the talent of Chicago-based actor Isa Arciniegas. A simple search for understanding becomes quite a bit more in a show that covers a number of themes. Economic disparity and immigration and love and art and so much more tumble around Quijada’s autobiography as performed by Arciniegas.

It’s a very intimate experience with a single actor, a single musician and illumination drawn to the masterfully stage by scenic and lighting designer Jason Fassl. The cozy space of the small stage at Broadway Theatre Center as a perfect fit for the story of one person looking for her place in history. The blend of narrative and music winds and glides its way through the tiny space with a slinky precision. Klassik’s music paints the background as Arciniegas lovingly builds the complex story of an American life in the foreground. Arciniegas’ deep charm and powerful charisma carry the story through multiple twists an turns in a life leading from the womb to the classroom to the history page to the stage and beyond in a wide-eyed look at the world with a hip hop heartbeat.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Where Did We Sit on the Bus? continues through Oct. 23 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For more information, visit www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org.