Milwaukee Chamber Unafraid to Jump Through “Hoops” during World Premiere

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Photo: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - Instagram

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre 'Hoops'

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's 'Hoops'

Rarely does a theater production start as a portrait photography series. But such is the origin of Hoops, a world premiere now playing at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. The show opened last weekend in the intimate, black box Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center.

It is necessary to bring an open mind, as well as a sense of humor, to fully enjoy the concept of Hoops. The show consists of a series of vignettes, songs, comedy sketches, and hilarious history lessons, all jumbled together as one is used to seeing on TV shows such as “Saturday Night Live.” Some of the brief scenes are just funny in themselves, some are poignant, and some are filled with pointed social commentary. Occasionally, the show’s language ventures into areas that would be bleeped on public TV.

The show runs 80 minutes without an intermission.

As stated earlier, Hoops began as a photo portrait series by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s marketing director, Nicole Acosta. Acosta describes herself as a “multidisciplinary Mexican artist.” The photo series, of the same name as the theater production, shows various women from Milwaukee and elsewhere wearing their favorite earrings. 

Acosta’s portraits are currently on view at the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network’s gallery, at 191 N. Broadway St. The photo show runs concurrently with the theatrical production.

From Pictures to Production

Fast forward a few weeks, when award-winning playwright Elianas Pipes was tasked with turning this photo series into a theatrical production. While new plays often takes months—if not years—to gestate, the process was considerably condensed to fit into Milwaukee Chamber’s roster.

Although this gives a somewhat raw, impromptu quality to parts of the production, other parts are incredibly polished. Under the direction of award-winning director Maria Patrice Amon, the segments seem to evolve naturally from each other, offering a series of emotional ups and downs. On opening night, the enthusiastic audience seemed more than willing to follow the journey presented by the show’s three female performers.

What’s more, the show’s original music is composed by Milwaukee-raised composer Britney “B-Free” Freeman-Farr. Her composing chops are in full display here, and the music does a terrific job of tying the disparate pieces of the show together.

The three actors (Paulina Lule, Ashley Oviedo and Celia Mandela Rivera) perform against a painted collage of 12 Black and brown women, all proudly displaying their hoop earrings (set by Madelyn Yee and lit by Ellie Rabinowitz). Costumes start with black tops and pants for all the performers, to which colorful tops, jackets and accessories are added as needed (costumes by Kyndal Johnson).

An Accessory to Every Wardrobe

The show opens with the actors strutting as if down a runway. Soon afterwards, they break into coordinated dance moves (choreography by Tisiphani Mayfield), which gets the production off to a rousing start. Afterwards, they discuss what hoop earrings mean to them. Their earrings seem to be an integral part of every wardrobe. The women confess to having one pair at home, one in the car, one in their offices, and one in their purses. One woman recalls being chided when she wore hoop earrings on a camping trip.

While pure gold earrings seem to be the “gold standard” for such prized accessories, one of the women takes a different direction. She prefers plastic hoops of various colors in order to “match every outfit.” 

The women also discuss how hoop earrings first came into their lives. One had her ears pierced as an infant. For another, raised by strict religious parents, hoops didn’t become part of her life until she turned 18. Before then, earrings and other jewelry, along with makeup, were a strict no-no. After leaving home, she declares she was into “big hoops and high heels.”

In one of the best-written sequences, two actors attempt to outline the history of hoop earrings. One woman starts some 3,000 years ago, when gold hoops were worn by royalty in Egypt, Africa and other societies (notably by Nefertiti, Cleopatra and even men). Another woman abruptly interrupts this lesson. She wants the history lesson to start in the 1970s, when the disco era was dominated by hoop-wearing Donna Summer and soulful singers such as Nina Simone, not to mention Civil Rights activist Angela Davis.

The Infinite Variations of Hoop Earrings – and Their Meanings

The circular nature of hoop earrings is explored throughout the piece, as the round shape reflects wholeness, the circle of life, and cultural identity. 

Time and again, their stories reflect women who grew up in poverty, who yearned for gold earrings but had little spare cash at hand to afford such luxuries. As a result, any lost earring was saved in a box—often for years—as a reminder of a precious thing that was now lost. 

In another sequence, a young woman copes with her chemo treatments by wearing her late grandmother’s hoop earrings. She feels the need to carry her grandmother’s strength into a situation that is scary and unsettling. “I wanted to have (my grandmother) next to me (during this process),” she says.

All of the actors are triple threats, who act, sing and dance with precision. This production requires a lot of shifting from one talent to another, often with just a few seconds’ pause between the segments. The women exude confidence, energy and commitment to the ideas reflected in the show. 

Younger adult viewers will probably get the most from this contemporary exchange of ideas. But the fast-paced, eye-filling aspects of Hoops seem to have something for everyone. Hoops is Milwaukee Chamber’s contribution to the current World Premiere Wisconsin festival, which showcases new plays and musicals around the state. It is definitely worthwhile viewing for theatergoers and even those who have never set foot in a theater, as it doesn’t follow the linear progression of “typical” theater. It’s something fresh and new—just what a world premiere should be. 

Hoops continues through April 2 at the Studio Theatre inside the Broadway Theatre Center. Masks are not required in the lobby, but must be worn inside the theater. For tickets, click online at milwaukeechambertheatre.org, call 414-291-7800, or visit the box office at 158 N. Broadway.