Two-man "Colors of Desire" performed

Featuring an African American man and an Asian American man, the short Colors of Desire made a showing on campus last night. The show is part of a playwright partnership of The Playwrights' Center, and was brought to campus by the Students for Asian Affairs, Interracial Coalition to End Discrimination, the Black Student League, W.E.B. DuBois College House and Student Activities Council in honor of African American Heritage Month. Sponsors of the evening said they hope the event will provide an opportunity to further dialogue between African and Asian groups on campus. The free show starred two actors, David Mura and Alexs Pate. The material used in the show was based on Mura and Pate's friendship and the racism both have experienced in their lifetimes. The production included a few brief skits with time in between for the audience to ask questions. Both actors said they were prompted by the Rodney King verdict and much of their work comes from the reactions to that event. One skit entitled "Blues for Rodney King" is a set of poems by both Mura and Pate representing their respective ethnic group's views on the Rodney King verdict. Many ideas were incorporated into various skits. One of the most prominent was the lack of positive role models for African American men. "Black men have to struggle for positive images who are not Martin Luther King but not criminals, just fathers and uncles," Pate said. The actors discussed how both men started working together after coming to terms with their own ethnic identity. "Often we, as people of color, tend to treat whites better than we treat each other," Mura said. "We know more about the white European culture than our own." Both actors said one of the most important points they were trying to make is that the production is "all about friendships and building relationships." Students in the audience said they thought the experience was worthwhile, and they appreciated the informal setting. "They were very honest and straightforward and that made it more real for me," said Alicia Lewis, a Wharton senior and Vice Chair for the United Minorities Council. Audience members also said they felt the performance would continue discussions already started between the two communities. "It is really good to see ethnic groups and minorities working together -- there should be more of this," said College senior Lily Loh, the faculty staff director for Students for Asian Affairs. "The points they were making were very truthfully told," said College senior Richard Hudson. "Obviously, they went through a lot of experiences with racism and that colored their performance." Loh also said she felt the show was very timely with the recent release of the report from the Commission on Strengthening the Community.