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Sorority presents dramatic hip-hop play
November 14, 2003

The Daily Targum - University
By Veronica Fitzpatrick, Staff Writer

Do Platanos - fried plantains - go with collard greens? The play "Platanos and Collard Greens," performed at the Livingston Student Center Wednesday night, attempted to answer that question.

Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Epsilon Chapter presented the play - described as a dramatic contemporary hip-hop performance - written by David Lamb and directed by Alim Akbar.

The play, based on Lamb's book, "Do Platanos Go Wit' Collard Greens?" deals with the issues surrounding the relationship between a Latina woman and a black man. Situations in the story addressed stereotypes and race issues the couple encountered.

The event was part of the sorority's founders' week, honoring the founders of the University's Epsilon Chapter.

The show mixed dialogue, poetry, spoken word, and music to show the relation between two cultures.

In a spoken word performance, the lead male character, Freeman, said, "Platanos and collards go together like macaroni and chicken wings, better yet like Zulu and Inca kings." The theme of two cultures in harmony remained throughout the energetic performance.

Historical and political messages were conveyed to the audience through humor.

Attendees with cultural backgrounds different from those portrayed in the play learned about and related to aspects of the situations presented.

Livingston College First-year student Natalie Burak said although she is not black or Latina, she did not have a problem understanding the conflicts in the show because the actors displayed historical information and the contemporary issues of the relationship between the two cultures that people
may be unfamiliar with.

Other students felt the play showed real life and helped the audience to see two cultures interact in a creative, dramatic way.

"It was insightful because we need to understand the relationship between two generally stereotyped cultures," Rutgers College junior Salahudeen Norman said.

Students also thought the play were accurate in its portrayal of family life
for in the black and Latino cultures.

José Núñez, a Rutgers College junior, said he could relate to the conflict the lead female character had with her mother because his parents do not want him to date black or even dark-skinned Latina women. "I wish my parents were here to see this," he said.

The message of unity between cultural groups was clear by the end of the show. Luz Restrepo, a Rutgers College junior, said the play was realistic, especially in terms of the interactions within the Latino family.

Rutgers College senior Lance Reece said, "Relations between groups of
different cultural backgrounds will benefit us in the end."