City College Race and Ethnicity in Performance students celebrated cultural studies through spoken word, dance, songwriting, and other forms of performance art Nov. 19 in the Cultural Awareness Center.

Promoted around campus as “Wordup Wednesday,” the Department of Theatre Arts has developed an Ethnic Theatre Workshop known simply as “!X.” Taught since 2005 by instructor Angela-Dee Alforque, the Ethnic Study Workshops’ mission statement is to develop artistic expressions of diverse experiences and encourage community development through the arts. The class is also intended to promote educational equality at City College.

“This is a workshop — an outlet, designed for students who want to celebrate multicultural backgrounds, to express themselves,” said Alforque to the audience of 50.

Each of the 25 members of !X wore custom-designed T-shirts made by City College student/entertainer Jenilynn. The 18 individual performance pieces were written and produced by a variety of City College students. Many alumni from the theatre group were also in attendance as a show of support for the performing artists.

The recurring themes of friendship, racism, sex, cultural pride, alcoholism and community were prominent among the theatre troupe. With singing, shouting, rejoicing and rapping, the original pieces were inspired by the artists’ own journeys to examine “Who Am I?.”

While some performance pieces provoked chuckles from the crowd, others contained explicit language and adult themes.

“I’ve been a student of professor Alforque’s,” said audience member Lenny Wooley, 25, theater major. “She’s one of my favorite people here on campus and I’ve come to see this group before. They’re always really good. I like to show them support.”

At the end of the presentation, Alforque led a small question - and - answer period. One performer, who called herself “Leek Da Speak,” was asked how she was able to confront and present what some may consider to be such deeply guarded personal conflicts.

“I do it because I hope that by giving my testimony, that I can show another girl who might be living like I did, that she can do it. She can make her way to the top.”

!X has performed for the City College 90th celebration, the Crocker Art Museum, the California Department of Social Services and many other prominent venues throughout the Sacramento community. On December 4 at 8:30p.m., the group will be performing “Poetry Unplugged” at Luna’s Cafe on 16th and N streets indowntown Sacramento.

TA 455 Race & Ethnicity in Performance II will be offered in the spring 2009 semester with no prerequisite required. For more information, contact Angela-Dee Alforque at (916) 558-2017 or alforqa@scc.losrios.edu.