PREACHIN TO THE CHOIR / AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH - Stanley Wayne Mathis

Written and Directed by Stanley Wayne Mathis
A  BLM immersive theatrical Presentation with spoken word and poetry, sculpture and visual/audio arts in honor of the lives lost to police brutality in America in the last decade.
MUSIC: Sorosoke - SPEAK OUT! SPEAK YOUR MIND!

Justice Jamal OBATALA - God of the White Cloth. Of moral Rightousness and Spiritual purity. He is the Protagonist in the piece. A young BLM Activist and Documentary Film student born and raised in NYC. His color is White. “But don’t git it twisted”, he’s Black on Black on Black on Black! Don’t believe me?, just ask the police”

Aneeda Ancestry OSHUN - Goddess of Love and Sweet Waters. Of Prosperity and Fertility! The Feminine Divine! Her colors are Gold and White. “WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN’T NOTHIN’ DONE!” In the piece OSHUN is the Mother of The Community, Mother of The Church. She owns a Hair Salon. Her AfroPunk body paint expresses ancient and contemporary indigenous body Art. DNA has memory

Emmett Domain SHANGO! - God Of Virility! God of Thunder! He is the most powerful and feared of all Orishas! His colors are Red and White. In the production he is a Rapper and HipHop griot. “ I am the WORD! The Truth teller!” And the TRUTH shall set you free!

Barbershop Baba “Coltan” OGUN - God of Metal, God of War and technology! His colors are Black and Green. The metal ( spikes, the Heineken bottle caps, the pipe, etc) represents earths natural resourses extracted and exploited by man for corporate greed, profits and power. A statement about Colonialism, Imperialism, Capitalism and Fascism on a globak scale. How powerful natural resources from nature used for the advancement of mankind can be weaponized by humanity against humanity and Nature herself.

Jenowade Dio OSHOSI - Patron Saint who rules over the court system and the Police. Standing up against injustice and inequality! His color is torquiose blue. This modern day African American AfroPunk expression highlights the many laws written, spoken and unspoken that were and are being used to oppress those of African descent in The Land Of The Free. It is said that Slavery was never aboliished, It just simply evolved.

Azucar Negro IBEJI - God of the Sacred Twins. I learned that in Nigeria there are more twins and multiple births per Capita than anywhere in the World. So much so that the Yoruba people venerate Twins as Sacred spirits among the patheon of Orishas. Their colors are blue and Red. In this contempary African American AfroPunk expression the Red represents The indigenous American, the Blue , The Indigenous African and the White down the middle represents European Colonization. The metal tacs represent body modification. Many Americans today have all three rivers running through their veins. The bottle caps represent the corporate exploitation of Indigenous Peoples.

Neighborhood Nana ODUDUA - Chief Goddess of The Yoruba. Power of The Womb! Who brings life into extistence! “ I CAME BEFORE THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG!” In the story ODUDUA is a homeless veteran living on the streets. Collecting souls who have died violently due to racial injustice in America since 1619 to present day. Because of the violent nature of these unjust deaths their souls have not accended. ODUDUA is gathering souls to take their rightful place among The Ancestors.

Fabiola Cherlove OBA - Goddess of ponds and lakes. Patron Saint of Housewives and Prostitutes. Daughter of Yemaya. Her color is Pink! As she manifested she spoke to me saying that the Black women are the most disrespected and unprotected on the planet. Hense the metal spikes, the cowrie shells representing ancient tribal body modification and the seven body chakras.

Nosey Nyesha OLOKUN - God of the deepest depths of the Sea! Authority over all Water Deities. An Androgynous deity who can take on any form. Rebellious! Non-binary! A non- conformist! Their colors are Blue and Beige. In the play Nosey Nyesha OLOKUN is Trans.

Peaches Natchez YEMAYA - Goddess of Oceans and Seas. Fiercely protective of Women and children. She was the very first creation to manifest herself through me. Her colors are blue snd white. She is the mother of all Orishas. Do me a favor and google the history of The Devil’s Punch Bowl of Natchez Mississippi…

Harlem Hasan ESHU - God of Communication! Messenger and Gatekeeper between the Physical and Spiritual worlds. Some call him ELEGUA! His colors are Black and Red. In the show he is a Grafitti Artist played by a deaf Actor. It’s important for everyone to be seen AND heard. ESHU expresses the power of the unspoken word.

Mary J. Blunt OYA - Goddess of wind, rains, storms, hurricanes and TRANSFORMATIONS! Her color is Red! She represents the many modern day and historical Pandemics our people have had to endure. Yet in the immortal words of Ancestor Maya Angelou - “


©Stanley Wayne Mathis 2024
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