What Does Grace Mean To You?

"Cause I'm an ace when I face the bass
40th side is the place that is giving me grace"
-Nas, "Halftime"

On Friday, September 12th, I caught a play in Harvard Square (Cambridge) at the American Repertory Theatre. Entitled, "Let Me Down Easy," it was a one-woman stage production that was truly moving. Anna Deavere Smith is a story-teller in the truest and most empirical form. She weaved together tales of sorrow, pain, heartache, adulation, and struggle to bring the stage to life. The props were basic, yet the visuals were pretty ill.

The concepts of grace and compassion are central themes throughout the production. She channels not only the voices and accents of people she encountered all over the world, but also managed to capture their spirits as well. From Rwandan genocide survivors to jockeys to journalists, she does an amazing job of making a patchwork of disparate narratives fall into place as a collective tale of the diaspora of the human spirit.

Several things stood out to me. It had to do with the concept of circles of identity and how even when we are defined by who we are, we can still be rendered powerless in the face of a greater lack of diversity. Sometimes your significance is diluted simply by your surroundings. Another equally compelling notion was the ideal that ALL local conflicts have the potential to threaten and engulf us all. To me, it struck to the core of how America's indifference to much of the past several decades of turbulence in Africa has contributed to the continent's instability. And lastly, no one is ever truly safe; no matter how good they are. I've often bemoaned the fear I carry with me of becoming of victim. You never know when someone will consider you to be a cockroach and decide today is the day to trample upon you.

In retrospect, I think we can all learn a thing or two about ourselves if we take time to actively listen to the stories of others. The play was real good. What started as a medical school project became a series of interviews and then staged readings and now a stunning performance. The show runs through October 11th. Get in there, yo. Shout-out to Sandra from the Bay State Banner.