County of Kings

by Monikha Reyes

The audience speaks in high murmurs, excited about the show that has yet to begin. Suddenly, to our right, Lemon Anderson silences the crowd, spitting out the first lyrics to the show. All eyes are on him as he makes his way to the stage, demanding attention as he begins the tale of his childhood.

 
County of Kings is a one-man, hip-hop, coming-of-age memoir. Lemon Anderson describes growing up with his family, the gossiping old women on his block, having sex and selling drugs. He brings close to home how easy it is to fall from the straight path when growing up with negative influences. By the end, we realized that a lesson was learned through every bad decision, and that every ordeal led to the man we saw before us. Without all of his experiences, whether harsh or tender, Lemon Anderson would never have entered the Def Poetry Jam, which started his career as a poet.

The music has a great beat that made many people bob their head in unison. It’s a treat to hear blasts from the pasts as familiar songs flood from the speakers, reinforcing the decade onstage. Quick narration keeps things moving, leaving not even a yawn to be stifled.

County of Kings is definitely a show worth seeing. It will leave you with a new outlook on life.

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $25 tickets, Culture Project, Public Theater, 425 Lafayette.

In Conflict

By Brenda Grande

Have you ever…fought for something that you didn’t believe in?

In Conflict is a play about 15 young American soldiers who served in the Iraq War. The actors tell their stories directly to the audience through monologues adapted from interviews of young Iraq veterans.

All of the actors from In Conflict are either college students or recent college graduates, which made them seem so similar to me. One of the actors looked right at me as he spoke about his experience enlisting in the military, and it sounded so different coming from a peer. Some soldiers were excited to leave for Iraq, but others only joined the army so they could pay for college. When they returned from war, many soldiers had a difficult time readjusting to the American lifestyle, in addition to dealing with injuries and nightmares. Family and friends had a difficult time understanding what happened in Iraq and many soldiers did not have the words to describe their experiences.

I spoke with the author, Yvonne Latty, about her process of creating In Conflict. Ms. Latty interviewed veterans and wrote a book, which was then adapted into a play at Temple University with the young people I saw perform.

Culture Project presents Temple University’s production of In Conflict, based on Yvonne Latty’s book, adapted by Doug Wager.

$15 student tickets with ID• Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow St. Visit www.cultureproject.org for schedule and more information.