Californ-i-hooray!

We have finally brought the show to the West Coast and performed it last night at the gorgeous campus of the University of California - Stanislaus! The show was extremely well received and we had an incredible dialogue following the performance. Wherever we go there is hate, racism, and intolerance. It just seems to have different colors, religions, cultures, but all in all, human beings seem to be involved in being afraid and intolerant of other human beings because they are either different from you or are thought to threaten your way of life.  Here in the Central Valley of California where Mexicans are a huge percentage of the population, the dominant white majority are on their Latino cases because they think the Mexicans are taking their jobs.  

Correct me if I'm wrong, but America was founded on the principle that we are open to everyone who wants to "work" for a better life. What don't people understand about that??? If you're losing your job to a Mexican, it's probably because the Mexican is doing a better job. (And perhaps for less money.)

Who do you hire? The white worker who doesn't do as good a job and begrudges the dirty work he is doing or the Mexican who is appreciative he has a job and can feed his family tonight?

The more we travel and perform and talk to our audience the more I realize how much the hate and a lack of understanding we have for each other is at epidemic proportions.

There were many Latinos in our audience last night and many spoke about the injustice they feel. And after the show a woman came up to me and said that she has trouble sharing these feelings in a big group because they are so painful and  she needs a more intimate setting to share them, but was so thankful that we had came and performed the show and got people talking about their pain. 

I am writing from a coffee shop in the Castro district of San Francisco which is where gay men and woman were tormented in the early 70's. This morning my friend Andrew and I walked over to the spot where Harvey Milk's camera shop and apartment were. It takes courage, determination and the forbearance that Harvey Milk showed to win over this dark, devilish side of human nature. The battle can be won, and as Ron and I like to say, we're trying to change the world "one show at a time."

By laughing together at the stupidity of hate and racism we seem to release the fetters that hold our tongues and are able to share, and sharing or dialogue, is the first step to understanding and healing. 

We just keep on keepin' on and look forward to touring more of California in the future.

cheers,

Larry