The Motherboard Suite at The Ford Theater had all of the punch of a 1960’s ‘Happening’. A group of artists come together to express ideas and emotions in a way that is powerful, intense, thought-provoking and certainly timely, given the political landscape at the present moment in the U.S. It was a beautifully clear night outdoors at the Ford, the stage set with a number of bright red chairs dispersed around the space in disarray. Upstage center an elevated platform for the music, above that a large screen which would display the lyrics to Saul Williams’ songs.
The Motherboard Suite – Saul Williams – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
Saul Williams is a Writer, Musician, Poet, Director, and Actor who came into public attention with the release of the internationally acclaimed film Slam (dir. Marc Levin), which Saul co-wrote and starred in, introducing the world to the Slam Poetry movement, and winning Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D’Or, in 1998. Williams’ lyrics are potent and speak to today’s landscape in terms of politics, gender dynamic, government abuse, systemic power, as well as economic oppression and educational disparity. Williams does not pull any punches in his lyrics, and we are thankful and the better for it. His message is clear and for every one of his songs there was a physical element brought to bear by a solo performer interspersed with transitions by the group; and the transitions were beautifully done. They were choreographed in such a way that we did not lose the impact of what went before while we were excited about what was next. The performers were individuals with a particular character, and all were fantastic movers. Each had their moment as a soloist giving visual impact to the lyrics of Williams.
Top level (L-R) Marjani Forte-Saunders, Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Saul Williams and cast of The Motherboard Suit – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
Costume Design by Kayla Farrish, Marjani Forte-Saunders, d. Sabela grimes, Jasmine Hearn, Shamel Pitts and Jade Solomon Curtis. These costumes were gorgeous and flowed with the movement offsetting and punctuating the meaning of each piece. Lighting Design by Serena Wong was subtle and matched the tone of the numbers at times becoming strong and guiding the transitions to the next piece. Each performer stood out on their own giving focus to others taking a solo or adding their commentary to the overall piece. Choreography by: Maria Bauman, Kayla Farrish, Marjani Forté-Saunders, d. Sabela grimes, Jasmine Hearn, Shamel Pitts and Jade Solomon Curtis. This was full bodied movement with intense emotional commitment. All were skilled and delivered beautifully. Performed by: Saul Williams and Aku Orraca-Tetteh with Maria Bauman, Kayla Farrish, Marjani Forté-Saunders, d. Sabela grimes, Jasmine Hearn, Codelia King, Nayaa Opong and Jade Solomon Curtis. The Sound Engineer Zach Prewitt did fantastic work balancing the spoken word with the music where each had its own important throughline yet both were clear.
Jasmine Hearn in The Motherboard Suite – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
In the beginning a lone performer took to the stage to lay down in front of the musician’s stand. Then Williams came out and began his first piece, “Coltan as Cotton” as the various dancers entered the space to take their places among the chairs. “Coltan as Cotton” is a reference to the back-breaking work surrounding the mining of Columbite-Tantalite in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, correlating it with the same abuses of the cotton industry in the south of U.S.A. Many cell phones and various other electronic devices contain tantalum, which comes from the ore coltan. It is also used in armaments and aviation components. Activists, journalists, and scholars have all found a relationship between coltan exploitation and large-scale environmental degradation, human rights abuses, violence and death. (The real costs of coltan mining in the DRC, Mining.com, June 1st 2022)
The Motherboard Suite – Codelia King – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
All of the songs have this kind of gravitas behind them. At one point the performers bring out a large square piece of material and roll it out in order to dance upon it. It was red and one could not help thinking of the ancestors past whose blood was symbolized there, on the cotton fields, the battlefields, or the lynchings, or the millions of separate scenarios that have happened throughout history and are happening still today that this event called to mind, evoked, honored and made sacred by the ritual of acknowledgment.
The Motherboard Suite – d. Sabela grimes (center) – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
As the blurb in the Ford Theater preview says, “It’s about Afrofuturism, it’s about social commentary…” and it certainly is, but it was so much more than that due to the intricate staging of the numbers with the choreography echoing the lyrics that Williams was expressing. The show made us FEEL. The dancers made us FEEL. Williams made us FEEL. Afrofuturism deals in notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life. All of the songs were a wake-up call to pay attention to what is happening and to become involved. One of my favorites was “Down For Some Ignorance.” Keeping the general public ignorant has been a tool of government for ages. And it still is now. Is there such a thing as an impartial news broadcast? Just asking. The solution? Hack into awareness and educate yourself. Find out!
The Motherboard Suite – Top (L-R) Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Saul Williams – Center (L-R) Marjani Forte-Saunders, d. Sabela grimes, Nayaa Opong – Dancer performing Jasmine Hearn – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
The work sped along coming in at 60 minutes and it was a mind and eye-opening experience as only theater can provide. Spoken word with the intensity of movement was a blistering indictment of our times. More of the population needs to see this sort of performance art. Directed by Bill T. Jones as only he can. He has been around long enough to know what works and what does not on stage. His work has stood the test of time and does so here as well. He is interested in translating ideas into emotions and there was not one person in the audience unmoved by what they saw onstage that night. It was a magical evening of shared support and community between the stage and the audience. It was powerful, respectful, urgent and insistent.
For more information about The Ford, please visit their website.
For more information about Saul Williams, please visit his website.
To learn more about Bill T. Jones, please visit his website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: The Motherboard Suite – Upper level (L-R) Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Saul Williams – Dancer: Nayaa Opong – Photo by Farah Sosa, courtesy of LA Philharmonic.
