Satire and comedy come together in California Lutheran University’s upcoming show “Colored Museum,” a satirical play on the lives of African Americans in the United States. “Colored Museum” displays the story of 11 pieces of art, each with a story of struggles that minorities go through on a daily basis throughout time.

The play, as a celebration of Black History Month, is meant to “put racial discrimination and black history into perspective,” said Georgia Caines, a theatre arts major who plays two characters in the show.

The play will portray issues from slavery to social and economic injustice throughout the history of this country and is intended to make the audience feel “uncomfortable,” said Babatunde Awe, a communication major who will portray a drag queen in the show.

“It’s important today because sometimes, for all of us in the world, our eyes are closed, because it is easy to have them closed,” Awe said.

The importance of these stories is to understand the troubles within minority cultures and not fall back into the social stereotypes given throughout history.

“It will spark conversation that we need, but are avoiding,” Awe said.

Jordan Bedgood, a communication major at Cal Lutheran with two roles in the play, said, “Leaving this cultural theme, and all these stories that you tell and getting people to realize that there are ways to look at things in a better light. That’s a powerful way of dealing with that, because they don’t know what to do.”

The play brings light to not only the discriminations and troubles of those in the story, but also to appreciate how far minorities have come.

“Let it teach you things, let it show you things and listen to the story,” Bedgood said. “Be prepared to have your opinions challenged, but in a good way.”

The show will be performed Feb. 7-10 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the window at the Black Box Studio located between Mount Clef Field and the Mail Center. For more information, call 805-493-3452.

Frank Molina
Reporter