Review: WHERE DID WE SIT ON THE BUS? at DCPA Theatre Company

I often think that are lives are marked in core memories, much like how they are pictured in the movie Inside Out. Moments in time that stand out from the rest: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you had the chance to tell the story of your childhood, what moments would make the cut? In the latest show coming out of the DCPA Theatre Company, one playwright puts their core memories on display in Where Did We Sit on the Bus?

Based on the real life upbringing of playwright Brian Quijada, Where Did We Sit on the Bus? tells the story of "Bee" whose parents immigrated to the United States from El Salvador for the same reason as any other immigrant: The American Dream. Settling in the suburbs of Chicago, Bee enrolls in school where during Black History Month, she learns of Rosa Parks and the segregation of black and white people on buses when she asks, "Where did we sit on the bus?"

In a one-actor show, Satya Chávez not only portrays Bee, her family, and a host of other characters, they also act as a one-person live band. With the use of technology, Chávez created live mixes, looping on her own voice to create harmony, structure, and beyond. What I really loved most about the musical aspect of the wide range of genres. One song would have a singer-songwriter appeal while the next would feel like EDM house music at the club. Once more, we were also treated to an emotional, stripped down acoustic ballad with just voice and piano.

Chávez truly was the defintion of a Jack of All Trades. Their exhibition of talent complements the book of the play in a rather "fits like a glove" fashion. In terms of acting, their ability to create multiple characters while still remaining "Bee" at the core was so natural and masterful. It was fun to go along with Bee through her upbringing and Chávez brings life to the most powerful moments.

This show resonated with me in ways I wasn't anticpating: My last name is Bee, I'm from Illinois, and there was a improv bit at the top of the show about guys named Jon. But more than those things, the idea of being different than the people around you and not really understanding that difference until you do is something I have come to experience as a queer person. The moment of realization; or rather, moments. Perhaps that leads me to say that it remains something we can all relate to: the coming of age and the loss of innocence.

Where Did We Sit on the Bus? runs at DCPA through June 2, 2024.

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