Torbeck Dec 17th
Our last show here in Torbeck was our best. We played at a large orphanage called Pwoje Espwa (project hope) for some 650 children and caretakers under a large metal airplane hangar structure that was full of church pews. The kids were fully engaged and there was great explosive laughter filling the space during much of the show. We clowns were as thrilled by the response as the kids were by the show.
We were a little concerned on Sunday as to where we were going to play today. Due to a little communication mix-up, Father Sadoni, our most wonderful host who has been organizing our shows, had nothing planned. He thought we were leaving today, and all the schools had let out for Christmas vacation. However a little networking and phone calling led us to Father Mark and Projet Espwa which he started some ten years ago. When we drove in, we were all immediately impressed by numerous buildings and surrounding facilities. We passed a series of garages in front of which were parked several very large solar ovens, where we found out later they bake all their bread.
From our opening musical procession to the big chase scene where little Elisa chases, and then gets chased by Brendon and Sarah on big stilts, the focus was absolute, and the children were eating every moment up with delight.
Yesterday’s shows, one for the St Paul school’s Christmas celebration, and for the local community right here in the rectory yard in the evening were good fun too. The St Paul show started as a celebration with the younger kindergarten children singing songs, and doing little dances for their parents. There were some 100 people present. Slowly however the neighborhood found there way over to the presentation. We enjoyed watching the cutest groups of little children in their Sunday best go up to sing. By the time it was our turn to go on, quite a crowd had gathered, some 3 to 400 people.
We have been playing with the neighborhood kids late afternoon and evening here in the yard of the rectory. We have been teaching juggling, stiltwalking and even a few clown routines. The children have been asking when we would be performing here. So by the time we performed last night they were quite ready. As can often happen in Haiti, the show at St Paul started later than planned, and with all the school presentations, it was pretty much dusk by the time that we got back to the rectory.
Pere Sadoni, ever resourceful, with just a handful of 40 watt energy saver bulbs created enough light for us to play, and we had a very nice show. We have learned so many things in our one week here in Torbeck, and that was just one of them. How much you can do with so little, and how much a little something can mean a lot. Tomorrow early we take the flight to Port au Prince where we will be active for the next week. Tim Cunningham who arrived there today will be joining us. He will replace me in the show, and Pere Fanfan has set up a whole program of shows for us to play. I will take my solo show to a different set of spots to perform. Mariavittoria, the child protection officer with Unicef, has arrange for me to perform in a number of the organizations they partner with including a girl’s prison and a home for young adults with HIV.
Like many big cities around the world, there has been extensive migration from the countryside to the urban areas. Tensions run high in Port au Prince I am told, and no doubt we clowns will encounter a whole new set of experiences. We took this afternoon off figuring that we have been working hard all week, and will no doubt be doing the same. I wish I could be posting more photos of the show, but there just haven’t been opportunities to take out the camera. There really isn’t a way to get the camera out without stealing focus from the show. However we took a walk to the beach late this afternoon, and we were rewarded with a most beautiful sunset.
Moshe
