Theater and Circus Workshops in Afghanistan

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mYj3zjnCw

I've worked with Bond Street Theatre on and off for the last seven years when I had some

free time in my schedule.

Here's some interesting notes from my time in Afghanistan.

Dealing with Dickens-inspired school headmasters: During some of our shows, they would walk around the kids with a stick/belt/whip beating them to sit down, clap, or really anything. We had to make a formal request that they don’t beat the children while we perform. Especially not with our juggling equipment, which they’ve done on one occasion!

Being filmed for the black-market bazaars: While performing, there would be hordes of cameramen all over the place. We wondered if they were part of the school, but we find out later on that they were filming our show to sell in the bazaars! The Union is going to hear about that one!!!

oh and my favorite tale:

I was walking with my partner (the woman that danced with me in the stilt tango in my last blog entry)  down a dusty road in a tiny province called Andhoi in northern Afghanistan.

If you're from the States, this place is very reminiscent of the Wild West. I'm talking about armed pedestrians, deserted roads, camels walking around and big open markets.

Well, my partner and I was walking down a road and a few kids were walking ahead of us giggling about one thing or another.

Next thing I know, one of them turns around, points at me and screams out, " JACKIE CHAN!"

and they all run off.

I'm in the middle of nowhere, in a town where there's barely any electricity let alone a television set, and a child sees an Asian man and assumes he's Jackie Chan.

Wow, that man travels!

From their website:

The Bond Street Theatre Coalition, Ltd., a not-for-profit, 501©(3) corporation, was founded:

to create innovative theatre works that communicate across lingual and cultural borders and bring these works to diverse audiences worldwide;

to utilize the performing arts as a means to address social, political, and environmental issues with imagination and clarity;

to further cross-cultural understanding by participating in and initiating community arts projects and humanitarian outreach programs in a wide range of communities globally, particularly post-war areas and conflict zones;

to stimulate other artists towards these ends through collaboration, exchange, and creative associations with artists and organizations around the world.

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