Origins: True Tales of the Immigrant Experience

SCC experimental theater group takes on bold new project

Leuel Bekele, A&E Editor

SCC will be hosting a free livestreamed event featuring performances written, acted and directed by students.

Professor Tony Doupé is heading SCC’s Experimental Theater class with a poignant project slated for the quarter’s end, entitled “Origins: True Tales of the Immigrant Experience.”
Based on the real-life experiences of students and their immigration to the U.S., “Origins” is inspired by the book and documentary “Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth,” in which immigrants ages 10 to 19 share their American experiences.
“Origins” is composed of nine anecdotes of students from Germany, China, Uganda, Colombia, Tehran, Iran and Indonesia. One difference between this production and fall quarter’s hybrid documentary “Almost, Covid” is that each story featured in “Origins” occurred prior to the pandemic.
The project will give students a platform through means of interviews, testimonials and short documentary segments. Each segment will run approximately five to ten minutes, yielding a total run time of about an hour and a half.
Doupé hopes to see “Origins” take on the form of a live stage show in future quarters.
“What I love about the work is it’s so honest. Even online they’re bringing forth so much,” Doupé said of the cast and crew. “I’m inspired by the work of the artists in this workshop, and hope others will be as well. The evening will be filled with amazing stories.”

“Origins” will be streamed live June 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. on the Ray W. Howard Library YouTube channel. A live talkback will follow each showing whereby audiences will have the opportunity to discuss the show with the cast and crew.